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Abstract Individuals with elevated psychopathic traits exhibit decision-making deficits linked to a failure to learn from negative outcomes. We investigated how reduced pain sensitivity affects reinforcement-based decision-making in individuals with varying levels of psychopathic traits, as measured by the Self-Report Psychopathy Scale-Short Form. Using computational modelling, we estimated the latent cognitive processes in a community non-offender sample (n = 111) that completed a task with choices leading to painful and non-painful outcomes. Higher psychopathic traits were associated with reduced pain sensitivity and disturbances in reinforcement learning from painful outcomes. In a Structural Equation Model, a superordinate psychopathy factor was associated with a faster return to original stimulus-outcome associations as pain tolerance increased. This provides evidence directly linking reduced pain sensitivity and learning from painful outcomes with elevated psychopathic traits. Our results offer insights into the computational mechanisms of maladaptive decision-making in psychopathy and antisocial behavior.

This study was conducted to identify and characterize the Bacillus strain from Goat’s milk in Algeria and to evaluate the prebiotic effect of H. scoparia aqueous extract and ZnO-NPs on the isolated Bacillus strain. Potentially probiotic bacteria were isolated and identified based on phenotypic characteristics, including the morphological, physiological (growth temperature, salt tolerance), biochemical (API 10S strip kits), and confirmed by 16S rDNA gene sequencing. Bacillus pumilus specie of lactic acid bacteria were identified. The base pair length of amplified DNA for the isolate was 1500 Bp. The isolates could not grow at 10°C and 45°C and tolerate up to 6% salt. H. scoparia extract and ZnO-NPs have a beneficial effect on the Bacillus pumilus strain for acid tolerance, bile tolerance, and cell surface hydrophobicity respectively; H. scoparia extract and ZnO-NPs results are high comparing to the control group’s results. As the concentration of the tested samples increases, the percentage of probiotic characteristics of Bacillus pumilus increases, in contrast to the control sample. Therefore, they could be useful tools to define adequate combinations in colonic foods development and health benefits. The beneficial physiological and biochemical properties of isolated Bacillus pumilus space from Goat’s milk with the H. scoparia aqueous extract and ZnO-NPs revealed their potential applications in the food industry.

Post-acute COVID syndrome (PACS), or long COVID, is a newly defined condition emerging as a widespread post-pandemic diagnosis with prevalent neuro-psychiatric symptoms and possible neuroinflammation-associated pathogenetic mechanisms. We present the clinical case of a 29-year-old male patient who had mild COVID-19 infections, autoimmune illness (psoriasis), and suffered a post-COVID aggravation of psoriasis, along with other non-specific neuropsychiatric problems. The patient underwent computer-based neuropsychological testing (the CogState Battery), brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and a clinical interview since he fulfilled the criteria for a PACS diagnosis. The acquired data showed poor results on most of the neuropsychological subtests during his follow-up visit, structural changes in the MRI, and a possible immune dysregulation with increased levels of immunoglobulin G. These results confirm that the nonspecific neuro-psychiatric post-COVID complaints are associated with objective findings.

Abstract. The effectiveness of mineral fertilization on wheat productivity was determined in a field experiment on Alluvial-meadow soil (Fluvisol, FAO 2015) at the experimental field of Tsalapitsa village, Plovdiv region, during 2019-2020. Four increasing rates of nitrogen fertilization along with a constant background of phosphorus fertilization were tested in the following variants: N40P100; N80P100; N120P100; N160P100, and N0P0 (control) – without any fertilization. The influence of these variants on yield and the content of basic macro- and microelements in wheat’s dry biomass were assessed. Plant samples were collected at the full maturity phase of wheat, with each variant sampled in triplicate, to determine the concentrations of N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Cu, Zn, Mn, and Fe. Correlation analysis and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were employed to identify dependencies between observed variables. Significant differences between the variants for N% content in grain, chaff and straw of wheat were established. The highest nitrogen values were observed in the grain of the N160P100 and N120P100 variants, at 2.10% and 2.02%, respectively. The applied fertilization had a significant positive effect on the accumulation of potassium, calcium, copper, manganese and iron in wheat biomass. This finding was supported by the correlation coefficients between fertilizer rates and N (R = 0.948), Ca (R = 0.854), Cu (R = 0.681), Mn (R = 0.735), and Fe (R = 0.769) in the wheat grain. Significant yield differences were observed among the variants, with the highest yield recorded for N120P100 (7123.0 kg/ha), more than tripling that of the control variant. The uptake of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium by the total biomass of wheat increased depending on the fertilization rates and it was the highest in the N120P100 variant.

