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Taro starch was modified and used as an alternative encapsulant for the microencapsulation of Lactobacillus plantarum SU-LS 36 by spray drying. Modification of taro starch was conducted by heat moisture treatment (HMT) and 2 autoclaving-cooling cycles (AC-2C). Microencapsulation of L. plantarum SU-LS 36 by spray dryer was done at constant air inlet (125 °C) and outlet temperature (50 °C), feed flow rate (4 mL min^-1), drying air flow rate (20 m3 h^-1) and air pressure (0.196 MPa). The modified taro starch AC-2C as an encapsulant material was able to produce round-shaped microcapsules and provided optimal protection during spray drying. The modified taro starch AC-2C is very promising to be used as an encapsulant for L. plantarum SU-LS36 since it showed better production yield (40.19%), high encapsulation efficiency (89.83%), protected the encapsulated bacteria from high temperature (70 °C), and showed the lowest viability decreasing during storage up to 6 weeks at room temperature.

The potential of antagonistic rhizobacteria in the management of bacterial blight of cotton caused by Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. malvacearum (Xam) was evaluated under greenhouse and field conditions. In this study, 93 bacterial isolates from the rhizosphere of cotton were screened for their efficacy in inhibiting the growth of Xam in vitro. Among them, 21 isolates were found to inhibit the in vitro growth of Xam. These isolates were identified as Pseudomonas fluorescens and Bacillus subtilis based on phenotypic characteristics, biochemical properties and using 16S-23S intergenic transcribed spacer-Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). Among the 21 isolates, the isolates P. fluorescens Pf32 and P. fluorescens Pf93 and B. subtilis B49 exhibited the maximum inhibitory activity against Xam. Talc-based powder formulations of the effective antagonistic isolates of P. fluorescens (Pf32, Pf93) and B. subtilis (B49) were developed and evaluated individually and in combination for their efficacy in the management of bacterial blight of cotton under greenhouse and field conditions. The P. fluorescens isolates Pf32 and Pf93 and Bacillus subtilis isolate B49 survived well in the talc-based formulation for more than 90 days. The application of a mixture of Pf32, Pf93 and B49 to seed, soil and foliage significantly reduced the bacterial blight incidence and increased the plant height, number of branches and number of bolls under field conditions. The plots treated with a mixture of Pf32, Pf93 and B49 recorded the maximum yield of 1915 kg/ha and 1512 kg/ha in trial I and trial II compared to 1210 kg/ha and 987 kg/ha in the untreated control, respectively.

At the locality Čebovce we found damage on Asimina triloba cv. Prima and Corylus avellana, which is not a typical host plant. 20% of branches on the host plant Asimina triloba cv. Prima were damaged by the Currant Clearwing moth larvae. The leaves on the infested branches started to wilt in mid-August.

There are limited data available in the literature about the frequency and distribution of endocarditis in suckling and weaned piglets. The goal of this study was to investigate the frequency and distribution of lesions from cases of spontaneous valvular endocarditis in young piglets and to determine the bacterial agents involved in those lesions. Valvular endocarditis lesions in suckling piglets were detected in 21/454 cases (4.62%) and in 20/306 cases (6.53%) in weaned piglets. Streptococci were the dominant bacterial species isolated in 68% of the cases; S. suis was identified in 48.7% of the cases, S. pyogenes in 7.3% and S. spp., which could not be further identified, were cultured in 12.1% of the cases. E. rhusiopathiae was identified as the causal agent of endocarditis in four cases in the weaned piglets. In three cases, A. suis and S. aureus were isolated, and, in two cases, A. pleuropneumoniae was identified. Y. enterocolitica was isolated form one case of valvular endocarditis in a weaned pig. The finding of valvular endocarditis caused by Y. enterocolitica is an uncommon finding in pigs, and to the authors' knowledge, there are no other reports of this agent being the cause of endocarditis in pigs. The involvement of Y. enterocolitica in endocarditis might have been assisted by the predisposing role of immunosuppressive viruses, such as porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome.

Water stress decreases the quality of fruit by generating reactive oxygen species. Grafting is a technique that can improve the efficiency of crop water usage. This work was performed in order to assess the effect of different water stresses on the commercial and nutraceutical quality of a melon fruit. Cantaloupe melon plants, grown under shade houses were grafted onto a creole pumpkin rootstock and grown with different water stresses (20, 30, and 40 kPa). The grafted melon plants under 30-kPa water stress (G30) showed greater fruit firmness and increased catalase activity. The G30 fruits showed an increase in GPX activity of up to 80% over the non-grafted plants. The GSH was higher in fruits subjected to the 40-kPa water tension. The superoxide dismutase showed a 15% greater inhibition in the fruits from the non-grafted plants. At higher water tensions, the DPPH antioxidant activity decreased, while the vitamin C content increased.

