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This paper presents a novel approach for autonomous cooperating UAVs in search and rescue operations in subterranean domains with complex topology. The proposed system was ranked second in the Virtual Track of the DARPA SubT Finals as part of the team CTU-CRAS-NORLAB. In contrast to the winning solution that was developed specifically for the Virtual Track, the proposed solution also proved to be a robust system for deployment onboard physical UAVs flying in the extremely harsh and confined environment of the real-world competition. The proposed approach enables fully autonomous and decentralized deployment of a UAV team with seamless simulation-to-world transfer, and proves its advantage over less mobile UGV teams in the flyable space of diverse environments. The main contributions of the paper are present in the mapping and navigation pipelines. The mapping approach employs novel map representations -- SphereMap for efficient risk-aware long-distance planning, FacetMap for surface coverage, and the compressed topological-volumetric LTVMap for allowing multi-robot cooperation under low-bandwidth communication. These representations are used in navigation together with novel methods for visibility-constrained informed search in a general 3D environment with no assumptions about the environment structure, while balancing deep exploration with sensor-coverage exploitation. The proposed solution also includes a visual-perception pipeline for on-board detection and localization of objects of interest in four RGB stream at 5 Hz each without a dedicated GPU. Apart from participation in the DARPA SubT, the performance of the UAV system is supported by extensive experimental verification in diverse environments with both qualitative and quantitative evaluation., Comment: Submitted to Field Robotics Special Issue: DARPA Subterranean Challenge, Advancement and Lessons Learned from the Finals

This paper deals with flow field prediction in a blade cascade using the convolution neural network. The convolutional neural network (CNN) predicts density, pressure and velocity fields based on the given geometry. The blade cascade is modeled as a single interblade channel with periodic boundary conditions. In this paper, an algorithm that enforces periodic boundary conditions onto the CNN is presented. The main target of this study is to parametrize the CNN model depending on the Reynolds number. A new parametrization approach based on a so-called hypernetwork is employed for this purpose. The idea of this approach is that when the Reynolds number is modified, the hypernetwork modifies the weights of the CNN in such a way that it produces flow fields corresponding to that particular Reynolds number. The concept of the hypernetwork-based parametrization is tested on the problem of a compressible fluid flow through a blade cascade with variable blade profiles and Reynolds numbers.

The ability to localize a sound source in complex environments is essential for communication and navigation. Spatial hearing relies predominantly on the comparison of differences in the arrival time of sound between the two ears, the interaural time differences (ITDs). Hearing impairments are highly detrimental to sound localization. While cochlear implants (CIs) have been successful in restoring many crucial hearing capabilities, sound localization via ITD detection with bilateral CIs remains poor. The underlying reasons are not well understood. Neuronally, ITD sensitivity is generated by coincidence detection between excitatory and inhibitory inputs from the two ears performed by specialized brainstem neurons. Due to the lack of electrophysiological brainstem recordings during CI stimulation, it is unclear to what extent the apparent deficits are caused by the binaural comparator neurons or arise already on the input level. Here, we use a bottom-up approach to compare response features between electric and acoustic stimulation in an animal model of CI hearing. Conducting extracellular single neuron recordings in gerbils, we find severe hyper-precision and moderate hyper-entrainment of both the excitatory and inhibitory brainstem inputs to the binaural comparator neurons during electrical pulse-train stimulation. This finding establishes conclusively that the binaural processing stage must cope with highly altered input statistics during CI stimulation. To estimate the consequences of these effects on ITD sensitivity, we used a computational model of the auditory brainstem. After tuning the model parameters to match its response properties to our physiological data during either stimulation type, the model predicted that ITD sensitivity to electrical pulses is maintained even for the hyper-precise inputs. However, the model exhibits severely altered spatial sensitivity during electrical stimulation compared to acoustic: while resolution of ITDs near midline was increased, more lateralized adjacent source locations became inseparable. These results directly resemble recent findings in rodent and human CI listeners. Notably, decreasing the phase-locking precision of inputs during electrical stimulation recovered a wider range of separable ITDs. Together, our findings suggest that a central problem underlying the diminished ITD sensitivity in CI users might be the temporal hyper-precision of inputs to the binaural comparator stage induced by electrical stimulation.

In this study, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the ANXA9 (annexin 9), FASN (fatty acid synthase) and SCD1 (stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1) genes were analyzed as factors influencing fatty acid profiles in milk from Zošľachtená valaška sheep. SNP in selected genes was identified using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR–RFLP). The long-chain fatty acids profile in sheep milk was identified by gas chromatography. Statistical analysis of the SCD1/Cfr13I polymorphism showed that the milk of the homozygous AA animals was characterized by a lower (P CC sheep. The milk of heterozygous sheep was characterized by a higher (P AA type. A higher (P CC genotype sheep compared to the AA genotype. Our results lead to the conclusion that the greatest changes were observed for the SCD1/Cfr13I polymorphism and the least significant ones for FASN/AciI. Moreover, it is the first evidence that milk from sheep with SCD1/Cfr13I polymorphism and the homozygous AA genotype showed the most desirable fatty acids profile.

As in other countries, in the Czech Republic, Streptococcus suis infection in pigs is considered an economically significant disease for the pig industry, though little is known about its population structure. We collected S. suis isolates from 144 farms in the years 2018–2022. All samples were taken from animals suffering from symptoms indicating possible S. suis infection. Serotyping revealed the presence of 23 different serotypes, and 18.94% were non-typable strains. The most common was S7 (14.96%), while other serotypes had frequencies of less than 10%. Sequence typing identified 56 different sequence types, including 31 newly assigned sequence types together with 41 new alleles in genes in the MLST schema. A large portion of isolates (25.70%) were of unknown sequence type. The most common sequence types were ST29 (14.77%) and ST28 (10.04%); the other sequence types had frequencies of less than 10%. In total, 100 different combinations of serotypes and sequence types were identified. Among them, S7ST29 was found in 72 isolates, representing 13.63% of all isolates, and was significantly associated with the central nervous system. Many other isolates of particular serotype and sequence type combinations were found in a few cases, and a number of isolates were non-typable.

