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Soil and water losses in purple soil area is becoming an increasingly severe problem, bringing enormous challenges to environmental protection in rural areas. In this study, simulated rainfall experiments were conducted to analyse the effects of rainfall and the slope conditions on the soil and water loss. Purple soil from a typical slope in the Beibei District of Chongqing was selected as the experimental soil. Twenty rainfall scenarios with varying rainfall intensities and slope conditions were created in the simulation. The results indicate that the runoff initiation time shortened with an increased rainfall intensity and slope gradient. There was a logarithmic relationship between the effect of the rainfall amount on both the runoff intensity and sediment yield intensity. Generally, both the runoff and sediment yield showed a positive linear relationship with the rainfall intensity under different slope gradient conditions. In terms of the same rainfall intensity, both the runoff intensity and sediment yield intensity increased with the slope. Furthermore, a critical slope gradient for the soil and water loss was found between 20° and 25°. This study aimed to provide a reference for soil and water conservation research in a purple soil area.

Oedema disease of weaned piglets is caused by shigatoxigenic Escherichia coli (STEC), typically harbouring the stx2e gene and F18 adhesins. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of a commercially available oedema disease vaccine on the zootechnical performance, mortality and individual antibiotic treatment in a herd, in which non-typical STEC strains without F18 adhesin have been identified. The zootechnical performance (average daily gain, total weight gain), mortality and individual antibiotic treatment were compared between vaccinated and non-vaccinated control piglets in a monocentric field efficacy study, which was performed using two groups in a parallel, randomised design. A significantly higher average daily gain and total weight gain were recorded in the vaccinated piglets in comparison to the controls. The lower morbidity, mortality and antibiotic treatment in piglets in the vaccine group were not statistically significant. As a conclusion, the positive effect of the vaccination was confirmed in the herd with prevalent STEC not harbouring F18 adhesin. The vaccine was, therefore, also effective against oedema disease caused by such unusual STEC isolates, under the conditions of this study.

In this study, the aim was to produce traditional couscous in gluten-free form. For this purpose, rice flour (RF) and pre-treated (gelatinized) rice flour (GRF) were added in varying proportions (15, 20, 25, and 30%) to the recipe instead of gums and enzymes in order to provide the desired structure. The control sample without GRF was also produced. With the addition of GRF, the total dietary fibre (TDF) content in the couscous samples increased, and reversely the carbohydrate and energy values decreased. The GRF reduced the level of total soluble organic material (TSOM) as well as the cooking loss of the couscous samples, which resulted in lower deformability. According to the results, the gluten-free rice couscous was successfully produced with GRF, especially at a 30% ratio. Good cooking properties were observed in these couscous samples. In this context, in the addition of 30% GRF, higher water absorption and swelling volume with lower cooking loss were observed compared with the control sample. In addition, the couscous samples had higher ash, dietary fibre and fat content as well as a lower phytic acid ratio (P < 0.05). It was determined that there was significant correlation between the cooking time of the samples with the cooking loss and total soluble organic material. According to the results, the PCA showed that there were clear correlations between cooking trials (water absorption and swelling volume) and chemical composition (moisture, ash, crude fat, and TDF).

Afforestation is important for the EU forest management strategy. Afforestation of abandoned and marginal arable land is a favourable non-agricultural land use option for climate change mitigation. It may prevent threats of drought or erosion e.g. by affecting the water balance in soil via increased structural stability. The structural stability control in afforested soil is related to i.a. organic matter content, nutrient content, soil reaction, planted tree species prosperity, and amelioration. A four-year field small-plot experiment on afforestation was carried out with Chernozem covered with deciduous (oak), coniferous (pine) or mixed planting, amended with 3 doses (no-application, 0.5 kg×m^-2, and 1.5 kg×m^-2) of alginite. In 2013 and 2016, soil reaction pH_H2O, mean weight diameter (MWD), organic matter content (LOI) and total organic carbon (TOC) were determined and related to the soil structural stability to evaluate the soil precondition to sustain drought twice per vegetation period (spring and autumn). Afforestation significantly improved MWD compared to the field soil between 2013 and 2016 from 1.63 ± 0.04 mm to 1.85 ± 0.05 mm. Tree planting significantly neutralized the soil pH_H2O, mixed planting appeared to improve LOI and TOC. Four-year afforestation led also to higher structural stability, less alkaline pH and deciduous tree-related increase in LOI, which may indicate better soil sustainability to drought.

