Salivary Cortisol Concentration in Fattening Heifers Kept in an Enriched Environment at Different Stocking Densities

The aim of the study was to assess the effect of environmental enrichment and different stocking densities on the level of stress in the fattening cattle by measuring salivary cortisol concentration. A total of 320 saliva samples obtained from heifers during the final four-month fattening period was analyzed by a colorimetric competitive enzyme immunoassay. The heifers were housed at 3.3 and 4.5 m2/animal in standard production conditions that were additionally enriched with a mechanical grooming brush and salt blocks in experimental groups. The study results have demonstrated that a cortisol concentration at the end of fattening was significantly higher, as compared with the initial levels in all heifer groups, without significant intergroup differences. There was no significant correlation between the usage of a grooming brush and cortisol concentration, whereas a significant negative correlation was detected between the salt block usage and cortisol concentration, suggesting a beneficial effect of this simple, commercially available and relatively inexpensive environmental enrichment.

The effect of moisture on the properties of cement-bonded particleboards made with non-traditional raw materials

The paper presents research into the changes of properties in cement-bonded particleboards caused by moisture saturation over the course of 504 h. Three particleboard variants were tested, all at the age of 18 months. The first is a standard production-line board manufactured by CIDEM Hranice, a.s. (identified as CP-R). The other two variants were modified by by-products of the particleboard manufacturing process—dust (CP-D) and a particulate mixture (CP-P). The experiment observed changes in the boards’ dimensions, volume, and mass. The effect of moisture on their basic material properties was also investigated. While the boards were being saturated by water, changes in their structure were examined using an optical microscope. It was found that the boards behave differently depending on their composition. Also there were differences in the dynamics of the property changes. The modified particleboards are more susceptible to dimensional and volume changes. Both, volume and mass undergo the most significant changes during the first 24 h. Cracks and air voids inside the wood chips begin to close upon contact with water as a result of swelling. It was observed by optical microscopy that this process occurs within 3 to 5 min since immersion in the water bath. Between 24 and 96 h the rate at which the air voids and pores are closing begins to decrease and there is a difference in the dynamics of mass and volume changes as well. Wet–dry cycling of the boards was analysed as well. Temperature and moisture fluctuations negatively affected particleboard behaviour and properties. Strength dropped up to 50%. Wider cracks in structure of the particleboards were detected by optical microscopy, namely in ITZ (internal transition zone) of cement matrix and spruce chips.

Investigation of the influence of electrode manufacturers ‘recipes on the production and chemical composition of welding fume particles

The quality of the welded joint, production and chemical composition of welding fume particles in the MMAW process, in addition to the welding parameters, mostly depend on the quality of the coated electrode. As part of the preliminary experimental research of the optimal technological composition of the electrode coating, from the aspect of minimizing welding fume, an experimental research of one class of electrodes, E 42 4 B 32 H5, EN 499/94, standard production program of three manufacturers of welding consumables. The test was performed to examine the influence of the manufacturer’s recipe on the production and chemical composition of welding fume particles.

European GNSS troposphere monitoring for meteorological applications

Near real-time GNSS double-difference network processing is a traditional method still used within the EUMETNET EIG GNSS Water Vapour Programme (E-GVAP) for the atmosphere water vapour content monitoring in support of Numerical Weather Prediction. The standard production relies on estimating zenith tropospheric path delays (ZTDs) for GNSS ground stations with a 1-hour time resolution and a latency of 90 minutes. The Precise Point Positioning (PPP) method in real-time mode has reached the reliability and the accuracy comparable to the near real-time solution. The effectiveness of the PPP method relies on exploiting undifferenced observations from individual receivers, thus optimal use of all tracked systems, observations and signal bands, possible in-situ processing, high temporal resolution of estimated parameters and almost without any latency. The solution may implicitly include horizontal tropospheric gradients and slant tropospheric path delays for enabling the monitoring of a local asymmetry of the troposphere around each individual site. We have been estimating ZTD and gradients in real-time continuously since 2015 with a limited number of stations. Recently, the solution has been extended to a pan-European and global production consisting of approximately 200 stations. The real-time product has been assessed cross-comparing ZTDs and horizontal gradients at 11 collocated stations and by validating real-time ZTDs with respect to the final post-processing products.

Cellulose hydrocolloids in meat products: current status and challenges in developing functional food

Due to the growing health problems associated with the increased intake of saturated and trans fats, and the unbalanced n-6/n-3 ratio in the diet, in recent years numerous studies have focused on finding adequate substitutes for fat in meat products, while the meat industry made additional efforts to implement the obtained formulations (oleogels) in the standard production processes. Insoluble cellulose fibre in the form of microcrystalline cellulose has proven to be a promising ingredient in reduced fat, fibre-enriched functional food development, since it has been safely used as a food additive for many years with a known beneficial effect on human health. This review will discuss the recent advances of MCC application associated with alternative cellulose sources and processing technology, functional physico-chemical properties and potential as organogelator in fat mimetics. Finally, recently published data concerning its practical application in meat products as fat or starch substitutes will be presented.