The use of stimulation preparations seems to be a promising means for mitigating the effects of abiotic and biotic stressors. Their significance includes plant organism stimulation and metabolism optimisation, water regime, and nutrition during periods of stress. They help bridge it over and create conditions for rapid regeneration. In a field experiment, the effect of the application of stimulation preparations on cultivars Triticum aestivum L. with different genetic composition was evaluated (donor of blue aleurone colour KM-72-18; donor of a multi-row spike (MRS) KM-94-18). Our results show a predominantly positive effect of the application of stimulants on the yield and thousand-grain weight (TKW). The results obtained were influenced by the year, based on different temperatures and precipitation. Higher yields were achieved in 2020 with higher total precipitation during the grain filling period and with a higher maximum quantum yield of the photosystem II (Fv/Fm). In 2019, this period was significantly dry and warm, which was reflected in a lower yield and TKM, higher proline content in the leaves, and lower Fv/Fm values. In both experimental years, there was a higher yield of the cultivar with blue aleurone (KM-72-18). In the case of cultivars with coloured grains, the promising use of the content substances in cultivars as natural means of increasing resistance to abiotic and biotic stressors seems to be promising.

Performance-based design concepts are a key tool to ensure the durability of reinforced concrete structures. Their application relies on the definition of limit states, for which de-fined limit state functions represent the probability of exceeding a particular condition. Such limit state functions are available for depassivation (initiation of reinforcement cor-rosion) in case of concrete carbonation and/or chloride-induced corrosion. Moreover, not only the knowledge about the exceedance of a certain limit state is of interest, but also the related consequences such as the costs for the subsequent repairs. This contribution anal-yses the inspection reports and the tendering documents of well-documented rehabilita-tions of parking garages. The focus was set on chloride-induced corrosion since it is the main cause of the rehabilitations. The analysis focused on the following aspects: the esti-mation of the reliability index value that led to the rehabilitation, the rehabilitation method used, and finally an indicative estimation of the incurred costs. The results unveil that for both conventional and cathodic protection rehabilitations, the reliability index had similar ranges for columns. Furthermore, in one meticulous project, a clear relationship between the estimated reliability index and the incurred costs was observed. However, this finding was less evident in other projects, for which a step cost function was more suitable.

Article Details: Received: 2020-10-14 | Accepted: 2020-11-27 | Available online: 2021-01-31 https://doi.org/10.15414/afz.2021.24.mi-prap.75-79 In this study we observed the effect of peroral and parenteral supplementation of Selenium (Se) and vitamin E (VTE) on the selected antioxidant parameters in blood and on the incidence of mastitis in ewes after the first lambing. Of the 350 sheep of Improved Walachian and Lacaune breeds, situated in eastern Slovakia under standard zootechnical and animal hygiene conditions, we selected thirty one-year-old ewes before their first lambing. The ewes were divided into three groups according to the method of supplementation of Se and VTE. The blood samples from vena jugularis were collected on day 30 before lambing (control sampling) and on days 3 and 30 after lambing. Ewes were checked for mastitis on days 10 and 30 after lambing. On the day of the control sampling the ewes from the B1 group were perorally supplemented with 0.3 mg Se/kg/DM in the form of Na2SeO3 and 50 IU/vitamin E/kg/DM, while ewes from the B2 group were injected subcutaneously Se with VTE at a dose of 6.6 mg/Se and 1,000 IU/VTE. Changes in the concentration of Se and VTE in the blood plasma of ewes were determined only in the perorally supplemented group (B1) on day 3 after lambing. At 30 days after lambing the the incidence of mastitis in this group was half as lower (10%) as in the control group (20%). Keywords: sheep, mastitis, supplementation, glutathione peroxidase, selenium, bacteria References Cohen, RD a kol. (1991). Ucinky parenteralnej suplementacie tehotných hovadzich krav selenom / vitaminom E na selen kravy a teľaťa a produktivitu. Konzerva. Vet. Jour . 32,113-115. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17423734 Gresakova, L. a kol. (2013). Retencia selenu u jahniat kŕmených krmivom doplneným selenom z anorganických zdrojov. Výskum malých prežuvavcov , 111, 76–82. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smallrumres.2012.10.009 Fthenakis, GC (1995). Kalifornský test na mastitidu a Whitesideov test na diagnostiku subklinickej mastitidy mliecnych bahnic. Výskum malých prežuvavcov, 16, 271–276. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0921448895006382 Hess, D. et al. (1991). Simultaneous determination of retinol, tocopherols, carotenes and lycopene in plasma by means of high-performance liquid chromatography on reversed phase. International Journal of Vitamin and Nutrition Research , 61, 232–238. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1794952/ Kafilzadeh, F. et al. (2014). Comparing the effect of oral supplementation of vitamin E, injective vitamin E and selenium or both during late pregnancy on production and reproductive performance and immune function of dairy cows and calves. The Scientific World Journal , 5. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/165841 Misurova, L. et al. (2009). Selenium metabolism in goats – maternal transfer of selenium to newborn kids. Veterinarni Medicina 54, 125–130. https://www.agriculturejournals.cz/publicFiles/05520.pdf Paglia, D. E, Valentine, W. N. (1967). Studies on the quantitative and qualitative characterization of erytrocyte glutathione peroxidase. The Journal of Laboratory and Clinical Medicine , 70, 158–169. http://garfield.library.upenn.edu/classics1989/A1989T143200001.pdf Persson, W. K. et al. (2007). Supplementation of RRR-alpha-tocopheryl acetate to periparturient dairy cows in commercial herds with high mastitis incidence. Journal of Dairy Science , 90, 3640–3646. http://dx.doi.org/10.3168/jds.2006-421 Pavlata, L. et al. (2002). Selenium status of cattle in the Czech Republic. Acta Veterinaria Brno , 71, 3–8. https://actavet.vfu.cz/71/1/0003/ Pavlata, l. et al. (2012). Direct and indirect assessment of selenium status in sheep – a comparison. Veterinarni Medicina , 57, 219–223. http://vri.cz/docs/vetmed/57-5-219.pdf Smith, K. L. et al. (1997). Dietary vitamin E and selenium affect mastitis and milk quality. Journal of Animal Science , 75, 1659–1665. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9250530/ Spears, J. W., Weiss, W. P. (2008). Role of antioxidants and trace elements in health and immunity of transition dairy cows. The Veterinary Journal , 176, 70–76. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18325801/ Vasiľ, M. a kol. (2018). Patogeny stožiar izolovane izolovane od vzoriek mlieka v chove oviec nachadzajucich sa v okrajových castiach Slovenska. V infekcne a parazitarne choroby zvierat, 6. rocnik medzinarodnej vedeckej konferencie , 13.-14. Septembra, Kosice. s. 244–248. ISBN 978-80-8077-583-4

