Emisije ugljikovog dioksida (CO2) iz tla tijekom obnove sastojine hrasta lužnjaka (Quercus robur L.) u ljetnom razdoblju

SummaryThe loss of soil organic carbon stock and increased CO2 emission from soil are induced by various human activities. The aim of this study was to examine whether an anthropogenic influence during the regeneration of a pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.) stand can affect the increment of CO2 emission from the soil. The research was carried out within three plots, out of which two were exposed to different degrees of anthropogenic influence. The air samples were collected using the soil respiratory chambers and analysed using the gas chromatograph Agilent 8890. Based on the obtained results, soil temperature and moisture as the most dominant drivers of the CO2 emission had different effects on the CO2 flux from soil depending on the intensity of anthropogenic influences and environmental conditions. Within the experimental plot with the significant soil alteration, a reliable positive correlation was detected for the CO2 flux with the soil temperature (r = 0.77, p < 0.05). High significant correlation was observed considering soil moisture (r = 0.85, p < 0.05) in the natural soil where the application of pesticides was conducted. The results showed that both soils that were exposed to the anthropogenic influences had notably higher values of the CO2 flux in comparison to the reference natural soil without anthropogenic impacts.SažetakRad u šumarstvu razumijeva sve ljudske aktivnosti koje su prijeko potrebne za obavljanje planiranih šumarskih poslova, a radi ostvarivanja dobrobiti od šume i šumskoga zemljišta. U skladu s tim šumarski radnici, tj. ljudi s potrebnim znanjima, vještinama i sposobnostima, uz odgovarajuća sredstva za rad i predmet rada predstavljaju temeljni čimbenik šumarske proizvodnje. Stručno osposobljeni, odgovorni, savjesni i motivirani šumarski radnici imaju odlučujuću ulogu u ostvarivanju uspješnih proizvodnih i poslovnih rezultata te čine neodvojivu sastavnicu u suvremenoj, općeprihvaćenoj paradigmi održivoga gospodarenja šumama. Međutim, danas u svijetu stalnih promjena šumarstvo se neprestano nalazi pred izazovom osiguranja kvalificirane i održive radne snage. Nedostatak šumarskih radnika postaje sve učestaliji problem u europskom i svjetskom šumarstvu, a razlog tomu su različiti globalni demografski, ekonomski, tehnološki i politički procesi, kao i specifičnosti samog sektora. U radu se stoga, uz opće značajke šumarskog rada prikazuju neki pokazatelji stanja i položaja radne snage u šumarstvu Europe i svijeta. Posebno se obrađuju aktualna pitanja i problemi u regrutiranju potrebne šumarske radne snage (nedostatak radnika, manjak interesa kod mladih ljudi, starenje postojeće radne snage, šumarski poduzetnici, neformalno zapošljavanje i sl.) te određeni alati i instrumenti važni za uspješno privlačenje i zadržavanje šumarskih radnika (razumijevanje motivacije, kompenzacije za rad, obrazovanje i trening radnika, nove tehnologije i sl.). Svrha rada se sastoji u pružanju podloga koje mogu biti važan doprinos u unapređenju stanja i održivosti radne snage u šumarstvu

Urolithiasis and Osteoporosis: Clinical Relevance and Therapeutic Implications

Several clinical and epidemiological studies revealed increased bone turnover and lower bone mass in patients with urolithiasis. Bone mass loss is particularly evident in idiopathic calcium stone formers. However, pathogenetic mechanisms and factors implicated in bone loss in these patients are still unknown. Dietary calcium restriction, increased intake of salt and animal proteins, vitamin D receptor polymorphisms are likely risk factors, while role of inflammatory cytokines, osteopontin and prostaglandin mediated bone resorption is yet to be determined. Regarding treatment and prevention, it has been proven that calcium supplements and high calcium diet with the addition of potassium alkali have an important role in prevention and treatment of both, urolithiasis and osteoporosis. Thiazide diuretics reduce hypercalciuria in renal tubules, and in addition promote osteoblast differentiation. Finally, bisphosphonates, a commonly used drugs in treatement of osteoporosis, show the potential to inhibit calcium stone formation, whereas a possible protective effect of antioxidants in bone loss and renal injurie needs to be investigated further

Digital Image Analysis Using FloCIA Software for Ornamental Sunflower Ray Floret Color Evaluation