Nutrition plays an important role in human life. So far, there have been discussions focusing on the nutritional value of individual foods, separate dishes, or daily meals. However, they have not taken into account the composition of the diet in the longer term. The aim of this work was to evaluate a full-day diet from a currently renowned company that is producing box diets on the Czech market against a full-day diet of twenty randomly selected students. The results showed that the box diet met the required amount of protein, fat, vitamin E, cholesterol, and also the optimal intake of n-6 and n-3 fatty acids. The amount of saturated fatty acids (SFA) was only slightly increased. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) content averaged 38 mg day^-1, which did not meet the current requirements. The students' full-day diet was variable, the individual differences were large. Protein intake could be assessed as sufficient in most cases. The total fat intake ranged from 21 g day^-1 to 126 g day^-1. Seven out of twenty samples would satisfy the recommendation for SFA. The content of the essential acids EPA and DHA was below the detection limit with the exception of one sample (containing herring fillets).

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of Lactobacillus zeae LB2 on the gut microbiota in piglets infected with enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC). Thirty-two healthy 7-day-old piglets were randomly divided into four treatment groups: control group (basal diet), LB2 group (supplemented with 1 × 10⁸ CFU/pig/day L. zeae LB2), ETEC group (infected with 1 × 10¹⁰ CFU/pig/day ETEC) and ETEC+LB2 group (LB2 supplementation + ETEC infection). Intestinal contents were collected for DNA extraction and Illumina sequencing. Significant result was observed for alpha diversity in the four intestinal sections, and both ETEC infection and LB2 supplementation showed a higher Chao1 alpha diversity. At the phylum level, Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes were dominant in the healthy piglets, while Proteobacteria were dominant in the ETEC-infected piglets. At the genus level, ETEC infection decreased the abundance of Prevotella, Ruminococcaceae, Lactobacillus, Alloprevotella, Flavobacterium, and Sutterella and increased the abundance of Actinobacillus. The LB2 supplementation reduced the abundance of Ruminococcaceae, Actinobacillus, Porphyromonas, and Alloprevotella, and increased the abundance of Prevotella and Lactobacillus. Both ETEC infection and LB2 supplementation affected several functional pathways associated with cellular processes, environmental information processing, genetic information processing, diseases, metabolism, and organismal systems. In summary, ETEC infection induced dysbiosis of the gut microbiome in piglets, while L. zeae supplementation could positively regulate the gut microbiome during ETEC infection. Therefore, L. zeae LB2 may be an ideal probiotic for the prevention or treatment of ETEC infection.

The competitiveness of Bradyrhizobium japonicum inoculation strain against indigenous rhizobia was examined in a soil pot experiment. The effect of inoculation strain was evaluated under different soil conditions: with or without previously grown soybean and applied commercial inoculant. Molecular identification of inoculation strain and investigated rhizobial isolates, obtained from nodules representing inoculated treatments, was performed based on 16S rDNA and enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus (ERIC) sequencing. Inoculation strain showed a significant effect on the investigated parameters in both soils. Higher nodule occupancy (45% vs. 18%), nodule number (111% vs. 5%), nodule dry weight (49% vs. 9%), shoot length (15% vs. 7%), root length (31% vs. 13%), shoot dry weight (34% vs. 11%), shoot nitrogen content (27% vs. 2%), and nodule nitrogen content (9% vs. 5%) was detected in soil without previously grown soybean and applied commercial inoculant. Soil had a significant effect on the shoot, root and nodule nitrogen content, while interaction of experimental factors significantly altered dry weight and nitrogen content of shoots, roots and nodules, as well as number of nodules. Nodulation parameters were significantly related with shoot dry weight, shoot and nodule nitrogen content. Symbiotic performance of inoculation strains in the field could be improved through co-selection for their competitiveness and effectiveness.