In sustainable agriculture crop residues management should consider the interactions between soil and residue properties, which can affect the decomposition and global greenhouse gases (GHGs) emission. Through a laboratory experiment, we investigated the effect of the management (incorporation and surface placement) of wheat and faba bean residues on their decomposition and CO₂, CH₄ and N₂O emissions from two soils, a Chromic Vertisol and an Eutric Cambisol. In the Vertisol, wheat residues increased the CO₂ emission more than faba bean when left on the surface whereas no differences among residues were observed when incorporated. In the Cambisol, faba bean emitted more than wheat when left in the surface and less when incorporated. Total CH₄ emissions were higher in faba bean in Cambisol for both management and only when applied in the surface in Vertisol. Total N₂O emission in the Vertisol was higher when faba bean was incorporated, and wheat was left on the surface. In the Cambisol, wheat addition increased total N₂O emissions by 20% compared to faba bean, with no differences between managements. Our study confirmed that contrasting properties among tested soils resulted in significant interactions with residues own degradability and their placement affecting residue decomposition, soil C and N dynamics, and GHGs emission.

The experiment aimed to obtain a quadratic regression mathematical model of the comprehensive evaluation score of yield, quality, and four macroelements (N, K, P and Ca). The suitable nutrient solution was chosen and verified via computer simulation of the model and the highest comprehensive score in all treatments. Results showed that P, K and Ca had a positive effect on the comprehensive evaluation value of tomato, whereas N showed a negative effect. The optimal formula calculated using the regression equation could promote high-yield and high-quality tomato. The single-plant yield, soluble protein, vitamin C, total sugar, lycopene, and elemental utilisation of K and Ca in the tomato were 13.93, 78.95, 3.29, 20.98, 51.91, 16.69 and 24.14% higher than those in the special formula treatment of Japanese Yamazaki tomato, respectively. In summary, the optimal nutrient solution formula of tomato cultivation was obtained, in which the N, P, K and Ca levels were 24.83, 4.50, 9.49 and 5.73 mmol/L, respectively.

The paper deals with assessment of biogas yield from mixtures of Reynoutria substrates and livestock manure. The aim was to perform laboratory experiments and suggest suitable fermenter operating conditions (dry matter content, pH, share of substrate components, thermic regime) for metanogenic digestion, then to determine its quality and assess the usability of such produced biogas.

In the Czech Republic, most mycobacterial infections in pigs are caused by the Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) and potentially pathogenic mycobacteria (PPM) derived from the environment. This study was undertaken after the isolation of PPM from various components of the environment of pig herds between 1996 and 2002 (Matlova et al., Veterinarni Medicina, 48, 2003, 343-357). Between 2003 and 2007, a total of 1114 environmentally-derived samples from 24 farms were examined. After staining according to Ziehl-Neelsen, acid-fast rods were found in 42 (3.8%) samples by direct microscopy, and PPM were isolated from 223 (20.0%) samples by culture. PPM occurred primarily in soil from the paddocks (53.8%), peat (53.2%), bedding (28.4%) and biofilm from the pipeline (21.0%). From MAC, M. avium subsp. hominissuis (MAH) genotype IS901- and IS1245+ was most frequent; M. avium subsp. avium (MAA) genotype IS901+ and IS1245+ and M. intracellulare genotype IS901- and IS1245- were isolated from one (0.4%) and three (1.3%) samples, respectively. The remaining isolates were identified as 19 other mycobacterial species: M. gordonae (n = 8), M. triviale (n = 6), M. flavescens (n = 3), M. nonchromogenicum (n = 3), M. terrae (n = 3), M. xenopi (n = 3), M. fortuitum (n = 2), M. chelonae (n = 2), M. chitae (n = 2), M. abscessus (n = 1), M. gastri (n = 1), M. kumamotonense (n = 1), M. marinum (n = 1), M. parafortuitum (n = 1), M. peregrinum (n = 1), M. porcinum (n = 1), M. scrofulaceum (n = 1), M. smegmatis (n = 1) and M. simiae (n = 1). The remaining 41 isolates of unidentified mycobacterial species did not contain the sequences IS901 and/or IS1245, specific for medically important members of MAC (MAA and MAH); a further 44 isolates were not tested due to their contamination or loss of ability to grow in vitro. A farm where MAH was often detected in the lymph nodes of pigs and in the environment between 1996 and 2002 (Period I), was selected for further investigation between 2003 and 2007 (Period II). A comparison of the findings of mycobacteria on the investigated farm in Period I and in the following Period II showed a significant increase (P < 0.01) in the occurrence of mycobacteria other than MAH, especially in peat samples.