As an esthetic trait, ray floret color has a high importance in the development of new sunflower genotypes and their market value. Standard methodology for the evaluation of sunflower ray florets is based on International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) guidelines for sunflower. The major deficiency of this methodology is the necessity of high expertise from evaluators and its high subjectivity. To test the hypothesis that humans cannot distinguish colors equally, six commercial sunflower genotypes were evaluated by 100 agriculture experts, using UPOV guidelines. Moreover, the paper proposes a new methodology for sunflower ray floret color classification - digital UPOV (dUPOV), that relies on software image analysis but still leaves the final decision to the evaluator. For this purpose, we created a new Flower Color Image Analysis (FloCIA) software for sunflower ray floret digital image segmentation and automatic classification into one of the categories given by the UPOV guidelines. To assess the benefits and relevance of this method, accuracy of the newly developed software was studied by comparing 153 digital photographs of F-2 genotypes with expert evaluator answers which were used as the ground truth. The FloCIA enabled visualizations of segmentation of ray floret images of sunflower genotypes used in the study, as well as two dominant color clusters, percentages of pixels belonging to each UPOV color category with graphical representation in the CIE (International Commission on Illumination) L*a*b* (or simply Lab) color space in relation to the mean vectors of the UPOV category. Precision (repeatability) of ray flower color determination was greater between dUPOV based expert color evaluation and software evaluation than between two UPOV based evaluations performed by the same expert. The accuracy of FloCIA software used for unsupervised (automatic) classification was 91.50% on the image dataset containing 153 photographs of F-2 genotypes. In this case, the software and the experts had classified 140 out of 153 of images in the same color categories. This visual presentation can serve as a guideline for evaluators to determine the dominant color and to conclude if more than one significant color exists in the examined genotype

Influence of pH, Temperature and Common Ion on Magnesium Hydrogenurate Octahydrate Solubility

Physico-chemical investigation of urolithiasis today is mostly focused on applying physico-chemical description of precipitation processes to the stone formation with the aim to distinguish between stone formers and nonstone formers. This is done by calculating supersaturation for different solid phases which can be formed in urine using data obtained by urine analysis and existing solubility product, dissociation and complexation constants. In order for this approach to succeed it is of utmost importance that system is described as detailed as possible, i.e. that all species that can be formed are taken into account. Magnesium hydrogenurate octahydrate, Mg(C5H3N4O3)2·8H2O (Mg(HU)2·8H2O), is among species which can precipitate in the urine and for which solubility data doesn’t exist. In order to fill this void crystals of Mg(C5H3N4O3)2·8H2O phase I and phase II have been prepared and characterized. Solubility product constant of Mg(C5H3N4O3)2·8H2O phase I in water at 37 °C and phase II at different temperatures, pH and in different solvents have been determined by measuring total concentration of uric acid and magnesium ions in solutions at different time periods. Results show that in water at 37 °C thermodynamically less stable phase I is more soluble (Ksp=(5.64±0.20).10–9 mol3 dm–9) than phase II (Ksp=(1.66±0.13).10–9 mol3dm–9). Solubility of Mg(HU)2·8H2O phase II increases with temperature. At equilibrium the solubility of phase II is the lowest in the presence of excess of magnesium ions, while solubility in the presence of uric acid is comparable with the one obtained in water

Influence of Caffeine on Crystallization and Amelioration of Oxidative Stress on in vitro Model of Urolithiasis

Urolithiasis is a disease characterized by formation of solid crystals within the urinary tract. Kidney stone formation is still not clear but it is mostly composed of calcium oxalate which can produce free radicals that are toxic to renal tubular cells. Oxidative stress is an important contributory mechanism in cell damage and is associated with a number of disorders. Several studies have shown antioxidative effects of caffeine, proposing its possible role in stopping the formation of calcium oxalate stones in urinary tract. Hence, the aim of this study was to evaluate the toxic effects of calcium oxalate monohydrate crystals (COM) on renal epithelial cell line; Madin-Darby canine kidney cells subtype I (MDCK I) and Epithelial-like pig kidney cell line (LLC-PK1), and to determine possible inhibition of COM that caused oxidative stress by antioxidant treatment with caffeine in different concentrations in a cell culture model of urolithiasis

Prevalence of Metabolic X Syndrome in the Interior of Croatia: The Baranja Region

Metabolic syndrome (MS), a constellation of metabolic risk factors associated with development of cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes, has emerged as a public health problem of enormous proportions in developed and developing countries. We have reported previously its prevalence in several isolated island populations in the Eastern Adriatic coast of Croatia. In spite of leading a relatively traditional life style pattern including the practice of a typical Mediterranean diet, the prevalence of MS in these populations is high and comparable to those in developed nations. However, data on prevalence of the syndrome in mainland Croatia is limited. We have, therefore, conducted a study in an outbred population comprising of Croats, Hungarians and Serbs from the Baranja region of mainland Croatia. Although this is an ethnically heterogenous population, the constituent groups exchange mates and therefore, are not reproductively isolated. The life style patterns are also similar. We observed similar prevalence of MS in these groups. We assessed MS following the definitions prescribed in the guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP). Overall prevalence is considerably high in this cosmopolitan group, by WHO criteria 26% in males and 38% in females, and by NCEP criteria 84% in males and 71% in females. It is likely that, in addition to genetic risk factors, a host of environmental factors that include dietary habit and relatively urban life style in a modernized society influence the levels of the constituent metabolic traits leading to increase prevalence of MS

Ectomycorrhizal fungi modulate biochemical response against powdery mildew disease in Quercus robur L.