The objective of this study is to evaluate the changes in the motility and kinetic patterns of canine spermatozoa, capacitated and decapacitated, after the addition of seminal plasma protein fractions with different molecular weight. It has been proposed that proteins in seminal plasma support the survival of the spermatozoa and exert a dual effect: capacitation and decapacitation. The seminal plasma from fresh ejaculates was subjected to chromatographic separation and four protein fractions were obtained. Computer-assisted sperm analysis was used to determine the sperm subpopulations with specific motion and kinetic characteristics after incubation with each of the four protein fractions. Two-dimensional electrophoresis of the fractions that exhibit a significant effect on the capacitation and decapacitation was performed. By sperm class analyser, capacitation changes were observed in the sperm subpopulation with a high curvilinear velocity and amplitude of lateral head displacement incubated with the seminal plasma protein fraction with a high molecular weight, which was also reflected in the decreased linearity, straightness, and progressive motility. The sperm subpopulation incubated with the seminal plasma protein fraction with a low molecular weight seemed to undergo a process of decapacitation (decreasing of the curvilinear velocity, increasing of the linearity, straightness and showing progressive motility). Despite their ample panorama of actions, the role of seminal plasma proteins regarding capacitation and decapacitation is still undetermined.

This study evaluated the productive performance, blood parameters and antioxidant status of hyperprolific sows fed control diet or diet supplemented with brown seaweed and polyphenol mixture (SPM). Ninety-six farrowing highly prolific sows (Topigs 20) were assigned to two dietary treatments from day 107 ± 2 days of gestation until weaning: control diet and the same diet containing 15 g/day of SPM. Sows fed SPM diet tended to have lower backfat losses (P = 0.06) than control sows. No difference was observed in daily feed intake. No difference in litter birth weight or number of piglets per litter was observed. In sows fed SPM, average daily gain and weaning body weight of piglets were increased (P < 0.05). Haematochemical parameters, haptoglobin and blood total antiradical activity were not affected (P > 0.05) by dietary treatment. The paraoxonase-1 activity was higher (P < 0.05) in SPM sows than in the control. At the subsequent farrowing, the total number of piglets born was higher (P < 0.05) in sows fed SPM than in the control. Overall, these data suggest that dietary plant polyphenols and brown seaweeds improved the weaning weight of piglets and the total number of piglets born at the subsequent farrowing, modulating oxidative stress in lactating highly prolific sows.

The mango (Mangifera indica L.) is a common tropical and subtropical fruit and the second main fruit crop in Egypt. In this work, start codon targeted (SCoT) and inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers were employed to study the genetic relationship among twenty-three mango genotypes grown under the El-Giza district conditions. These genotypes consist of four newly introduced cultivars, six new progenies and thirteen closely related mango cultivars which were included as cultivar references for the best definition. Based on the overall SCoT and ISSR data, a total of 52 bands were generated (18 for SCoT and 34 for ISSR) with a total polymorphic percentage equal to 53.84% (44.44% for SCoT and 58.82% for ISSR). Based on the whole set of SCoT and ISSR marker data, the genetic similarity coefficients ranged from 80 to 97% with a mean equal to 88.5% and the first two principal axes explained about 31% of the total genetic variation among the mango accessions. The SCoT and ISSR data revealed that the four newly introduced mango genotypes, namely 'Aya', 'Kasturi', 'Maya' and 'Omer', are novel genetic resources based on their genetic profiles, which can be used for future breeding programmes in Egypt.