A total of 120 weanling pigs [(Landrace × Yorkshire) × Duroc], 21 days of age with an average initial body weight (BW) of 6.52 ± 0.22 (SE) kg were selected to investigate the effects of extruded rice product as a replacement for dried whey on growth performance, coefficient of total tract apparent digestibility (CATTD), blood profiles, faecal shedding of Lactobacillus and Escherichia coli (the microbial counts of digesta were expressed as log₁₀ colony forming units per gram), and faecal scores of weanling pigs. Pigs were randomly allocated to one of four dietary treatments, with six replicates per treatment and five pigs per pen. Pigs in the control group were fed a diet based on corn, soybean, and 20% dried whey. Experimental groups received the same diet as the control group, but dried whey was replaced by 3%, 6%, and 9% extruded rice. Throughout the experimental period (six weeks), no differences were observed in the average daily gain, average daily feed intake, and gain/feed ratio. Pigs fed 6% and 9% extruded rice had a lower (P < 0.05) CATTD than pigs fed the control diet on Day 14. The blood creatinine concentration of pigs fed 9% extruded rice was higher (P < 0.05) than that of pigs in the control group on Day 14. Pigs fed the diets containing 6% and 9% extruded rice had decreased (P < 0.05) faecal E. coli counts on Day 14 compared with pigs fed the control diet. The current results indicate that feeding extruded rice can decrease faecal E. coli counts without negative effects on growth performance in weanling pigs.

Cholecystokinin (CCK) affects the intestinal motility but in ruminants the question has not been entirely explored. The aim of this study was to examine the precise effects of CCK-octapeptide (CCK-OP)and its amphibian analogue, cerulein, on duodenal motor activity in unfasted rams in the course of chronic experiments. Five rams underwent the implantation of a strain gauge force transducer to the duodenal wall, and - additionally - the bipolar platinum electrodes to the duodenal bulb, distal duodenum, near the strain gauge force transducer, and proximal jejunum. During continuous motor recordings, 0.15M NaCl or CCK peptides were administrated intravenously. Injections of CCK-OP at doses of 20 (over 30 s), 200 (over 30 or 60 s), and 2 000 (over 30, 60, or 120 s) ng/kg of body weight and injections of cerulein at doses of 1, 10, or 100 ng/kg (given over the same periods) were each administered in the course of duodenal phase 1, 2a, or 2b of the migrating motor complex (MMC), i.e. 5 min after the onset of each phase. Injections of the smallest doses of CCK peptides exerted a slight and mostly insignificant effect on the duodenal areas under contraction (AUC). In the duodenum, the moderate doses of the hormones evoked short stimulatory effects followed by longer inhibitory biphasic effects on AUC. These effects were inversely related to the duration of the hormone injection. It is concluded that CCK evokes stimulatory and inhibitory (biphasic) physiological effects on duodenal motility in sheep.

Intensive tilapia egg incubation techniques create favourable conditions for microbial proliferation which often leads to massive mortalities of fish larvae. The effects of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) eggs exposure to bronopol on decontamination of their bacterial surface and survival of larvae were observed. Immersion treatments of fertilized eggs were applied at 10, 25, 50, 100, and 250 mg/l of bronopol for 10, 20, and 30 min. This treatment substantially reduced the number of bacteria on Nile tilapia eggs. The greatest reduction in bacterial numbers (1.58 × 10³ colony forming units/g of egg) was observed at the maximum treatment dosage, i.e. 250 mg/l for 30 min, but this was not significant when compared with treatments of 100-250 mg/l bronopol for 10-30 min. Treatments of 50-250 mg/l bronopol provided better larval survival (89.33-94.67%) than those of < 50 mg/l (P < 0.05). The larval survival obtained from the Nile tilapia eggs disinfected with 10 and 25 mg/l bronopol for 10-30 min was similar to that of negative controls (79.33-80.97%). Additional in vitro test was performed to determine the inhibitory potency of bronopol against bacteria cultured from fertilized Nile tilapia eggs. Twenty-two bacterial isolates (Aeromonas hydrophila (n = 12), Staphylococcus aureus (n = 6), Escherichia coli (n = 2), and Micrococcus spp. (n = 2)) responded to minimum inhibitory concentrations of bronopol ranging from 64 to 128 µg/ml. The study demonstrates that the immersion treatment of Nile tilapia fertilized eggs with 250 mg/l for 10-30 min, the concentration proven effective against bacteria cultured from fertilized eggs, significantly reduced bacterial load and improved larval survival.