Article Details: Received: 2020-10-14 | Accepted: 2020-11-27 | Available online: 2021-01-31 https://doi.org/10.15414/afz.2021.24.mi-prap.109-113 The aim of the study was to compare improved bedding composition with conventional straw bedding under farm conditions, regarding its effects on the indicator microorganisms influencing hygiene levels. Dairy cows were housed in newly-built stables divided into two parts each with four sections and bedded cubicles arranged in three rows. In the first part, the bedded cubicle floors were layered with straw up to a height of 20 cm. In the second part, the cubicles were layered to a height of 20 cm with improved bedding composition consisting of recycled manure solids (RMS; 10 kg), ground limestone (200 kg), straw (40 kg) and water (110 l). After layering the bedding was treated with a concrete selector to provide strength and sufficient resistance. Samples for microbiological examination were taken from four sections according to the time interval of production and bedding. From three sections were taken bedding samples according to a new recipe in intervals of 1-3 months after its use. A control sample of bedding, consisting of straw, was taken from the last, fourth section. Comparing classical straw bedding with the improved recipe bedding, the total viable count (TVC) and coliforms bacteria (CB) in a first and second month after laying were found to be reduced. In addition to TVC and CB, decreased numbers of faecal coliforms (FC) and faecal streptococci (FS) were observed in the first, second and third months after layering. In addition to reducing the number of microorganisms, the improved bedding showed a stabilizing effect by keeping the litter thickness up to the bedding threshold (200 mm), which has a beneficial effect for increased purity of the body and udder. Keywords: dairy cows, housing, hygiene, improved bedding, microorganisms References Bradley, A. et al. (2018). The impact of dairy cows’ bedding material and its microbial content on the quality and safety of milk–A cross sectional study of UK farms. International Journal of Food Microbiology, 23(269), 36–45. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2017.12.022 Broucek, J. et al. (2015). Impact of gestation and lactation stage on the dairy cow response following removal to unfamiliar housing and milking system. Italian Journal of Animal Scince, 14(2), 233–237. https://doi.org/10.4081/ijas.2015.3410 Fournel, S. et al. (2018). Production of recycled manure solids for bedding in Canadian dairy farms: I. Solid-liquid separation . Journal of Dairy Science , 102(2), 1832–1846. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2018-14966 Heinonen-Tanski, H. et al. (2006). Methods to reduce pathogen microorganisms in manure. Livestock Science , 102(3), 248–255. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.livsci.2006.03.024 Ismail, R. et al. (2013). Methods for recovering microorganisms from solid surfaces used in the food industry: a review of the literature. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 10(11), 6169–6183. https://dx.doi.org/10.3390%2Fijerph10116169 Maiorano, G. (2014). Livestock Production for a Sustainable Development. J. Microbiol. Biotechnol. Food Sci. 3 , 34–38. Available online: https://www.jmbfs.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/10_jmbfs_maiorano_2014_fs.pdf Leach, K. A. et al. (2015). Recycling manure as cow bedding: Potential benefits and risks for UK dairy farms. Vet. J., 206, 123-130. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tvjl.2015.08.013 Popescu, S. et al. (2014). The effect of the housing system on the welfare quality of dairy cows . Italian Journal of Animal Scince, 13(1), 2940. https://doi.org/10.4081/ijas.2014.2940 Tancin, V. et al. 2013. Livestock farming in marginal areas (In Slovak), CVŽV, Nitra, Slovakia 2013. p. 70. ISBN 978-80-89418-26-8. Wolfe, T. et al. (2018). Effects of alternative deep bedding options on dairy cow preference, lying behavior, cleanliness, and teat end contamination. Journal of Dairy Science,101(1), 530-536. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2016-12358

Article Details: Received: 2020-10-14 | Accepted: 2020-11-27 | Available online: 2021-01-31 https://doi.org/10.15414/afz.2021.24.mi-prap.53-57 Abstract The objectives of this study were to determine the relationship of oxidative product levels, using malondialdehyde (MDA) as a marker on occurrence of mastitis and its causing pathogens in two dairy flocks of ewes situated in east and north of Slovakia. The diagnosis of mastitis was performed on the basis of clinical examination of the udder, macroscopic evaluation of milk, with the evaluation of Californian mastitis test (CMT) and bacteriological analysis of individual raw milk samples. From total 537 and 444 halves ewe’s milk samples were 16.6% and 23.2% positive to CMT, respectively. The prevalence of mastitis caused by bacterial pathogenes in the monitored herds was 14.3% to 19.1%, respectively. In all monitored sheep flocks were confirmed predominantly subclinical forms (SM) of intramammary infection (IMI). The highest of etiological agents in all monitored herds had coagulase negative staphylococci and coagulase positive staphylococci especially Staphylococcus aureus . Except for staphylococci were Streptococcus uberis and Streptococcus spp. most frequently pathogens isolated from mastitic sheep. The highest MDA level was observed from clinical cases of mastitis however, increased MDA levels were detectable from subclinical cases. Bacterial isolates from mastitc halves milk samples are different in levels of MDA. In this study, we found that milk samples infected with S. aureus were higher compared to other pathogens. In conclusion, differences in both severities of IMI and mastitis pathogens were associated with differences of MDA in infected udders. Keywords: sheep, milking, mastitis, lipid peroxidation, S. aureus , coagulase negative staphylococci References Contreras, A. et al. (2007). Mastitis in small ruminants. Small Ruminant Research, 68(1-2), 145–153. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smallrumres.2006.09.011 Fthenakis, G. C. (1995). California mastitis test and White side test in diagnosis of subclinical mastitis of dairy ewes. Small Ruminant Research , 16(3), 271–276. https://doi.org/10.1016/0921-4488(95)00638-2 Hariharan, H. et al. (2004). Bacteriology and somatic cell counts in milk samples from ewes on a Scottish farm. Canadian Journal of Veterinary Research, 68(3), 188–192. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1142138/ Malinowski, E. et al. (2008). Etiological agents of dairy cows’ mastitis in western part of Poland. Polish Journal of Veterinary Sciences, 9(3), 191-194. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17020014/ Mork, T. et al. (2007). Clinical mastitis in ewes; bacteriology, epidemiology and clinical features. Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica , 49(1), 23. https://dx.doi.org/10.1186%2F1751-0147-49-23 Pyorala, S. and Taponen, S. (2009). Coagulase-negative staphylococci - Emerging mastitis pathogens. Veterinary Microbiology , 34(2), 3–8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetmic.2008.09.015 Sharma, N. (2011). Oxidative stress and antioxidant status during transition period in dairy cows. Asian-Australian Journal of Animal Science , 24(4), 479–484. https://www.ajas.info/upload/pdf/24-58.pdf Suriyasathaporn, W. (2006). Higher somatic cell counts resulted in higher malondialdehyde concentrations in raw cow´s milk. International Dairy Journal, 16(9), 1088–1091. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.idairyj.2005.11.004 Turk, R. et al. (2017). The role of oxidative stress and inflammatory response in the pathogenesis of mastitis in dairy cows. Mljekarstvo, 67(2), 91–101. https://doi.org/10.15567/mljekarstvo.2017.0201