Economic globalisation (EG) in developing countries has continued to increase over the last 40 years. EG has both beneficial and harmful impacts on all sectors, including agriculture. This paper aims to determine the impact of EG on agriculture in developing countries. This aim was met by conducting a systematic review (SR) of 64 papers from Scopus and Web of Science (WoS). EG has influenced various elements of agriculture in developing countries, including i) product, supply chain, food security, ii) trade, iii) economic, social, political element and environment and iv) technology and research and development (R&D). We propose several policies in this paper to maximise EG's positive impact while minimising its negative impact.

The aim of the paper is to identify the factors influencing consumers when beer consumption and when choosing restaurants for beer consumption in the Czech Republic (CR). A partial goal was to compare preferences and factors influencing beer consumers from the Vysočina Region and the South-Moravian Region. The survey included a questionnaire survey, which 408 respondents took part in. The results showed that the most influential factors in the selection of beer for consumers are taste, a high-quality brand, and Czech production. Surprisingly, price was not found to be an influential factor in beer selection but is rather neutral. Factors that influence consumers most when choosing a restaurant for beer consumption were also identified. Consumers are most influenced by the quality of the beer on offer and the environment in which it is consumed.

Blast disease caused by Pyricularia oryzae is one of the most destructive fungal diseases of rice in Malaysia. Utilisation of resistant varieties is the most efficient management approach towards reducing yield losses. The line IRTP21683 with the Pi9 gene has shown strong resistance against the isolate MPO988.3 of pathotype P_0.0, the most prevalent P. oryzae pathotype in Malaysia. Crossing of IRTP21683 was undertaken with the recurrent parent MR220, a susceptible elite Malaysian rice variety, using a marker assisted backcrossing technique with two simple sequence repeat markers, RM19776 and RM7311, as the tag for the Pi9 gene. Twenty BC₃F₄ lines with the Pi9 gene were resistant when challenged with MPO 988.3. The cluster analysis based on seven agronomic parameters showed that the resistant BC₃F₄ lines could be divided into four groups, of which the members in group 1 and 2 have shown comparable or better performance than MR220. Five lines in group 1, B220PI9-3-48, B220PI9-3-76, B220PI9-3-77, B220PI9-3-79 and B220PI9-3-82 showed outstanding yield performance with early maturation.

The functional role of the insect pathogen fungus Metarhizium anisopliae strain NCAIM 362 against the white grub cockchafer (Melolontha melolontha) larvae and southern European marshland pyralid (Duponchelia fovealis) larvae in a sweet potato cultivation was tested under greenhouse conditions. As a positive control, the effect of the same strain of M. anisopliae were compared with the effect of the synthetic insecticide alpha-cypermethrin. According to the results, alpha-cypermethrin was more effective against both the Coleoptera and Lepidoptera larvae, a lower number of surviving individuals as well as less damaged tubers were detected after the chemical treatment, compared with M. anisopliae.

Aeroponics would appear to have a number of potential attributes to make potato production more efficient. In a 3-year experiment, from 2019 to 2021, potatoes were grown in aeroponic units using two nutrient solutions as well as in a conventional polycarbonate greenhouse in a substrate. Potato cultivars Adéla, Zuza and Ornella were used in all experiment years. No statistically significant effect of nutrient solution or potato cultivar on the number and weight of tubers was found in the trial. However, the advantages of aeroponics over conventional technology were statistically proven. The number of tubers per plant in aeroponic units ranged from 2.4 (2019, cv. Adéla) to 41.0 (2021, cv. Zuza), while in the greenhouse, they ranged from 3.9 (2019, cv. Adéla) up to 12.6 (2021, cv. Adéla). The average weight of tubers in aeroponic units ranged between 2.0 g and 9.9 g per plant (2 to 10 successive harvests), and in the greenhouse, 22.7 g to 41.9 g per plant (single harvest). The influence of cultivar on the average weight of tubers within individual cultivation technology variants was statistically proven only for polycarbonate greenhouse: only one harvest after the end vegetation.