A collective business model with a specific character, distinguishing it from personal and capital companies is the cooperative. The cooperative model has been refined over the years and has become one of the widespread models for managing factors of production and providing services to its members in almost all economic sectors and countries around the world. A cooperative is a voluntary association of natural persons who, through mutual assistance and cooperation under equal responsibility and rights, transfer part of their functions to a common enterprise. Co-operation has proven to be a successful business model for building joint production facilities for processing the primary plant and animal products of farmers, thus creating additional income for them. Based on the broad scope of the subject, I limit the purpose of development to highlight the advantages of the cooperative model for doing business in association (unification) of farmers on the example of several European countries. A main conclusion of the study is that cooperatives play a crucial role in the prosperity and socio-economic development of the farming community they serve and the rural areas in which they are located.

Introduction: Spermatozoa are rapidly changing cellular structures that are highly dependent on their interaction with the environment. These interactions cause fundamental changes in the spermatozoa’s cells and membrane. All physiological changes that a spermatozoon goes through are required for fertilization. One of the proteins that are essential for the physiological processes in the spermatozoon membrane is the testicular angiotensin-converting enzyme (tACE). In human ejaculated spermatozoa, tACE is found on sperm plasma membrane in the head, neck, and midpiece of the tail having an active role in the capacitation and acrosome reaction. Aim: Immuno-histochemical and fluorescent testing of the testicular isoform of the angiotensin-converting enzyme during spermiogenesis and acrosome membrane of spermatozoa. Materials and methods: Testis biopsies from infertile males have used immunohistochemical testing and fixed spermatozoa for the immunofluorescence assay of tACE. Results: The immunohistochemical test showed tACE expression during spermiogenesis and its participation in the stages of spermatid differentiation in the testis. The immunofluorescent test follows the manifestation of tACE in untreated, capacitated, and acrosome-reacting spermatozoa. In the process of capacitation and acrosome reaction, we found considerable dynamics accompanied by a change in the expression of tACE on the sperm membrane. Conclusions: tACE expression during spermiogenesis and its visualization in the acrosome region confirms the active role of the enzyme in the processes of maturation, capacitation, and acrosome reaction, which determines the enzyme as a reliable marker for the selection of quality spermatozoa in assisted reproduction.

Norwegian spring spawning (NVG) herring milt is a raw material with high nutritional and functional values. However, its incorporation into food presents physicochemical and sensory challenges. Its high DNA content, the presence of TMA/TMAO and possibly heavy metal and/or environmental pollutants, and its bitter taste due to amino acids or peptides requires a careful approach to food development. Hydrolysis with food-grade enzymes enable an improvement in both the functional and sensory properties of the substrate and the increased stability of the raw materials and end products. HLPC, GC-MS, and in vitro protocols were used for the characterisation of manually extracted material (sample code: HMC) and milt from a fish-filleting line from early spring/late autumn catches. Three different food-grade protein hydrolysates were prepared from these raw materials (sample codes: H1, H2, and H3) as a means to estimate their functional food development potential. Combinations of three commercial enzymatic preparations were applied, targeting specific sensory properties. Parameters related to consumer safety (e.g., the presence of heavy metals and TMA/TMAO); beneficial health effects, such as antioxidant or antihypertensive bioactivities (measured using in vitro TAC, ORAC, DPPH, and ACE I inhibitory activity assays); the presence of beneficial fatty acids and micronutrients; and the protein quality were studied. On the basis of their total amino acid compositions, freeze-dried herring milt and hydrolysates could provide high-quality protein with most of the essential amino acids and taurine. Powdered milt has a particularly high fatty acid profile of bioavailable omega-3 fatty acids (2024.06 mg/100 g docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 22:6n-3) and 884 mg/100 g eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; 20:5n-3)). The experimentally measured levels of arsenic (3.9 ± 1.2 mg/kg) and cadmium (0.15 ± 0.05 mg/kg) were higher than the levels of the other two heavy metals (mercury and lead). The bioactivity is concentration-dependent. Overall, this work presents complementary information for the future utilisation of C. harengus powdered milt (possibly obtained directly from a fish-filleting line) and some of its protein hydrolysates as food ingredients.