The aim of the study was to determine the effect of partial replacement of SBM protein with CPR-derived protein in the broiler rearing period from 22 to 42 days of age on the intestinal histomorphology and the composition of the intestinal microbial population. Male broiler chicks aged 1 day were assigned to two groups with different nutrition schemes (n = 100 in each, 5 cages of 20 chicks in each). The chickens were reared for 42 days. All birds were fed isonitrogenous and isoenergetic diets: starter (1 to 21 d), grower (22 to 35 d), and finisher (36 to 42 d). From rearing day 22, different diets were provided to the birds: the SBM group received feed with 100% soybean meal protein, and the diet of the CPR group the protein originated from soybean meal was replaced by 50% chickpea protein. The study results indicated a significant impact of the inclusion of CPR in the diet on the basic intestinal structures (thickness of myenteron: submucosa, jejunum and duodenum mucosa, and jejunum transversal lamina). The addition of CPR led to shortening of intestinal villi, an increase in villus thickness, and reduced intestine absorptive surface in the duodenum and jejunum. The CPR group exhibited a significantly lower villus length-to-crypt depth ratio in the jejunum (p < 0.001). The inclusion of chickpeas in the diet increased the total count of mesophilic bacteria and coliforms in the intestinal contents (p < 0.05). In summary, it has been demonstrated that the inclusion of CPR in the diet induced considerable disturbances in metabolism and intestinal structure. Although CPR is a cheap protein source, its use in poultry diet does not ensure development of the intestinal structure comparable to that in the case of an SBM-only diet.

Our perception is based on active sensing, i.e., the relationship between self-motion and resulting changes to sensory inputs. Yet, traditional experimental paradigms are characterized by delayed reactions to a predetermined stimulus sequence. To increase the engagement of subjects and potentially provide richer behavioral responses, we developed Sensory Island Task for humans (SITh), a freely-moving search paradigm to study auditory perception. In SITh, subjects navigate an arena in search of an auditory target, relying solely on changes in the presented stimulus frequency, which is controlled by closed-loop position tracking. A “target frequency” was played when subjects entered a circular sub-area of the arena, the “island”, while different frequencies were presented outside the island. Island locations were randomized across trials, making stimulus frequency the only informative cue for task completion. Two versions of SITh were studied: binary discrimination, and gradual change of the stimulus frequency. The latter version allowed determining frequency discrimination thresholds based on the subjects’ report of the perceived island location (i.e., target frequency). Surprisingly, subjects exhibited similar thresholds as reported in traditional “stationary” forced-choice experiments after performing only 30 trials, highlighting the intuitive nature of SITh. Notably, subjects spontaneously employed a small variety of stereotypical search patterns, and their usage proportions varied between task versions. Moreover, frequency discrimination performance depended on the search pattern used. Overall, we demonstrate that the use of an ecologically driven paradigm is able to reproduce established findings while simultaneously providing rich behavioral data for the description of sensory ethology.

The aim of this study was to compare the effect of parenteral and oral supplementation of Selenium (Se) and vitamin E (VTE) on selected antioxidant parameters in blood and colostrum as well as their effect on the incidence of mastitis in dairy cows during the final phase of gravidity (6 weeks) and first two weeks after calving. For the practical part of the study 36 dairy cows of Slovak pied breed in the second to fourth lactation-gestation cycle were selected. The animals weredivided into three groups: the control (C) and two experimental groups (D1 and D2). The selected groups were treated as follows: in group D1 products containing Se (Selevit inj.) and vitamin E (Erevit sol. inj.) were administered intramuscularly twice, six and three weeks prior to parturition; in group D2 a vitamin-minerals supplement in the form of sodium selenite (Na2SeO3) and dl-α-tocopherol acetate were supplemented orally for six weeks calving. The blood samples were collected from the vena jugularis in dairy cows approximately 42 days before calving (control sampling), on parturition day, and the 14th day after calving. Higher concentrations of Se and VTE were found in the blood plasma samples of both experimental groups collected on the day of parturition. In addition, the orally supplemented group (D2) showed higher Se and α-tocopherol concentrations in blood plasma on the14th day after calving as well a reduction of occurrence of mastitis by about 25 % compared to the control group. The relationship between inflammatory response and oxidative stress was also confirmed. The concentrations of milk malondialdehyde indicating lipid peroxidation during mastitis were significantly higher in milk samples from infected cows than in milk samples from healthy animals in each monitored group. In order to prevent oxidative stress and moderate inflammatory response in dairy cows it is very important to optimally balance their nutritive needs with an appropriate ratio of Se and VTE supplements. Therefore we still recommend supplementation of the cows' postpartum dietwith 0.5 mg of Se/kg dry matter (DM) and 102 mg of dl-α-tocopherol acetate/kg DM to stabilize their optimal blood levels, stimulate the activity of glutathione peroxidase and reduce the incidence of mastitis.