Corneal ulcers are one of the most common ocular disorders in veterinary ophthalmology and several factors can negatively influence the efficacy of the currently available therapeutic options, leading to a loss of corneal transparency and, thus, vision. Twenty-five dogs with clinical signs of corneal ulcers were randomised to receive either corneal phototherapy (16 dogs; study group) or topical standard medical therapy (9 dogs; control group). The riboflavin/UV-A corneal phototherapy (PACK-CXL) consisted in the application of a riboflavin ophthalmic solution (Visioflavin^®; Vision Engineering Italy srl, Rome, Italy) onto the cornea for 20 min followed by 30 mW/cm² UV-A irradiance for 3 min using a point-of-care UV-A device (Vetuvir^®; Vision Engineering Italy srl, Rome, Italy). The complete healing of the ulcerative lesion was defined as the complete restoration of the corneal epithelial integrity with negative fluorescein staining. The corneal phototherapy achieved complete corneal healing in all the dogs by 20.5 ± 7.8 days. In the control group, only two dogs achieved complete healing by 21.5 ± 15.6 days. This intervention may represent a valid option to hasten corneal wound healing and a clinical resolution of ulcerative keratitis in dogs.

The characterisation of agricultural activity depends on what firms produce. In this article, we introduce the importance of the vegetative cycle in the prediction of bankruptcy of agricultural firms, analysing the financial ratios proposed by the classical models of Altman (1983), Ohlson (1980) and Zmijewski (1984). We consider a total of 2 228 Portuguese firms, with 83 failing between 2015 and 2019. The findings confirm that the differences between healthy and bankrupt firms depend on their vegetative cycle. Although predictors based on liquidity are helpful only in predicting the bankruptcy of non-perennial crop firms, activity predictors are better in identifying healthy perennial crop firms. In addition, we show substantial statistical differences in terms of liquidity and profitability, but only in healthy firms. The results encourage the topic of the vegetative cycle to be more present in the construction of more accurate bankruptcy prediction models.

Sunflower downy mildew caused by Plasmopara halstedii (Farl.) Berl. et de Toni is a destructive and widespread disease. More than 50 races of P. halstedii have been recorded worldwide. In 2020, in the Russian Federation (Zernogradsky district, Rostov region), a globally new race 337 was identified for the first time. The pathogen was identified on the plants of a foreign sunflower hybrid bearing the resistance gene Pl₆. According to the five-digit racial nomenclature, its virulence profile was determined as 337 53. It is the first P. halstedii race recorded in the Russian Federation that simultaneously infects all differential lines of the 3^rd triplet, i.e., HA-R4, HA-R5 and HA-335. The sunflower lines RHA-274, 803-1, PSC8, RHA-419 and RHA-340 were resistant to it. All the collected isolates of the new race were susceptible to the fungicide mefenoxam.

The basic chemical composition of the meat of fifteen freshwater and saltwater fish species was studied. Fourier transform-near-infrared (FT-NIR) spectroscopy was applied for determination of the content of fat, protein and dry matter in the fish meat samples. The fish species analysed differed significantly in dry matter, fat, and protein content (P < 0.05). The highest fat percentage was determined in the samples of Cyprinus carpio (17.14 ± 0.53%) and the lowest value was found in the samples of Lophius piscatorius (0.06 ± 0.003%). Thunnus albacares samples had the highest content of proteins (24.26 ± 1.89%), whereas the lowest protein content was observed in Oreochromis niloticus (14.73 ± 0.87%). The results of the measured dry matter varied from the highest content in C. carpio samples (35.73 ± 0.47%) to the lowest content of L. piscatorius samples (15.64 ± 0.43%). Principal component analysis (PCA) extracted three major groups, which differentiate the analysed samples based on their protein, lipid and dry matter content. Partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLSDA) confirmed the use of three variables (protein, fat, dry matter) measured by FT-NIR to separate the observed fish species.