The Effect of Rare Earth Metals Alloying on the Internal Quality of Industrially Produced Heavy Steel Forgings

The paper presented the findings obtained by industrial research and experimental development on the use of rare earth metals (REMs) in the production of heavy steel ingots and their impact on the internal quality of the 42CrMo4 grade steel forging. REMs alloying was carried out after vacuuming the steel. A relatively large melting loss of cerium (about 50%) and its further decrease in casting due to reoxidation were observed. Refinement of structure and better mechanical properties of forged bar containing about 0.02 wt.% of Ce compared to that of the standard production were not achieved. The wind power shaft with content of about 0.06 wt.% of Ce showed high amount of REM inclusions, which were locally chained, and in some cases, initiated cracks. Four stoichiometrically different types of REM inclusions were detected in forgings, namely (La-Ce)2O2S + (La-Ce)O2 + SiO2 (minority); oxygen, phosphorus, arsenic, and antimony bound to lanthanum and cerium probably bonded with iron oxides La + Ce, MgO, Al2O3 a SiO2; (La-Ce)2O2S, FeO, SiO2, and CaO or CaS.

Problems of preparation for educational design of students of institutions of higher art education

In modern conditions of production development, the requirements for a young specialist in the field of higher art education are growing. The main task of higher art education is to train a competitive, mobile specialist who has a readiness for self-education throughout his life. When preparing a specialist in higher art education, it is necessary to form in him such knowledge, abilities and skills that will allow him to solve non-standard production problems, use modern technologies, independently analyze the results of his activities, and draw conclusions. Thus, a graduate of institutions of higher art education must be ready to work actively in a changing environment. Teaching focused only on memorizing the material can no longer meet modern requirements. The problem of the formation of such qualities of attention, memory and thinking that allows the student to independently assimilate information, is constantly updated, as well as the development of such abilities and skills, which, preserved even after completing education, would provide him with the opportunity to keep up with the accelerated scientific technical progress. One of the problems of modern education is that graduates experience some difficulties in applying theoretical knowledge in practice. The ability to apply the acquired knowledge, skills and abilities in professional activities cannot appear by itself, for this you need to teach. To solve this problem, it is necessary to introduce the educational design teaching method into the educational process, which today has its own characteristics and problems.

Nutritional Composition of Honey Bee Drones of Two Subspecies Relative to Their Pupal Developmental Stages

We examined the contents of nutritional importance, i.e., amino acids, fatty acids and minerals of different developmental stages of drones of two honey bee subspecies, namely Apis mellifera carnica and A. m. mellifera. The results revealed that, in general, individual amino acid amounts and therefore the total protein increased along with the developmental stages of the drones. No statistically significant differences were found between the same developmental stages of the two subspecies. The reverse, i.e., a decrease with developmental stage occurred in relation to the fatty acid composition. Most of the minerals were higher at advanced developmental stages. Overall, the high protein content (31.4–43.4%), small amount of fat (9.5–11.5%) and abundance of minerals such asiron and zinc, make drones a suitable nutritional resource. Even though nutrient content, especially protein, was higher in the pupae than the prepupae, we propose prepupae also as a commercial product based on their higher biomass production. Provided standard production protocols maintaining hygiene and safety will be adhered to, we propose that drone honey bees can be utilized as human food or animal feed.

The Endophytic Pseudomonas sp. S57 for Plant-Growth Promotion and the Biocontrol of Phytopathogenic Fungi and Nematodes

Oregano from Socoroma (Atacama Desert) is characterized by its unique organoleptic properties and distinctive flavor and it is produced using ancestral pesticide-free agricultural practices performed by the Aymara communities. The cultivation in this zone is carried out under extreme conditions where the standard production of different crops is limited by several environmental factors, including aridity, high concentration of salts, and boron among others. However, oregano plants are associated with microorganisms that mitigate biotic and abiotic stresses present in this site. In this work, the S57 strain (member of the Pseudomonas genus that is closely related to Pseudomonas lini) was isolated from roots of oregano plants, which are grown in soils with high content of non-sodium salts and aluminum. This bacterium stimulates the growth of Micro-Tom tomato plants irrigated with saline-boric water. Moreover, it controls the growth of phytopathogenic fungi Fusarium oxysporum and Botrytis cinerea and the nematode Meloidogyne incognita under saline-boric conditions. Together with the high levels of bacterial biomass (~47 g/L), these results allow the establishment of the bases for developing a potential new agricultural bioproduct useful for arid and semiarid environments where commercial biological products show erratic behavior.

Is Fat Tissue a Suitable Source of Stem Cells for Musculoskeletal Regenerative Medicine Therapies: Literature Review

This review found that adipose-derived stem cells are suitable for treating osteoarthritis. Besides joint replacement the current treatments do not reverse the underlining pathology, whereas this therapy replaces lost or damaged tissue and could represent a cure. Bone marrow is the traditional source of stem cells, however adipose tissue is more appropriate because of ease of harvesting, abundance, the concentration of stem cells and potential cosmetic benefits. Subcutaneous fat-derived stem cells are more effective for treating osteoarthritis when compared to visceral fat-derived. Human and animal models have shown its efficacy but with limitations. It has been less successful in older and/or patients with greater joint degeneration. Its cost-effectiveness when compared to current treatment has not been shown. A gold standard production and implantation method have yet to be developed, meaning there are no guidelines for its use. Current studies aim to address these issues, with implementation on the horizon.