We report the case of a 47-year-old man who was admitted to our clinic with an intractable headache, nausea, and sporadic vomiting, as well as speech difficulties and a ‘floating’ sensation. This man had no prior medical history. MRI of the brain showed evidence of over 20 supra- and infratentorial capsulated ring-enhancing lesions. All other paraclinical investigations done in our clinic were unremarkable and we excluded our first assumption of neurocysticercosis, as well as other parasitic infections. The patient was then referred to the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Clinic for an excisional biopsy of a submandibular formation, which was later verified to represent a lymph node metastasis from a poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma. A chest X-ray failed to demonstrate any significant pathology and the immunohistochemical constellation of the lymph node metastasis excluded the possibility of the primary tumor originating in the lung or the prostate. Due to the unresolved diagnostic query, a whole-body PET/CT was performed demonstrating a formation with malignant characteristics in the basal segment of the left lung, reaching the pleura and the left hilum, as well as solitary enlarged mesenteric and mediastinal lymph nodes. Following clinical consultations, it was determined that the patient was inoperable and chemotherapy and palliative CNS irradiation were recommended.

To decipher the mediator role of the grape Abscisic acid, Stress, Ripening (ASR) protein, VvMSA, in the pathways of glucose signaling through the regulation of its target, the promoter of hexose transporter VvHT1, we overexpressed and repressed VvMSA in embryogenic and non-embryogenic grapevine cells. The embryogenic cells with organized cell proliferation were chosen as an appropriate model for high sensitivity to the glucose signal, due to their very low intracellular glucose content and low glycolysis flux. In contrast, the non-embryogenic cells displaying anarchic cell proliferation, supported by high glycolysis flux and a partial switch to fermentation, appeared particularly sensitive to inhibitors of glucose metabolism. By using different glucose analogs to discriminate between distinct pathways of glucose signal transduction, we revealed VvMSA positioning as a transcriptional regulator of the glucose transporter gene VvHT1 in glycolysis-dependent glucose signaling. The effects of both the overexpression and repression of VvMSA on glucose transport and metabolism via glycolysis were analyzed, and the results demonstrated its role as a mediator in the interplay of glucose metabolism, transport and signaling. The overexpression of VvMSA in the Arabidopsis mutant abi8 provided evidence for its partial functional complementation by improving glucose absorption activity.

The indirect determination of basic tomato quality parameters using color digital images is presented in the paper. A database of images of tomatoes of the Clarosa variety was formed. The six main chemical parameters, dry matter, ascorbic acid, titratable organic acids, total dyes, lycopene, and beta-carotene, were measured as referent values. Image processing techniques were used for the extraction of the color components, to remove the background, and for color spaces transformation. The values of the color components of four color models, RGB, HSV, XYZ, and Lab, were obtained in the MATLAB environment. Statistical approaches were used for assessing the relation between the main chemical parameters of tomatoes and the color components. The results of the correlation analysis showed that there were the following relationships between the color components and the chemical indicators: the dry substance had a moderate dependence with R(RGB), S(HSV), and b(Lab) and a significant dependence with H(HSV) and a(Lab); the ascorbic acid substance had a moderate dependence with H(HSV), S(HSV), and a(Lab); the titratable organic acids had a moderate dependence with S(HSV) and b(Lab); a significant dependence was found with R(RGB), and a strong dependence was found with V(HSV), L(Lab), a(Lab), X(XYZ), and Y(XYZ); the general dyes had a significant dependence with H(HSV), S(HSV), and a(Lab); the lycopene had a significant dependence with H(HSV), S(HSV),a and a(Lab); the beta-carotene had a significant dependence with R(RGB), G(RGB), B(RGB), V(HSV), L(Lab), X(XYZ), Y(XYZ), and Z(XYZ). The obtained results showed that the chemical composition values of tomatoes could be predicted with polynomial regression models that use color components from the HSV and Lab models: dry matter-H(HSV); ascorbic acid-H(HSV); titratable organic acids-a(Lab); general dyes-H(HSV), S(HSV), and a(Lab); lycopene-H(HSV), S(HSV), and a(Lab). For the determination of beta-carotene, it is necessary to use more than one color component to obtain mathematical models with a higher coefficient of determination. The obtained results are a prerequisite for this approach to be used in the automated systems for evaluating the quality of tomatoes in the harvesting process.