Global warming caused by climate change can increase heat stress and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, leading to food problems and livestock crises. Thus, pre-emptive responses are required to mitigate the food problems and livestock crises. The potential of a livestock crisis caused by global warming highlights the need for sustainable livestock production in response to climate change using a farm animal algorithm in order to address the population increase and avoid food problems in the future. In particular, the demand for animal-based foods has increased. Such a climate change threatens the livestock environment, production, reproductive efficiency, animal behaviour and welfare, while increasing the heat stress, livestock malodours, and GHG emissions. For these reasons, it is necessary to understand the concurrent mechanisms related to these effects of global warming, animal nutrition, animal feeding and management, animal heat stress and in ovo injection, and carbon neutral livestock. Climate-smart livestock systems are being implemented to overcome the livestock crisis caused by climate change and to maintain sustainable livestock production. This review emphasises the importance of sustainable livestock production using farm animal algorithms in response to a future livestock crisis caused by climate change in 2050.

Plant growth regulators (PGRs) and proper fertilisers are used to increase quality of the Salak Pondoh, such as in the plant production, fruit number and size. This study aims to determine the type and dosage of PGRs and the best type of fertiliser to increase the production bunch and fruit of Salak Pondoh. The method used was a Factorial Completely Randomised Design (FCRD) with 36 treatments (excluding the control) and 3 replications. Three treatments were conducted: first, as a control, no PGR treatment + fertilisation (no fertilisation, manure, and NPK). Second, a 3 × 3 factorial scheme. Treatment of PGR GA3 (50, 100, 150 ppm) + fertilisation (no fertilisation, manure, and NPK). Third, a 3 × 3 × 3 factorial scheme was used. Treatment of PGR Gracilaria sp. extract (50, 100, 150 ppm) with different solvents (n-Hexane, methylene-chloride, ethanol) + fertilisation (no fertilisation, manure, and NPK). The parameters observed were the number length, area of the bunch, length and area of the fruit. The results showed the highest number of bunches was found in PGR GA3 50 ppm. While, the highest bunch area was found in PGR Gracilaria sp. ethanol 150 ppm. The PGRs only increased the formation of the bunches and did not increase the length and width of the bunches and the fruit size. Fertilisation affected the Salak production in the form of the number, length and width of the bunches, and the fruit size. In addition, the fertiliser increased the number of the bunches, bunch area, and length and area of the fruit. The interaction of the PGR and fertilisation had no significant effect on increasing the Salak Pondoh production. The best result in increasing the Salak Pondoh production was PGR Gracilaria sp. ethanol 100 ppm with manure fertilisation.

This work deals with the study of a pre-treatment method promoting degradability of lignocellulosic biomass and hence biogas yield therefrom, as this material is challenging to decompose due to its structure. The investigated pre-treatment methods are hydrolysis of the material in NaOH (0.5% and 5%) and H₂SO₄ (0.5% and 5%) at temperatures of 90-100 °C for 2 h. This work aimed to compare the effects of these pre-treatment methods on the lignocellulosic composition of maize waste (maize stalks, leaves and cobs), rapeseed straw and wheat straw and the biogas yields from its subsequent anaerobic digestion. Pre-treatment by 0.5% NaOH increased the biogas production the most (by 159% for rapeseed straw, 240% for wheat straw and 59% for maize waste) also the degrees of solubilisation was higher, at the same time the proportions of total organic carbon (TOC) in the solid component appear to be sufficiently high, it could be assumed that there has been sufficient disturbance of the material structure. Alkaline methods have proven to be more suitable compared to acid pre-treatment methods, also the use of alkali with a lower concentration has shown to be more efficient, which is more advantageous for use in practice from an environmental and economic point of view.