This study was aimed to determine the impact of risk element content on the prevalence of the selected microbial groups in industrial soils of one of the steelworks in Poland. The concentration of heavy metals: Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Fe, Ni, Pb and Zn along with soil pH and the number of mesophilic bacteria, fungi, actinomycetes and Azotobacter was assessed in 20 soil samples. The limit concentrations of Cd, Pb and Zn were exceeded in five sites. However, even in these strongly contaminates sites, the studied microorganisms were abundant. The correlation between the concentration of heavy metals and microbial numbers was very weak and statistically insignificant. High numbers of fungi were observed in the contaminated sites, which was particularly interesting in one of the sites, strongly contaminated with Cd, Pb and Zn.

The using possibilities of secondary raw materials produced during the liquid biofuels production such as bioethanol and biodiesel, and also those produced during solid fuel production was determined. The study presents combustion of distiller's dried grain with solubles (DDGS) and pressing refuse of rapeseed methyl ester (RME). The combustion was done in gravimetric oven, according to the standards, under the laboratory conditions. Combustion heat of samples was measured with calorimeter IKA C5000. The results show the average combustion heat of 20.91 MJ/kg for DDGS and 18.996 MJ/kg for RME. Results are chronologically presented in tables and figures.

The influence of storage time on a range of quality parameters, in vitro antioxidant activity, and the sensory acceptability of fully ripe strawberry tree fruits packaged into polypropylene trays under plastic film was assessed. Fruits were stored at 0°C for 6, 12 or 18 days and then transferred to shelf life at 20°C for 2 days. The parameters most influenced by cold storage and shelf life were firmness, colour, and antioxidant activity. Firmness decreased significantly during storage and colour parameters showed a decrease in saturation. Significant increases in polyphenols and anthocyanins were registered during storage, with a resulting increase in total antioxidant activity. The sensory analysis demonstrated that fruits maintain an acceptable quality level for up to 1 day under shelf life conditions following 18 days of cold storage.

Iron (Fe) is an essential mineral for animal development and function. The present study was carried out to evaluate the effect of replacing FeSO₄ with iron glycine chelate (Fe-Gly) in the equal Fe level in diets on broiler chickens. The broilers were randomly allotted to 6 dietary treatments with 5 replicate pens and 10 birds per pen. The treatments consisted of: Control group (100 mg Fe from FeSO₄/kg diet), Experimental group 1 (80 mg Fe from FeSO₄ + 20 mg Fe from Fe-Gly/kg diet), Experimental group 2 (60 mg Fe from FeSO₄ + 40 mg Fe from Fe-Gly/kg diet), Experimental group 3 (40 mg Fe from FeSO₄ + 60 mg Fe from Fe-Gly/kg diet), Experimental group 4 (20 mg Fe from FeSO₄ + 80 mg Fe from Fe-Gly/kg diet), and Experimental group 5 (100 mg Fe from Fe-Gly/kg diet). The results showed that replacing FeSO₄ with Fe-Gly in the diets did not significantly improve broiler growth performance (P > 0.05). But it significantly (P < 0.05) improved the blood biochemical parameters. Xanthione oxidase activity in blood serum showed no significant difference between all treatments at day 21 except for Experimental group 5 (P > 0.05). In addition, catalase activity in blood serum and Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase activity in liver were increased with the increasing replacement level of Fe-Gly (P < 0.05). But for all of the above indicators, the observed values of Experimental groups 3, 4, and 5 did not significantly differ (P > 0.05). This study indicates that replacing FeSO₄ with Fe-Gly in the equal Fe level in the diets cannot improve the growth performance of broilers. But it can effectively improve the blood biochemical parameters and antioxidative enzyme activity. The least substitution ratio for low feeding cost and beneficial effect on the broilers was 60%.