Given growing concerns about the use of antibiotics in the treatment of animals, identifying organic alternatives as feed additives to improve animal health and the development of immune responses has become of interest in dairy farming. Humic acids (HA) seem to be a suitable alternative with a favorable impact on the health and production parameters of animals. This study aimed to determine the effects of an HA supplemented diet on milk parameters as well as the effects on somatic cell count (SCC) and the occurrence of mastitis in dairy cows during the peripartum period. Twenty dairy cows in the last stage of pregnancy were selected from a herd of 140 cows. The selected cows were randomly divided into two groups: control (C) and experimental (E). The two groups were fed the same feed mixture and group E was additionally supplemented with HA at a total dose of 100 g per cow per day during the last 50 days of pregnancy. The milk parameters (dry matter, lactose, fat, crude protein, casein and milk urea) and SCC of every cow, and the presence of mastitis, were checked on days 10 and 30 during the first month of lactation. The results of the study show that dietary supplementation with HA significantly reduced the milk urea (MU) content and SCC on the 10th day after calving but did not affect the other milk compositions. In addition to the decreased MU and SCC, the number of positive quarters detected by the California Mastitis Test was reduced by 20.0% and the occurrence of mastitis caused by coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS). Based on the obtained results we can conclude that the addition of HA stabilizes the nutrient digestion, as was confirmed by a reduced MU content in the supplemented group. Their indirect beneficial effects improved the development of immune responses, resulting in decreased SCC and the occurrence of mastitis caused by CNS.

Although fiber-reinforced polymers (FRPs) have achieved increasing popularity in strengthening concrete structures and reinforcing new ones, there is to date insufficient knowledge about their long-term behavior. The long-term properties of FRPs specified in design codes lead to the low utilization capacity of these materials and are not supposed to be correct according to the actual behavior of structures reinforced with FRPs after 20 or 30 years of their use. Environmental impact reduction factors limit the mechanical properties of FRP composites in a range from 0.95 for CFRP to 0.5 for GFRP; the creep rupture factor is from 0.9 to 0.2. The paper summarizes previous research and experimental studies on the long-term properties of FRP reinforcements and also their comparison with the actual structures in which this reinforcement has been used; it presents the first part of an experimental investigation with comparative calculations.

This study investigated 960 Slovak and Czech spotted cattle from four different conventional (non-organic) dairy herds located in Eastern Slovakia and Czechia during early lactation (14–100 days after calving). Dairy cows were examined clinically; milk from fore-stripping of each udder quarter was subjected to sensory examination and assessed by the California mastitis test (CMT), and laboratory analyses of bacterial pathogens in milk, including virulence factors, were conducted. Positive CMT scores (1–3) for one or more quarters were detected in 271 (28.2%) of the examined animals. Out of 230 infected milk samples, representing 24.0% of all dairy cows, staphylococci (59.1% of positive findings) were the most commonly isolated organisms, followed by E. coli (11.3%), streptococci Str. uberis (9.1%) and Str. agalactiae (3.4%), and enterococci (6.1%). From 136 isolates of S. aureus (38 isolates) and non-aureus staphylococci (NAS; 98 isolates), virulence factors and their resistance to 14 antimicrobials were detected using the disk diffusion method, with PCR detection of the methicillin resistance gene, mecA. An increased incidence of clinical and chronic forms of mastitis has been reported in mastitic cows in which staphylococci, especially S. aureus and NAS (S. chromogenes, S. warneri, and S. xylosus), have been detected and compared to other isolated udder pathogens. From those species, S. aureus and isolates of NAS mentioned above showed multiple virulence factors that are more likely to hydrolyze DNA, hemolysis, produce gelatinase and biofilm, and have multi-drug resistance as compared to other less virulent staphylococci. Generally, the isolated staphylococci showed 77.2% resistance to one or more antimicrobials, in particular to aminoglycosides, β-lactams, macrolides, or cephalosporins. Isolates that showed the ability to form a biofilm were more resistant to more than one antimicrobial than isolates without biofilm production. Multi-drug resistance to three or more antimicrobial classes was recorded in 16 isolates (11.7%), and the presence of the mecA gene was also confirmed in two isolates of S. aureus and two species of NAS.

The development and implementation of new and safe means of treating subclinical mastitis (SM) in the production process remains a pressing problem. Our study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effect of the Bacillus megaterium NCH 55 strain on cow SM. All animals with signs of SM were fed with a basic diet with probiotic’s addition of 15 g/per day. The experiment was conveyed in 30 consecutive days. Milk and blood were collected on the 7th, 15th, and 30th day of the experiment. Daily milk yield was increased by 32.2% and somatic cell count was decreased from 290.00±32.12 to 96.80±39.03 ths/cm3. A decrease in inflammation was indicated by a decrease in POM370 (by 2.2 times) and POM430 (by 2.8 times). No significant changes in the blood serum indices of cows were observed. A probiotic’s positive effect has been established on the treatment of SM. The probiotic B. megaterium NСH 55 can be considered as an alternative to antibiotics and other chemotherapeutic drugs for treating SM in cows.

The present study applies the discontinuous Galerkin finite element method to a numerical simulation of a compressible fluid flow through a labyrinth seal. This paper is proposes a curvilinear hexahedral element, which is deformed in such a way that it matches the rotated walls of the labyrinth seal exactly. A numerical study is performed on the staggered labyrinth seal with two teeth on the rotor and one tooth on the stator. For numerical simulation, three computational meshes with different refinement are considered. All of the numerical simulations are performed for both stationary rotor and for rotor rotating at 50 Hz. The obtained numerical results are compared with results computed by the commercial CFD software Ansys Fluent.