Recently, modern non-heating-based food processing alternatives have emerged. The pulsed electric field (PEF) technology is an example, which does not require high temperatures and, in principle, preserves both the nutritional and functional characteristics of the food while possibly improving the taste. Nevertheless, using this technology in kitchen conditions is still a challenge. Thus, the main aim of this work was the development of a kitchen cooking device that uses pure pulse electroporation (without thermal effects). A device powered by a common electrical network was designed. The voltage applied to the electrodes is approximately 150 V. At a food thickness of 3 mm, an intensity of 500 V.cm^-1 was achieved, which was sufficient for the electroporation of typical vegetables. Depending on the specific food being treated, the device repeats the pulses until the required degree of the PEF treatment is reached. Preparing a larger amount of food at one time would require great instant power from the device. In order to load the device with less current, the large working area of the electrodes was divided into nine segments. The food is gradually prepared segment by segment. The function of the device is controlled via an electronic programmable control unit. The electroporation of the processed material was achieved with a functional prototype of the designed device, but with some limitations that have to be respected in further development.

The series of phenolic acid (2-, 3-, 4-monohydroxy- and 2,4-, 2,5-dihydroxy) alkyl esters (methyl, ethyl, propyl, and butyl) were prepared, and their antimicrobial activities were determined. The antimicrobial activity against the tested microorganisms Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Candida albicans and Aspergillus brasiliensis was investigated and expressed by minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) in the range of 1.2-20 mM. The inhibitory activity of higher esters of phenolic acids was found to be higher than that of methyl esters and acids. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of tested compounds was compared with that of 4-hydroxybenzoic acid and its esters (parabens).

Juglans pyriformis Liebm. (Juglandaceae) is a threatened and endemic tree that grows in the cloud forest of Mexico. Natural populations of this species have been reduced due to, among others, changes in land use, overexploitation, and logging, with probable effects on its genetic diversity and structure. To determine the levels of variation and genetic structure of two populations with different silvicultural regimes, six inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) primers were used to amplify DNA from 35 individuals from a high-logging population and 32 from a low-logging population. The results show a higher polymorphism in the low-logging population (81.5%) compared to the high-logging population (77.4%). The genetic differentiation coefficient (PhiPT) values (0.109), genetic distance (0.134) and STRUCTURE analysis (Fst = 0.2271, P = 0.04) show significant genetic differentiation between populations. Rare, private, and monomorphic bands were detected in both populations. These results confirm the trend of reduced genetic variation due to logging.

The article presents the ongoing research, which aims to select suitable electrodes and mixtures of conductive inks, which will be used as a converter between the pressure and electrical quantities in the design of planar pressure transducers. In the described research, we continue our previous work and the work of other authors who have previously dealt with the properties of conductive inks and electrodes. Due to the only partial results in the given field, we decided to perform an extensive and original measurement of a total of 172 combinations of different electrode sizes, various conductive ink mixtures and ink layer thicknesses. Thanks to this, it will be possible, in the future, to select a suitable combination of electrodes and inks when designing pressure sensors for industrial and agricultural applications without the need to perform time-consuming preparatory measurements. The aim of the measurements is also to determine the usable working range of the pressures and the corresponding sensitivity for certain combinations of electrodes and inks, and to also exclude those variants which are unsuitable for the given purposes. This paper presents the introductory part of the measurements, which aims to verify the methodology of the measurements on a test plate at robotised workspace that is connected to a PC in real time via the program LabView. The described introductory measurements proved our methodology to be suitable to the given purpose; however, there minor problems emerged with the actual working pressure range of the transducer and the consequential necessary adjustments of the control program.

The aim of the study was to compare the effects of feed restriction on the growth performance and carcass composition of chicken, rabbit and nutria males and females. Feed restriction was applied at a rate of 70% ad libitum from 14 to 21 days of age in chickens, 70% ad libitum from 42 to 49 days of age in rabbits, and 70% ad libitum from 12 to 15 weeks of age in nutrias. Animals were fed ad libitum prior to and following restriction. Carcass composition was evaluated at common slaughter ages, i.e., 31 days in chickens, 70 days in rabbits, and eight months in nutrias. The results showed stronger effects of feed restriction, sex, and their interaction in broiler chickens than in rabbits and nutrias. In chickens, feed restriction increased the sex differences in final body weight, which were associated with interaction of feed restriction and sex (P = 0.009). Feed restriction as a fixed factor significantly affected growth and feed conversion in chickens and it was with no effect in rabbits and nutrias. The effect of feed restriction on carcass composition was negligible in all selected species. With respect to sex, significant differences were observed in chickens in final body weight, daily weight gain, dressing out percentage and breast percentage, in rabbits in loin percentage, and in nutrias in growth and perirenal fat percentage. Results of the study indicated that interactions of feed restriction and sex in growth might be associated with a short realimentation period.