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

From soapstock, which is a waste product of sunflower oil production, the fatty component was isolated using isopropyl alcohol, toluene, fusel oil and a mixture of common salt and nonionic surfactants. With the help of the Langmuir film balance the molecular areas of isolated fats were found and the degree of hydrophobization in comparison with the original soapstock was evaluated. It was found that the strongest compression of the monolayer is observed when using fusel oil. The surface active properties of emulsifiers, synthesized by alkaline hydrolysis method on the basis of the obtained fat extracts and original soapstock, were studied. These results are consistent with measurements on the Langmuir balance.

The paper presents the changes in the spatial structure of agricultural holdings in the European Union between 2010 and 2016 from the perspective of typological groups of countries. The research was conducted based on Eurostat data. The holdings were divided into the following groups: up to 5 ha of agricultural land (AL), 5-20 ha, 20-50 ha, and over 50 ha. Based on the fuzzy classification method, 4 typological groups of countries with a similar spatial structure of holdings were distinguished. The intergroup diversity is high. The dynamics of changes in the number of holdings in particular countries per typological group was presented. A downward trend in the total number of holdings and smallholdings was observed, in particular in countries characterised by a fragmented structure of holdings. In these countries, an upward trend in the number of holdings of 20-50 ha and over 50 ha was noted. Between 2010 and 2016, the structure and composition of typological groups changed. There were also slight changes (in different directions) in the structural distance between the groups.

Besides its health and spoilage hazards, Escherichia coli is a process hygiene indicator for cheeses made from milk that has undergone heat treatment. Hence, its ability to persist in cheesemaking plant environment and equipment is important. In total, 120 samples from two producing plants were analysed and 72 E. coli isolates were obtained. The target was to find out whether there is a difference in heat-resistance between persistent and non-persistent E. coli strains. The strains were selected using macrorestriction analysis and recurrent detection in cheesemaking plants hereby: one strain persisting in brine for blue-veined cheeses, two strains persisting in brine for hard cheeses and one non-persistent strain from raw material. Their D(50)-values were 196; 417; 370 and 182 min, respectively, D(59)-values ranged from 20 to 32 min and z-values were 7.5; 6.6; 8.1 and 9.0 °C, respectively. The non-persistent strain was the least resistant to heating to 50 °C but it was not the least resistant generally. All tested strains were highly heat-resistant and carried genes of the heat resistance locus LHR1 and/or LHR2. Our results emphasise the need to screen for the presence of LHR genes and the occurrence of heat-resistant E. coli in cheese production where they could survive sub-pasteurisation temperatures and contaminate the manufacturing environment and finished products.

Four different concentrations of extracts obtained from three lichen species (Lecanora muralis (Schreb.) Rabenh., Letharia vulpina (L.) Hue, and Peltigera rufescens (Weiss) Humb) were tested against adults of Sitophilus granarius (L.) in Petri dishes. After treatments, mortalities of the adults were determined after 24, 48, and 96 h. Expectedly, higher concentration and longer exposure time resulted in higher S. granarius mortality. Mortalities 96 h after treatments with the highest concentration (20 mg/ml) of extracts of L. vulpina, P. rufescens, and L. muralis were determined as 100, 100, and 86.86%, respectively. However, there were no dead insects in the control group. Values of LC₅₀ after 96 h for L. muralis, L. vulpina, and P. rufescens extracts were 0.666, 0.505, and 0.328 mg/ml, respectively.

The present study examined the efficiency of thyme in improving the productive and reproductive performances in male rabbits living in hot climates with the further lowering of the faecal ammonia and adverse heat stress. One hundred and twenty-five Zealand-White male rabbits were assigned to five dietary treatments [age: 60-day-old; body weight (b.w.): 1 362 ± 20 g] (n = 25). The basal diet was supplemented with either 0 (control), 4, 8, 12 or 16 g/kg of thyme leaves. The experiment lasted for 90 days. The feed and water were provided ad libitum. The animals were housed in an open system (39 °C ambient-temperature and 30-35% relative-humidity). The dietary thyme leaf levels significantly improved the appetite, body weight gain and growth performance compared to the control (P < 0.001). The weight gain and feed conversion ratio were directly proportional to the thyme leaves intake. The faecal ammonia was markedly lowered in response to the feeding with thyme leaves. The thyme leaves significantly improved the liver and kidney functions as indicated by their biomarkers. The testosterone concentrations and semen characteristics were also significantly improved in the thyme leaves-treated groups compared to the control (P < 0.01). In conclusion, thyme leaves, at an optimum dose of 16 g/kg of the diet, could be an efficient feed additive for rabbits surviving under hot climatic conditions.

