Resistance of Dairy Cows During the Use of New Production Fodder

This paper examines the development of a fundamentally new automated hydroponic system for growing green fodder, which creates a solid fodder base capable to satisfy the need of livestock for nutrients throughout the year with low material costs. The new hydroponic green fodder produced according to the developed technology contained the required nutrients that contribute to the digestion of proteins, fats and carbohydrates into easily digestible organic components (amino acids, fatty acids and simple sugars) which are simpler in their structure. Moreover, it completely replaced compound feed, a mineral supplement in the diet of milking cows, and reduced the amount of fodder needed. In dry matter, compared to fodder barley, the content of protein (128.93%) and fat (196.73%) were higher, and biologically active substances were also formed. The new fodder used the nutrients of the diet more efficiently, increased milk production and reduced fodder costs. When hydroponic green fodder from barley was introduced into the diet of cows with 100% replacement of the compound fodder and 50% replacement of grain mass, milk yield in the experimental group exceeded the yield in the control group by 6%. An additional 549.5 kg was obtained from each cow for lactation, and 549.5 × 20 = 10990 kg was obtained from the entire experimental group. The annual income from feeding green fodder was 329710 rubles at the purchase price of milk of 30 rubles / kg (10990 × 30), and the daily efficiency of compound fodder was (80.6 × 20) = 1612 rubles; for the period of lactation it was 491660 rubles. Keywords: technology, new fodder, productivity, milk quality, resistanc

The consequences of COVID-19 on social interactions: an online study on face covering

The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically changed the nature of our social interactions. In order to understand how protective equipment and distancing measures influence the ability to comprehend others' emotions and, thus, to effectively interact with others, we carried out an online study across the Italian population during the first pandemic peak. Participants were shown static facial expressions (Angry, Happy and Neutral) covered by a sanitary mask or by a scarf. They were asked to evaluate the expressed emotions as well as to assess the degree to which one would adopt physical and social distancing measures for each stimulus. Results demonstrate that, despite the covering of the lower-face, participants correctly recognized the facial expressions of emotions with a polarizing effect on emotional valence ratings found in females. Noticeably, while females' ratings for physical and social distancing were driven by the emotional content of the stimuli, males were influenced by the "covered" condition. The results also show the impact of the pandemic on anxiety and fear experienced by participants. Taken together, our results offer novel insights on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on social interactions, providing a deeper understanding of the way people react to different kinds of protective face covering

Development of Regional Maximum Permissible Concentrations of Oil, Lead, Chromium, Nickel, and Copper in the Ordinary Black Soils of Central Ciscaucasia

Contamination of ordinary chernozems of the Central Ciscaucasia with oil, lead, chromium, nickel and copper leads to a deterioration in their biological indicators. A significant decrease in the number of microflora, enzymatic activity and inhibition of the state of plants was established. The ecotoxicity sequence of heavy metals for ordinary black soils of Central Ciscaucasia is the following: Cr > Pb ≥Cu ≥ Ni. Ordinary black soils of Central Ciscaucasia, compared to similar black soils of Western Ciscaucasia, are somewhat less resistant to pollution with chromium, but are more resistant to pollution with copper and nickel. Resistance to pollution with lead and oil is the same. Regional maximum permissible concentrations of oil, lead, chromium, nickel and copper have been set for ordinary black soils of Central Ciscaucasia, based on disruptions of the environmental and the agricultural functions of the soil

The Hydrothermal Synthesis Duration Influence on Calcium Phosphate and Hydroxyapatite Phase Composition

This paper reports the hydrothermal synthesis process duration influence on phase composition, crystallinity degree, morphology and dispersity of the hydroxyapatite powder. The calcium phosphate and hydroxyapatite were synthesized in precursor system Ca(NO[3])[2](NH[4])[2]HPO[4]-NH[4]OH. The obtained powders were characterized with X-Ray diffraction, Fourier Transform spectroscopy (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy. The results demonstrate: the increasing of the synthesis time duration has no influence on the phase composition. However, the synthesis duration time growth from 12 to 48 hours make possible increase the crystallinity degree from 0.68 to 0.98

The Hydrothermal Synthesis Duration Influence on Calcium Phosphate and Hydroxyapatite Phase Composition

This paper reports the hydrothermal synthesis process duration influence on phase composition, crystallinity degree, morphology and dispersity of the hydroxyapatite powder. The calcium phosphate and hydroxyapatite were synthesized in precursor system Ca(NO[3])[2](NH[4])[2]HPO[4]-NH[4]OH. The obtained powders were characterized with X-Ray diffraction, Fourier Transform spectroscopy (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy. The results demonstrate: the increasing of the synthesis time duration has no influence on the phase composition. However, the synthesis duration time growth from 12 to 48 hours make possible increase the crystallinity degree from 0.68 to 0.98