To study the difference among cytoplasm at the different nitrogen conditions, a research experiment was conducted using five different cytoplasmic male sterile (CMS) hybrid rice with nitrogen levels at N0, N1, N2, and N3; the nitrogen application rates were 0, 90, 180, and 270 kg/ha, from 2018 to 2019. Results showed that among tested cultivars of CMS hybrid rice, JW (J803A × Chenghui727) showed the highest yield in both years for the low nitrogen and high nitrogen treatments. The dry matter accumulation and translation of JW type in nutritive organs were higher than that of others during the low nitrogen level (N1). We concluded that the nutrient translocation within plants organs and dry biomass accumulation were highly dependent on CMS type and nitrogen application. This research indicates that selecting a rice cultivar with greater efficiency of nitrogen is favourable for raising the number of grains per panicle, grain yield, and nitrogen use efficiency. JW cytoplasm displayed great efficiency in low nitrogen, which is a potential cytoplasmic resource.

To study the effects of straw return and aeration of the water layer on oxygen and redox status in the water column and at different depths in paddy field soil, a short-term incubation experiment was conducted with four treatments: (1) no straw return (NS); (2) straw return without aeration (S); (3) straw return and 30 minutes of aeration per day (SO30); and (4) straw return and 90 minutes of aeration per day (SO90). Compared to NS, S decreased dissolved oxygen (DO) and redox potential (ORP) by 23-58% and 47-53 mV, respectively, and increased active reducing substance (ARS) by 21-46% in the water and soil layers. The aeration treatments increased DO and ORP by 25-120% and 11-86 mV, respectively, and reduced ARS by 5-16% compared to S. The results indicated that straw return to paddy fields exacerbated hypoxia and reducing conditions in the soil. SO90 achieved better effects than SO30 in alleviating the negative impact of straw return by supplying more oxygen, but the effects weakened over time and with soil depth.

This study investigated the effects of the dietary addition of wormwood (Artemisia montana Pampan) on growth performance, blood characteristics, carcass traits, and meat quality in growing-fattening pigs. One hundred eighty crossed pigs (Landrace × Yorkshire × Duroc), weighing approximately 70 kg, were divided into four groups of 15 head (eight barrows and seven gilts) per pen, and the experiment was replicated thrice. The basal diet (C) was supplemented with 0.5% (T1), 1.0% (T2), and 1.5% (T3) of dried powdered wormwood, and the pigs were fed an experimental diet for six weeks. The average daily weight gain and feed efficiency were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in treatments than in C. On the contrary, the total cholesterol concentration was significantly lower (P < 0.05) in treatments than in C. Additionally, the high-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentration was significantly higher (P < 0.05), and the carcass grade was better (P < 0.05) in the treatments than in C. The ether extract content of the longissimus dorsi (LD) muscle was lower (P < 0.05) in T2 and T3 than that in C. In contrast, the unsaturated fatty acid (USFA) composition in LD muscle was higher (P < 0.05) in the treatments than in C. Additionally, the marbling and flavour of cooked meat were better (P < 0.05) in the treatments than in C. The dietary addition of wormwood increased (P < 0.05) lightness and yellowness of the surface meat colour and decreased (P < 0.05) juiciness of the LD sensory evaluation. Therefore, the dietary addition of wormwood improved growth performance, feed efficiency, carcass grade, USFA composition, and oxidation of protein and lipids in the LD muscle of growing-fattening pigs.