Thermal weed control performed by weeders working on physical principles is already commonly used on farms dealing with bioproducts. It helps to reduce strenuous human labour and to effectively control weeds and, to some extent, pests and diseases threatening the crops. It also prevents other weeds from spreading by destroying them in the early growth stage. In addition, development of weeds is inhibited when the soil is not being ploughed. Effective deployment of these machines in practice is currently addressed by experts in the field, as well as the possibility of rational use of heat energy while achieving the maximum effect on weeds. This method in particular helps to reduce costs of thermal treatment, which are the key factor limiting widespread deployment of weeders. The paper introduces long-term research based on laboratory and field experiments, which is intended to broaden the knowledge regarding this issue.

Three-year strict experiments with winter rapeseed were conducted in three experimental stations. In the research, winter rape fertilization with elemental sulphur (S) in the doses: 20, 40 and 60 kg S/ha, boron (B) - in the dose of 2 kg B/ha and copper (Cu) - 5 kg Cu/ha were applied. Microelements were introduced separately, in treatments B and Cu, as well as in combination B + Cu. The experimental soils featured low content of sulphate sulphur SO₄^2--S and boron, medium and low copper content. Rapeseed fertilization with sulphur, boron and copper resulted in their increased concentration in plants. Sulphur at 40 and 60 kg S/ha doses affected the increase in oilseed rape grain yield by 11-12% compared to the not fertilized treatment. The dose of 20 kg S/ha did not show any significant influence on yield. The yield increased by more than 10% in the comparison to the treatment without B and Cu, was obtained due to boron, as well as combination of boron and copper fertilization. A significant increase in fat content, in relation to not fertilized treatment, ranking from 1.0-1.4% dry matter, was recorded after fertilization with the highest sulphur dose - 60 kg S/ha, as well as after application of boron and copper fertilization.

In this four-year study, we focused on the impacts of a biochar application on physicochemical soil properties (soil total carbon, total nitrogen, total potassium, total phosphorus, available nitrogen, available potassium, available phosphorus, pH, bulk density and moisture) and bacterial communities in an Albic Clayic Luvisol. The biochar was applied to plots only once with rates of 0, 10, 20 and 30 t/ha at the beginning of the experiment. The soil samples were collected from the surface (0-10 cm) and second depth (10-20 cm) soil layers after four years. The results showed that that the soil total carbon (TC) and pH increased, but the soil bulk density (BD) decreased with the biochar application. The soil bacterial sequences determined by the Illumina MiSeq method resulted in a decrease in the relative abundance of Acidobacteria, but an increase in the Actinobacteria with the biochar application. The bacterial diversity was significantly influenced by the biochar application. The nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) and canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) indicated that the soil bacterial community structure was affected by both the biochar addition and the soil depth. The Mantel test analysis indicated that the bacterial community structure significantly correlated to a soil with a pH (r = 0.525, P = 0.001), bulk density (r = 0.539, P = 0.001) and TC (r = 0.519, P = 0.002) only. In addition, most of the differences in the soil properties, bacterial relative abundance and community composition in the second depth soil layer were greater than those in the surface soil layer.

Fine roots (≤ 2 mm in diameter) account for up to 50% of total net primary production in forests, representing a major flow of both carbon and nutrients into the soil. We investigated the vertical distribution and production of fine roots in a warm temperate old-growth evergreen broadleaved forest in southwestern Japan. We used a continuous inflow method that considered different rates of diameter-dependent root mortality, decomposition, and thickening. Fine roots were classified into two classes (≤ 1 mm and 1-2 mm diameter). The experiment was conducted over a 1-year period to collect data on the mass of live fine roots and mass of dead fine roots in January, May, November and the following January. Decomposition ratios were assessed for three intervals (January to May, May to November, and November to January). More than 70% of fine roots occurred in the 0-20 cm soil layer, and less than 4% were found in the 50-80 cm soil layer. Decomposition ratios varied seasonally in both root size classes, peaking in summer and reaching a minimum in winter. The same pattern was found for production, mortality, and decomposition. The peak rate of production was 1.62 g.m-2.day-1 in ≤ 1 mm and 0.63 g.m-2.day-1 in 1-2 mm fine roots. The lowest production was 0.62 g.m-2.day-1 in ≤ 1 mm and 0.38 g.m-2.day-1 in 1-2 mm fine roots. Total fine root production over a 1-year period was 6.61 t.ha-1. A mass of 2.70 t.ha-1yr-1 of dead fine roots was decomposed to return nutrients to the soil. It is concluded that a warm temperate old-growth evergreen broadleaved forest in southwestern Japan plays an important role in carbon cycle and nutrient return through a high amount of production and decomposition.