Ecotoxicity of AgNPs according to the state of biota

The work objective is to evaluate the ecotoxicity of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) according to the state of the biota of Haplic Chernozems Calcic. Contamination of Haplic Chernozems Calcic with 10 nm AgNPs in concentrations of 0.1, 0.5, 1, 5, 10, 50, and 100 mg/kg was simulated in laboratory conditions. In this study, biodiagnostical methods were used to assess the ecotoxic effect of AgNPs on soil biota: the activity of catalase, dehydrogenases, invertase, phosphatase, urease, the total number of bacteria, the Azotobacter sp. abundance, germination, and length of radish roots. The response of soil biota to exposure to AgNPs was assessed by the difference between the values in contaminated and uncontaminated soil. It was found that the more silver nanoparticles were introduced into the soil, the stronger the ecotoxic effect on the biota. The highest sensitivity degree to contamination of Haplic Chernozems Calcic with AgNPs was recorded for the total number of bacteria. The critical value of the AgNPs content in Haplic Chernozems Calcic, which is 0.4 mg/kg has been developed

The pH Level Influence on Hydroxyapatite Phase Composition Synthesized with Hydrothermal Method

This paper reports the pH level influence on hydroxyapatite phase composition synthesized with hydrothermal method in Ca(OH)2-H3PO4, Ca(NO3)2-(NH4)2HPO4-NH[4]OH, Ca(OH)[2]-NH[4]H[2]PO[4].The obtained samples were studied with X-Ray diffraction, Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy. The one phase Ca[5]H[2]O[13]P[3] high crystallinity hydroxyapatite was synthesized with hydrothermal method at pH equal to 11. The crystallinity degree was calculated from the X-Ray diffraction pattern and became 0.96. The increasing pH level from 7 to 11 provides obtaining one phase hydroxyapatite at pH level 11 instead the two phase Ca[9.04](PO[4])6(OH)[1.68], CaHPO[4] at pH level 9 and CaPO[3](OH), Ca(OH)[2] at pH level 7

The pH Level Influence on Hydroxyapatite Phase Composition Synthesized with Hydrothermal Method

This paper reports the pH level influence on hydroxyapatite phase composition synthesized with hydrothermal method in Ca(OH)2-H3PO4, Ca(NO3)2-(NH4)2HPO4-NH[4]OH, Ca(OH)[2]-NH[4]H[2]PO[4].The obtained samples were studied with X-Ray diffraction, Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy. The one phase Ca[5]H[2]O[13]P[3] high crystallinity hydroxyapatite was synthesized with hydrothermal method at pH equal to 11. The crystallinity degree was calculated from the X-Ray diffraction pattern and became 0.96. The increasing pH level from 7 to 11 provides obtaining one phase hydroxyapatite at pH level 11 instead the two phase Ca[9.04](PO[4])6(OH)[1.68], CaHPO[4] at pH level 9 and CaPO[3](OH), Ca(OH)[2] at pH level 7

The effects of liquid-phase oxidation of multiwall carbon nanotubes on their surface characteristics

The development of new sorbents based on nanostructured carbon materials recently became a perspective field of research. Main topic of current study is to investigate the effect of different regimes of multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) surface modification process on their structural characteristics. MWCNT samples were treated with nitric acid at high temperature. Structural properties were studied using low temperature nitrogen adsorption and acid-base back titration methods. The study showed that diluted nitric acid does not affect MWCNT structure. Concentrated nitric acid treatment leads to formation of 2.8 carboxylic groups per 1 nm{2} of the sample surface

Kinetic cross-modal correspondences and felt (e)motion in a novel set of musical stimuli

Embodied music cognition predicts that our understanding of human-made sounds relates to our experience of making the same or similar movements and sounds, which involves imitation of the source of visual and auditory information. This embodiment of sound may lead to numerous kinetic cross-modal correspondences (CMCs). This article investigates music experience in participants with a non-professionally trained music background across three musical dimensions: Contour (Ascending, Descending, Flat), Vertical Density (Low, Medium, High), and Note Pattern (Binary, Ternary, Quaternary). In order that stimuli should reflect contemporary musical usage yet be subject to a high degree of experimental control, 27 ten-second digital piano tracks were created in collaboration with a film composer. In Study 1, participants were asked to rate the stimuli for perceived Direction, Rotation, Movement, and Emotional and Physical Involvement. We test the effects of these factors in terms of the following theories: general and vocal embodied responses to music, the Ecological Theory of Rotating Sounds, and the Shared Affective Motion Experience model of emotion induction. Results for Study 1 were consistent with theories of general and vocal embodied responses to music, as well as with theories of embodied emotional contagion in music. Study 1 also revealed potential confounds in the stimuli, which were further investigated in Study 2 with a new set of participants rating the stimuli for perceived Pitch, Loudness, and Speed. Results for Study 2 served to dissociate intrinsic features of the stimuli from CMCs. Taken together, the two studies reveal a range of embodied CMCs. Although there are limitations to a perceptual study such as this, these stimuli stand to benefit future research in further investigating the embodiment of musical motion