In light of climate change, pedunculate oak (Q. robur L.) was marked as the most threatened European tree species. Pedunculate oak is particularly jeopardized by powdery mildew disease caused by Erysiphe alphitoides. We hypothesized that priming of this tree species with ectomycorrhizal fungi could mitigate biotic stress and produce bioprotective properties against the disease. In this study, we have compared oaks’ foliar physiological and biochemical responses upon infection with E. alphitoides in the presence and absence of ectomycorrhizal fungi (ECM). The main aim of this study was to inspect how ECM modulate an oak’s biochemical response to infection with E. alphitoides, particularly at the level of the accumulation of the main polyamines (putrescine, spermidine, and spermine), soluble osmolytes (proline and glycine betaine), and phenolics (total phenolic content, flavonoids, and condensed tannins). A polyamine quantification was performed after derivatization by using high-performance liquid chromatography (HLPC) coupled with fluorescent detection. Oak seedlings inoculated with ECM fungi exhibited significantly higher levels of putrescine, spermine, and proline compared to non-inoculated seedlings, indicating the priming properties of the ECM. E. alphitoides caused an increase in individual and total polyamine content and lipid peroxidation in oak leaves regardless of the effect of ECM, while causing a decrease in physiological and antioxidative parameters and water use efficiency (WUE). Common biochemical parameters may contribute to understanding the underpinning plant defense mechanisms in three-way interactions among plants and pathogenic and ectomycorrhizal fungi and can be used as reliable adaptability descriptors in the context of climate change

Characterization of S-layer proteins of potential probiotic starter culture Lactobacillus brevis SF9B isolated from sauerkraut

Abstract S-layers represent the simplest biological membranes developed during the evolution and are one of the most abundant biopolymers on Earth. Current fundamental and applied research aim to reveal the chemical structure, morphogenesis and function of S-layer proteins (Slps). This is the first paper that describes the Slps of certain Lactobacillus brevis strain isolated from sauerkraut. The whole genome sequence (WGS) analysis of the L. brevis SF9B strain uncovered three genes encoding the putative Slps, but merely one, identified as similar to the SlpB of L. brevis ATCC 14869, was expressed. Slp-expressing SF9B cells exhibited increased survival in simulated gastrointestinal (GI) conditions and during freeze-drying. Their survival in stress conditions was additionally enhanced by microencapsulation, especially when using alginate with gelatine as a matrix. Thus prepared cells were subjected to simulated GI conditions and their mortality was only 0.28 ± 0.45 log CFU/mL. Furthermore, a correlation between the high surface hydrophobicity and the remarkable aggregative capacity of SF9B strain was established. The results indicate a prominent role of Slps in adhesion to mucin, extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, and particularly to Caco-2 cells, where the removal of Slps utterly abolished the adhesiveness of SF9B cells for 7.78 ± 0.25 log CFU/mL.Peer reviewe

Use of digital image analysis for the flower color evaluation in ornamental sunflower

Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) is broadly used as an ornamental plant in landscape gardening, but also as a potted plant and a cut flower. Since aesthetic traits, including color, are most important for newly developed ornamental plants, sunflower petal (ray floret) color has a high value for the development of new genotypes and its position on the horticulture market. The most common methodology for the evaluation of sunflower petals is based on UPOV guidelines for sunflower. By the guidelines, the color of sunflower ray florets can be described as yellowish white, light yellow, medium yellow, orange yellow, orange, purple, reddish brown and multicolored. Although there are photographs to define these color categories, the provided material does not give clear information on the color definition, especially the multicolored category. The main obstacle of this methodology is its high subjectivity and necessity of high expertise for evaluators. In order to make the process of evaluation of sunflower petal color more objective, we propose a new methodology that combines image segmentation (pixel-based classification), and UPOV sunflower guidelines for the definition of color groups (classes). Images of six sunflower genotypes (Ring of Fire, CMS1-30, Heliopa, Dwarf, Neoplanta and Pacino Gold) were used in the software analysis. Visual results of this process of image segmentation presented different colors for the examined varieties. This visual presentation serves as a guideline for an evaluator to determine whether there is more than one dominant color in the examined genotypes