The present study shows the effect of agave fructans as a carrier agent compared with maltodextrin to evaluate the particle stability of blackberry and raspberry juices. A pilot spray dryer was used with feed flow of 20 mL h-1 and atomization rate of 28 000 rpm. The inlet air temperature of 180 °C and outlet air temperature of 80 °C were used as parameter constants. Only the parameters of the carrier agent concentration of 5, 7.5 to 10% (w/v) were changed. The concentration of 10% agave fructans was high enough to recover the higher yields of 89% only for blackberry, for raspberry the concentration of 7.5% agave fructans was sufficient to recover the yield of 67%. The stability diagrams show the conditions of the particles that should not be exceeded when leaving spray drying, as well as the storage conditions that must be followed to avoid agglomeration.

A 300 kg, 11-month-old quarter horse filly was presented with a joint dislocation in the right anterior limb. The animal was attended at the Federal University of Pará (UFPA) Veterinary Hospital in September 2016, where it was reported that the horse was injured on a fence. On clinical examination, the dislocation of the metacarpophalangeal joint with a rupture of the joint capsule and exposure of bone surfaces was observed, however, with no rupture of the extensor and flexor tendons. Surgery was recommended and the patient was anaesthetised with detomidine (Dormiun V; Agener União, São Paulo, Brazil; 0.04 mg/kg), ketamine (Cetamin; Syntec, São Paulo, Brazil; 0.03 mg/kg/h) and guaiacol glyceryl ether (JA Saúde Animal, São Paulo, Brasil, 0.5 ml/kg/h) i.v. The reconstitution of the joint capsule, lateral collateral ligament (LCL) and the other soft tissues around the injury was performed. A chemical arthrodesis was performed, then the tissue approximation and finally the skin suture. Bandages were applied on the wound with hydrophobic cotton and a Robert-Jones dressing. Systemic treatment was performed with enrofloxacin (Zelotril 10%; Agener União, São Paulo, Brazil; 5 mg/kg) i.m., meloxicam (Maxicam 2%; São Paulo, Brasil; 0.6 mg/kg) i.v. during 10 and 20 days, respectively, then replacing the antibiotic with ceftiofur (Cef 50; Agener União, São Paulo, Brasil; 2.2 mg/kg) i.m. for another 22 days. An iodine solution was applied to the joint optimising arthrodesis. After three and a half months, the lesion was entirely healed and with good movement, so the patient was discharged. This case demonstrates that, with adequate treatment and attention, it is possible to recover the patient's quality of life.

The quantitative and qualitative accuracy of the routine histological method for the determination of unauthorised animal and herbal content in minced meat was to evaluated. Laboratory adulterated minced beef meat; each containing 5, 10, 15 and 20% of soya and chicken gizzard was prepared. Then each sample was divided into three parts and four paraffin embedded blocks were prepared from each part. The sections were stained using haematoxylin and eosin, toluidine blue and Masson's trichrome. The histological examination revealed the soya and gizzard tissues clearly in all the samples. The histometrical analysis showed that there was no significant difference between the estimated percentages of both additive tissues and the real related percentages. Overall, neither was there any significant difference between the data of the three parts of each sample and the real percentages. The findings of the present research suggest the histological technique as an effective method for qualitative and quantitative evaluations of minced meat.

Rapeseed isolates of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Lib.) de Bary 1884 from Nitra Region of Slovakia were investigated for their in vitro sensitivity to azoxystrobin and picoxystrobin; and determining the EC₅₀ value. The growth of S. sclerotiorum was evaluated on PDA amended with the selected fungicide´s active ingredient at 4 different concentration - 0.08, 0.83, 8.33, and 83.30 ppm. The overall mean EC₅₀ values for azoxystrobin and picoxystrobin were 2.73 ppm and 3.12 ppm respectively. Majority of isolates had a resistance factors up to 20, that suggests the shift in S. sclerotiorum population sensitivity towards the resistance.