This study conducted a systematic analysis and investigation of near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy for assessing tomato fruits’ quality. This was combined with the integration of multivariate techniques for analysis to improve existing methods for nondestructive quality assessment of tomato fruits. Variations in tomato characteristics were revealed by selecting spectral indices, leading to changes in reflection spectra at different wavelengths. To achieve more accurate predictions, the use of vectors containing various spectral indices became necessary. This study found that predicting key tomato characteristics relies more on the informativeness and predictive ability of vectors derived from spectral indices than on the method used to reduce data volume. Regression models were developed to automate the prediction of six tomato characteristics based on the spectral data. The developed models for vitamin C content, titratable organic acids, and lycopene showed the highest predictive efficiency (over 90%) among the investigated features. These results highlight the potential of regression models to be integrated into automated systems for assessing the quality of tomato fruits, providing sufficiently accurate information to enhance quality control processes.

The main goal of this study was to assess the bioactive and polysaccharide compositions, along with the antioxidant and antibacterial potentials, of five seaweeds collected from the northeastern coast of Algeria. Through Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis and X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, the study investigated the elemental composition of these seaweeds and their chemical structure. In addition, this study compared and identified the biochemical makeup of the collected seaweed by using cutting-edge methods like tandem mass spectrometry and ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography, and it searched for new sources of nutritionally valuable compounds. According to the study’s findings, Sargassum muticum contains the highest levels of extractable bioactive compounds, showing a phenolic compound content of 235.67 ± 1.13 µg GAE·mg−1 and a total sugar content of 46.43 ± 0.12% DW. Both S. muticum and Dictyota dichotoma have high concentrations of good polyphenols, such as vanillin and chrysin. Another characteristic that sets brown algae apart is their composition. It showed that Cladophora laetevirens has an extracted bioactive compound content of 12.07% and a high capacity to scavenge ABTS+ radicals with a value of 78.65 ± 0.96 µg·mL−1, indicating high antioxidant activity. In terms of antibacterial activity, S. muticum seaweed showed excellent growth inhibition. In conclusion, all five species of seaweed under investigation exhibited unique strengths, highlighting the variety of advantageous characteristics of these seaweeds, especially S. muticum.

This study aimed to investigate near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) in combination with classification methods for the discrimination of fresh and once- or twice-freeze–thawed fish. An experiment was carried out with common carp (Cyprinus carpio). From each fish, test pieces were cut from the dorsal and ventral regions and measured from the skin side as fresh, after single freezing at minus 18 °C for 15 ÷ 28 days and 15 ÷ 21 days for the second freezing after the freeze–thawing cycle. NIRS measurements were performed via a NIRQuest 512 spectrometer at the region of 900–1700 nm in Reflection mode. The Pirouette 4.5 software was used for data processing. SIMCA and PLS-DA models were developed for classification, and their performance was estimated using the F1 score and total accuracy. The predictive power of each model was evaluated for fish samples in the fresh, single-freezing, and second-freezing classes. Additionally, aquagrams were calculated. Differences in the spectra between fresh and frozen samples were observed. They might be assigned mainly to the O–H and N–H bands. The aquagrams confirmed changes in water organization in the fish samples due to freezing–thawing. The total accuracy of the SIMCA models for the dorsal samples was 98.23% for the calibration set and 90.55% for the validation set. For the ventral samples, respective values were 99.28 and 79.70%. Similar accuracy was found for the PLS-PA models. The NIR spectroscopy and tested classification methods have a potential for nondestructively discriminating fresh from frozen–thawed fish in as methods to protect against fish meat food fraud.