Companies are misled into thinking they solve their security issues by using a DevSecOps system. This paper aims to answer the question: Could a DevOps pipeline be misused to transform a securely developed application into an insecure one? To answer the question, we designed a typical DevOps pipeline utilizing Kubernetes (K8s} as a case study environment and analyzed the applicable threats. Then, we developed four attack scenarios against the case study environment: maliciously abusing the user's privilege of deploying containers within the K8s cluster, abusing the Jenkins instance to modify files during the continuous integration, delivery, and deployment systems (CI/CD) build phase, modifying the K8s DNS layer to expose an internal IP to external traffic, and elevating privileges from an account with create, read, update, and delete (CRUD) privileges to root privileges. The attacks answer the research question positively: companies should design and use a secure DevOps pipeline and not expect that using a DevSecOps environment alone is sufficient to deliver secure software.

Self-reported questionnaires are method of choice for evaluation of relevant domains in low back pain population. Multiple questionnaires exist measuring significant number of potentially meaningful domains. The decision which ones to use should be based on an analysis of clinimetric properties reported in literature. An effort should also be made to translate existing outcome measures to Czech language. This thesis consists of research on methods and parameters designed to evaluate quality and usefulness of measuring methods and example of analysis of clinimetric properties is provided. The experimental section is devoted to reporting the translation process and field testing of three healthcare questionnaires concerning disability (the Patient Specific Functional Scale), self-efficacy (the Pain Self-efficacy Questionnaire) and global perceived effect (the Global Perceived Effect Scale). The questionnaires are comprehensible and ready to be used in clinical practice. There still needs to be a cross-cultural equivalence study performed for them to be eligible for research purposes and international collaboration. In the preliminary analysis, the scores also showed behavior corresponding to the properties reported in the literature.

This study aimed to analyse changes in the profile of long-chain fatty acids in the ruminal fluid of cows during in vitro fermentation, using different proportions of maize DDGS (distillers dried grains with solubles) as a substrate. The serum bottles were filled with 1 g of concentrate feed (C), which consisted of cereal middlings, postextraction rapeseed meal, and soybean meal. Substrates I, II, and III contained the same ingredients as substrate C, but also included DDGS at increasing proportions, while substrate IV contained only DDGS. Ruminal fluid with a buffer was then added to the bottles and incubated for 4, 8, and 24 h. After incubation, the fatty acid profile was analysed using a gas chromatograph. The use of DDGS as a substrate resulted in a decrease in SFA, and an increase in the proportion of UFA, including oleic acid (C18:1n9c) and linoleic acid (C18:2n6c). The fermentation profile with 15% and 20% DDGS in TMR proved to be the most beneficial. These findings suggest that the byproduct of bioethanol production could potentially improve the fatty acid profile in the ruminal fluid, resulting in higher-quality animal products.

Methanogenesis plays a crucial role in the digestive process of ruminant animals. During this process, methanogenic archaea produce methane as a byproduct of their metabolism. However, the production of methane by ruminants is also a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that has a 28-fold greater global warming potential than carbon dioxide. Around 15% of all anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions are generated by livestock. Therefore, reducing methane emissions from ruminant livestock is an important goal for reducing the environmental impact of agriculture. There is a variety of strategies that can be used to reduce methane emissions, including dietary modifications, genetic selection, microbiome manipulation, and feed additives, such as plant secondary metabolites, methane inhibitors, lipids, essential oils, and algae. The main and important objective of this paper is to critically discuss the current strategies proposed to reduce methane emissions from livestock. Though many strategies, such as chemical intervention, have remarkably reduced methane emissions from ruminants, their usage remains unappealing because of health and safety concerns as well as consumer decisions. Hence, genetic animal selection and biological feed additives, such as probiotics and secondary plant metabolites, have emerged as promising techniques for mitigating enteric methane emissions. These strategies are highly promising, but more intensive research is needed to validate these approaches and assess their effectiveness in reducing methane production by ruminants.

Non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs are commonly used both in medicine and veterinary medicine. The aim of the paper was to determine the effect of diclofenac calcium, the active ingredient of a medicine called diclofenac, on the development rate and survivorship of the fly Lucilia sericata (Meigen, 1826) (Diptera: Calliphoridae). Diclofenac was used at three concentrations: it was mixed with pork meat in proportions 25 mg of the drug 23 g of meat (dose 1), 50 mg/23 g (dose 2) and 75 mg/23 g (dose 3). To compare the results, a control sample was used (23 g of drug-free meat). All diclofenac calcium doses delayed the development of L. sericata. Moreover, all the drug doses (25 mg, 50 mg, 75 mg) resulted in body weight loss of L. sericata larvae. Finally, all the drug doses increased the mortality of L. sericata. The findings indicate that forensic entomology and forensic veterinary analyses involving L. sericata need to take into account a potential factor modifying the fly natural life cycle – the presence of diclofenac calcium in the body. A reduction of the body mass and a longer, than normal developmental cycle of L. sericata may be of significant in correctly determining the time of death of humans or animals in cases of diclofenac application.

In dairy industry, quality of produced milk must be more important than quantity without a high somatic cells count (SCC) or pathogens causing mastitis of dairy cows and consumer diseases. Preserving the good health of dairy cows is a daily challenge for all involved in primary milk production. Despite the increasing level of technological support and veterinary measures, inflammation of the mammary gland - mastitis, is still one of the main health problems and reasons for economic losses faced by cow farmers. The mammary gland of high-yielding dairy cows requires making the right decisions and enforcing the proper measures aimed at minimizing external and internal factors that increase the risk of intramammary infection. Due to the polyfactorial nature of mastitis related to its reduction, the effectiveness of commonly used antimastitis methods tends to be limited and therefore it is necessary to find the areas of risk in udder health programs and monitoring systems. Only by implementing of complete udder health programs should be accompanied by research efforts to further development these complete udder health control. The present review analyses the current knowledge dealing with damping and prevention of mastitis include SCC control, proper nutrition, housing and management, milking and drying as practiced in dairy farming conditions. This information may help to improve the health of the mammary gland and the welfare of the dairy cows as well as the production of safe milk for consumers.