Introduction: Sideritis scardica, Lamiaceae, is a plant with anti-inflammatory, antirheumatic, digestive, and antimicrobial properties that is widely used in folk medicine throughout the Balkan Peninsula. The name derives from the Greek word ‘sideros’, meaning iron, and it is believed that the plant was also used by soldiers to heal wounds caused by cutting weapons. Aim: The study aimed to assess the subchronic toxicity of a dry hydromethanolic extract from Sideritis scardica, Lamiaceae. Materials and methods: To investigate the subchronic toxicity, male Wistar rats were given orally a solution of dry hydromethanolic extract daily for 12-weeks at doses of 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg bw. Blood and blood serum were collected at the end of the experiment, and different organs were prepared for histopathological examination. Statistical analysis was performed with One-Way ANOVA test, using IBM SPSS 19.0. Results: All hematological and biochemical results remained within the normal reference ranges described for the species. The histological examination showed no abnormalities in the morphology of the examined organs (brain, stomach, liver, and kidney). Conclusions: The study contributes to a better understanding of the possible pharmacological effects, while documenting the absence of toxicity and safe use of the herb for future new indications.

Introduction: Satureja montana is a wild growing medicinal plant, part of the Lamiaceae family. This herb is well known as a source of phenolic compounds, which can vary in a broad range depending on different factors and exert many pharmacological activities. Aim: The aim of the study was to investigate the composition and chronic toxicity of dry extract of Satureja montana. Material and methods: The composition was investigated by high-performance liquid chromatographic system with diode-array detector. To establish the chronic toxicity of dry extract of Satureja montana we used 40 eight-week-old male Wistar rats, treated orally with saline, olive oil (control groups), Satureja montana at a dose of 500 mg/kg bw, carvacrol – 500 mg/kg bw, and rosmarinic acid – 15 mg/kg bw. The animals were sacrificed at the end of the experiment and blood samples and organs for histological examination were obtained. Statistical analysis was performed with one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) using IBM SPSS 19.0. Results: Rosmarinic acid and small quantities of carvacrol were found in the dry extract of Satureja montana. Full blood count and the biochemical parameters ASAT, ALAT, uric acid, cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose and ionized Ca were in the reference values for 17+ weeks old male Wistar rats. The histological samples showed no signs of organ toxicity. Conclusions: The main ingredient in the dry extract of Satureja montana is rosmarinic acid. The extract is not toxic after 90-days oral administration.

Detailed mast cell classification is reported in humans and rats, however such classification is not available in porcine common hepatic duct. It is interesting to find out whether mast cells in common hepatic duct are able to produce ghrelin, which is involved in a series of biological functions includ-ing regulation of food intake, body weight, gastrointestinal motility, hormone secretion, glucose re-lease, cardiovascular functions, enzyme release, cell proliferation and reproduction in pigs. Because the determination of the cellular mechanisms responsible for normal and pathological biliary tract motility is difficult in humans, swine appears to be one of the most suitable animal model for physio-logical and morphological studies related to ghrelin peptide. The lack of information about the distri-bution of mast cells in the wall of common hepatic duct (Ductus hepaticus communis) in domestic swine motivated us to undertake this study in order to gain a better understanding of ghrelin peptide. The aim of this study was to define the localisation and number of tryptase-, ghrelin- and toluidine blue positive mast cells in the layers of porcine common hepatic duct. In this respect, the immunohis-tochemical staining for detection of tryptase and ghrelin expression was performed. The toluidine blue staining allowed the visualisation of metachromatic mast cells. The comparative study showed that tryptase positive cells were more numerous than metachromatic cells in all layers of the studied organ but the density of ghrelin positive cells was the highest. Tryptase immunohistochemistry al-lowed distinguishing ghrelin expressing mast cells from all ghrelin positive cells. The highest number of ghrelin positive cells indicated that not only mast cells but other cells also express ghrelin. The results allowed concluding that studied mast cell types had different density in the three main layers of common hepatic duct. The highest density of mast cells in the muscular layer and the possibility of mast cells to express ghrelin define its role in regulation of common hepatic duct motility and glandular secretion.

Hypoparathyroidism (hypoPT) is a relatively rare endocrine disease, mainly due to thyroid surgery. The classical supplementation with calcium and active vitamin D may represent a challenge to the clinician.