Studies of in vivo neuronal responses to auditory inputs in the superior olive complex (SOC) are usually done under anesthesia. However, little attention has been paid to the effect of anesthesia itself on response properties. Here, we assessed the effect of anesthesia depth under ketamine-xylazine anesthetics on auditory evoked response properties of lateral SOC neurons. Anesthesia depth was tracked by monitoring EEG spectral peak frequencies. An increase in anesthesia depth led to a decrease in spontaneous discharge activities and an elevated response threshold. The temporal responses to suprathreshold tones were also affected, with adapted responses reduced but peak responses unaffected. Deepening the anesthesia depth also increased first spike latency. However, spike jitter was not affected. Auditory brainstem responses to clicks confirmed that ketamine-xylazine anesthesia depth affects auditory neuronal activities and the effect on spike rate and spike timing persists through the auditory pathway. We concluded from those observations that ketamine-xylazine affects lateral SOC response properties depending on the anesthesia depth.

SummaryLocalizing and identifying sensory objects while navigating the environment are fundamental brain functions. However, how individual objects are neuronally represented during unrestricted self-motion is mostly unexplored. We trained gerbils on a behavioral foraging paradigm that required localization and identification of sound-sources during free navigation. Chronic multi-electrode recordings in primary auditory cortex during task performance revealed previously unreported sensory object representations. Strikingly, the egocentric angle preference of the majority of spatially sensitive neurons changed significantly depending on the task-specific identity (outcome association) of the sound-source. Spatial tuning also exhibited larger temporal complexity. Moreover, we encountered egocentrically untuned neurons whose response magnitude differed between source identities. Using a neural network decoder we show that together, these neuronal response ensembles provide spatio-temporally co-existent information about both the egocentric location and the identity of individual sensory objects during self-motion, revealing a novel cortical computation principle for naturalistic sensing.HighlightsLocalization task during free navigation prompts diverse spatial tuning in gerbil A1Spatial preference of individual neurons changes with sound-source identityEgo- and allocentric information are spatio-temporally coexistent in A1 ensemblesActive sensing reveals new cortical representations for sensory object identification

The purpose of this pilot project case series is to describe the use of preoperative cryoneurolysis for 10 patients presenting for total knee arthroplasty (TKA).Descriptive research design.Billing codes were used to identify 10 patients who had previously undergone TKA, preoperative cryoneurolysis and physical therapy (PT) at a Midwestern community hospital. Data collected included anesthetic management strategies, multimodal analgesic therapies, postanesthesia care unit pain scores (PACU), pain scores during physical therapy, and achievement of a range of motion during physical therapy.Nine of 10 patients who received preoperative cryoneurolysis had PACU pain scores of 0 (0-10 scale) up to 90 minutes postoperatively. Pain scores immediately following cryoneurolysis therapy were reduced in all patients reporting pain greater than 0 (1-10 pain scale) before their treatment. Increased active range of motion trends were noted with reports of decreased pain scores during postoperative physical therapy sessions.This pilot project case series demonstrates potential benefits of using preoperative cryoneurolysis to provide postoperative pain control and aid with physical therapy recovery following TKA.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of inclusion of micronized full-fat camelina, flax, or sunflower seeds in the diet for broiler chickens on the performance productivity, nutrient utilization, and composition of intestinal microbial populations and to assess the possibility of modification of the resistance of isolated bacteria to chemotherapeutic agents with different mechanisms of action. The use of micronized oilseeds improved the broiler chicken body weight (P = 0.035) and the FCR value (P = 0.045) in the final rearing stage by enhancement of the utilization of total protein and organic matter. Lactobacillus-Enterococcus spp., Bifidobacterium spp., Escherichia coli, and Salmonella spp. were isolated from small intestinal contents, and Enterobacteriaceae taxa were detected in the cecum and cloaca of the broiler chickens. The addition of micronized camelina seeds (CAM.IR) contributed to an increase in the Bifidobacterium counts in the small intestine, compared with the control treatment (P < 0.050). Escherichia coli bacteria were not isolated only in the CAM.IR treatment. Nitrofurantoin and chloramphenicol were the most effective agents against the isolates from the cecum and cloaca in all oilseed treatments, whereas streptomycin exhibited the lowest efficacy. In the CAM.IR and micronized sunflower seed (SUN.IR) treatments, there were higher counts of trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole-resistant Enterobacteriaceae strains than in the control and micronized flax seed (FLA.IR) treatments (P < 0.05). There was a difference between strains isolated from the cecum and cloaca only in the FLA.IR treatment, i.e., increased tetracycline sensitivity was exhibited by strains isolated from the cloaca (13% vs. 50%), also in comparison with the control treatments (P = 0.054). In comparison with the CAM.IR and control treatments, reduced numbers of multi-resistant strains were found in the cloaca isolates from the for FLA.IR and SUN.IR variants. Micronized camelina, flax, and sunflower seeds can be used as part of an effective nutritional strategy focused on optimization of the efficiency of rearing broiler chickens, as they positively modify intestinal microbial populations and increase bacterial sensitivity to the analyzed chemotherapeutic agents.

Peri-urban zones are an emerging issue in the analysis of urban areas as social-ecological systems. This work presents a process of developing support tools for local planning and decision-making, ...

The aim of the research was to establish relations between the selected rumen fermentation products and the milk composition in dairy cows. The experiment was conducted on 10 Polish Holstein-Friesian cows of black and white variety. The animals were kept in the free stall housing system and fed with the total mixed ration (TMR). The herd’s milk production was assessed using the A4 method and the milk analyses were obtained from the milk recordings. The rumen digesta were sampled two hours after the morning delivery of TMR using a stomach pump. The sampled digesta were diluted with buffer, homogenized and the obtained suspension was analysed using gas chromatograph with the FID detector to determine the total concentration of volatile fatty acids (VFA) and the percentage of individual VFAs. Milk composition was obtained from the RW-1 reports, and the Pearson correlation coefficient was calculated for the obtained parameters. It was determined that propionate and the relation of propionate to butyrate in the rumen digesta increased the protein content and its fractions in milk. The volatile fatty acids utilization coefficient in the rumen digesta a positive correlation to protein contents and a negative correlation to the level of caseins in milk were shown. Processes taking place in the cow rumen significantly influence the composition and quality of milk. The knowledge of volatile fatty acids content and the of individual VFAs allows for the management of the rumen fermentation in order to obtain better technological parameters of milk.

The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of additional colostrum feeding to new born calves on levels of selected serum protein fractions. The study was conducted on a commercial dairy farm. Twenty-four cows of Polish Holstein-Friesian breed and their calves were included in the trial. Chemical composition, the somatic cell count (SCC), the total bacteria count (TBC) and immunoglobulin G (IgG) concentration were determined in colostrum samples. Blood was collected via jugular vein puncture from a total of 24 calves at the 36th hour of life. Total serum protein (TSP), as well as its fractions (albumins, globulins) and IgG concentration were determined. Greater IgG, total protein, albumins and globulins concentrations were found in serum of calves fed colostrum four times compared with three times on the first day of life. It was concluded that increasing the number of colostrum feedings to four times can be beneficial to forming of passive immunity of newborn calves.

Streptococcus suis is a serious pathogen in the pig industry with zoonotic potential. With respect to the current effort to reduce antibiotic use in animals, a prophylactic measure is needed to control the disease burden. Unfortunately, immunization against streptococcal pathogens is challenging due to nature of the interaction between the pathogen and the host immune system, but vaccines based on conjugates of capsular polysaccharide (CPS) and carrier protein were proved to be efficient. The main obstacle of these vaccines is manufacturing cost, limiting their use in animals. In this work, we tested an experimental vaccine against Streptococcus suis serotype 2 based on capsular polysaccharide conjugated to chicken ovalbumin (OVA) and compared its immunogenicity and protectivity with a vaccine based on CRM197 conjugate. Ovalbumin was selected as a cheap alternative to recombinant carrier proteins widely used in vaccines for human use. We found that the ovalbumin-based experimental vaccine successfully induced immune response in pigs, and the IgG antibody response was even higher than after immunization with capsular polysaccharide-CRM197 conjugate. Protectivity of vaccination against infection was evaluated in the challenge experiment and was found promising for both conjugates.

In this study, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the ANXA9 (annexin 9), FASN (fatty acid synthase) and SCD1 (stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1) genes were analyzed as factors influencing fatty acid profiles in milk from Zošľachtená valaška sheep. SNP in selected genes was identified using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). The long-chain fatty acids profile in sheep milk was identified by gas chromatography. Statistical analysis of the SCD1/Cfr13I polymorphism showed that the milk of the homozygous AA animals was characterized by a lower (P < 0.05) share of C4:0, C6:0, C8:0, C10:0, C12:0, C14:0 in comparison to the homozygous CC sheep. The milk of heterozygous sheep was characterized by a higher (P < 0.05) proportion of C13:0 acid compared to the milk of sheep with the homozygous AA type. A higher (P < 0.05) level of saturated fatty acids (SFA) was found in the milk of CC genotype sheep compared to the AA genotype. Our results lead to the conclusion that the greatest changes were observed for the SCD1/Cfr13I polymorphism and the least significant ones for FASN/AciI. Moreover, it is the first evidence that milk from sheep with SCD1/Cfr13I polymorphism and the homozygous AA genotype showed the most desirable fatty acids profile.

An in vitro experiment was conducted to determine the impact of silage produced from selected varieties of sorghum on the microbial fermentation profile of cows’ ruminal fluid. To determine the main microbial fermentation products, ruminal fluid samples were obtained from Polish Holstein–Friesian cows. Serum bottles were filled with 80 mL of ruminal samples, and 1 g of one of the following substrates was added: corn silage (CS), grass silage (GS), rye silage (RS), sorghum silage (sweet) (SS1), sorghum silage (grain) (SS2) or sorghum silage (dual-purpose) (SS3). The serum bottles were flushed with CO2 and fermented for 8 and 24 h at 39 °C. After incubation, the obtained gas and rumen fluid were then analysed to determine the methane and volatile fatty acid (VFA) contents using gas chromatography. The use of sorghum silage (SS) resulted in a decrease in the total concentration VFA concentration in the ruminal fluid compared with the use of other silages, especially GS. Moreover, the ruminal fluid contained a lower molar proportion of propionic and butyric acids when SS was used compared with CS. The butyric acid proportion was higher in SS samples than in RS samples. The differences in chemical composition between sorghum varieties did not influence the rumen VFA concentration or profile. A decrease in gas production, but without effects on methanogenesis, was observed when SS was used compared with GS and CS. The analysis demonstrates the physiological processes of fermentation in the rumen, as evidenced by the products of microbial fermentation. The main advantage is that the addition of SS, irrespective of the plant variety, reduced fermentation gas production in the ruminal fluid compared with CS. The silage of the analyzed sorghum varieties may be used in the diets of dairy cows as a substitute for corn and grass silages.

Background: Colostrum is the first food for mammals that should give a head start to the newborn organism. By providing the body with essential nutrients, colostrum plays an immune and immunostimulating function. Colostrum quality depends on multiple factors, including microbial effect. Widespread coagulase-negative staphylococci have a great impact on colostrum qualitative indicators. The aim of this study was to explore the effect of staphylococci on colostrum quality. Results: Physical, chemical properties and fatty acid profile of cow’s colostrum were determined. In our study we identified three pathogenic coagulase-negative Staphylococcus species in the cows’ colostrum: S. sciuri (64.29 %), S. xylosus (28.57 %) and S. warneri (7.14 %). We noted that the somatic cell count (SCC) in the affected colostrum samples wasn’t noticeably higher than that in the uninfected colostrum samples. Percentage of dry matter in infected and uninfected colostrum samples was nearly the same. Contents of fat, protein, and lactose in the studied colostrum were not significantly different. The content of butyric (С4:0) and capric (С10:0) acids was significantly higher (PConclusions: According to our research infection with coagulase-negative staphylococci negatively affects colostrum patameters primarily due to an increase in SCC, acidity and decrease in β-casein level. Moreover, significant decrease in total bacterial count in infected by CNS samples may be caused by a decrease in the level of beneficial microflora. Minor changes in fatty acid profile of fat in colostrum with CNS do not have a significant negative effect on colostrum as a whole. But in view of the fact that colostrum is intended for feeding a newborn with a "sterile" gastrointestinal tract, the presence of CNS will undoubtedly leads to a great threat to an immature organism.