A study of the liquid–liquid extraction of ReO4− anions from hydrochloric acid solutions using the ionic liquid Aliquat 336 (QCl: trialkyl(C8–C10)methylammonium chloride) via the well-known method of slope analysis along with the determination of the process parameters is presented. This study employs CCl4, CHCl3 and C6H12 as diluents. This study was carried out at room temperature (22 ± 2) °C and an aqueous/organic volumetric ratio of unity. The ligand effect on the complexation properties of ReO4− is quantitatively assessed in different organic media. The organic extract in chloroform media is examined through 1H, 13C and 15N NMR analysis as well as the HRMS technique and UV-Vis spectroscopy in order to view the anion exchange and ligand coordination in the organic phase solution. Final conclusions are given highlighting the role of the molecular diluent in complexation processes and selectivity involving ionic liquid ligands and various metal s-, p-, d- and f-cations. ReO4− ions have shown one of the best solvent extraction behaviors compared to other ions. For instance, the Aliquat 336 derivative bearing Cl− functions shows strongly enhanced extraction as well as pronounced separation abilities towards ReO4−.

In 2020 L. Atanassova has been introduced the new operation Δ over intuitionistic fuzzy sets and over intuitionistic fuzzy pairs. Some of its properties have been studied in 2021 from L. Atanassova and P. Dworniczak. In 2021 L. Atanassova and P. Dworniczak generated an intuitionistic fuzzy implication by the operation Δ, and it has been introduced and some of its basic properties have been described. Here, eight modal type of intuitionistic fuzzy implications are generated by the first one and some of their properties are discussed.

Контраст-индуцираната енцефалопатия (КИЕ) е рядко наблюдавано усложнение на контраст-медиираните ендоваскуларни терапевтични и диагностични процедури, протичащо с възвратими, разнородни и неспецифични неврологични симптоми. По литературни данни честотата на КИЕ варира между 0,3% и 2%, а рискът за възникване зависи от типа на процедурата, придружаващите заболявания на пациента и вида на използваната контрастна материя. Към момента не е дефинирана точната доза на контраста, която закономерно да води до неврологичните усложнения, но повечето проучвания приемат 200 мл. като максимално безопасна доза за избягване на невротоксичност. Клинично КИЕ се представя с хетерогенни неврологични симп томи, остро началото обикновено и пълно възстановяване до 72 ч. след началото на симптомите. Диагнозата на КИЕ обаче често е предизвикателство, а провеждането на компютърна томография на главен мозък (КТ на ГМ) не винаги е достатъчно информативно, тъй като при част от пациентите не се откриват абнормности при компютър-томографско изследване. Представяме клиничен случай на 81-годишна полиморбидна пациентка с придружаваща дългогодишна артериална хипертония и бъбречно увреждане, при която 12 часа след проведена коро нарография, клинично се наблюдава пароксизмално състояние, а проведеният КТ е с данни за екстравазация на контрастна материя.

The concept of organizational learning receives increasing attention and recognition in recent years as a critical enabler of organizational adaptation, survival, and growth during uncertain times. Our study applies a sociotechnical lens to shed light on the organizational learning processes taking place in 40 various sizes and kinds of UK businesses during the critical, volatile, and unprecedented period – February–May 2021. The study identifies learning antecedents and key organizational context enabling and/or impeding learning processes and follow-up evolution within the studied companies. Our research confirms that in an uncertain environment, companies need to develop and apply ad-hoc learning and quick adaptation practices which are critical for survival and growth, and not standard management practices. The findings suggest, however, that even if employees have capability, not all are able to capture and transform intelligence into learning and apply it at a strategic level, reconfiguring purposefully future operational capabilities to respond to environmental changes, as they are not empowered and supported by the organizational management.

Biochar is widely used as a soil amendment to improve soil properties and as a tool to absorb net carbon from the atmosphere. In this study we determined the signatures of organic molecular markers in soil following the incorporation of 5 and 10 t/ha biochar in a Fluvisol, cultivated with maize at the experimental field of the ISSAPP “N. Poushkarov” institute in Bulgaria. The n-alkane distribution in the biochar treated soils was uni- or bimodal maximizing at n-C17 alkane, n-C18 or C18 branched alkanes, i.e. there was an imprint of biomass burning, e.g. from the biochar due to predominance of short chain (< C20) homologues and increased microbial activity (presence of branched alkanes). This is also confirmed by the values for the average chain length (ACL) of n-alkanes which indicated prevalence of homologues of shorter chain (20–21 C atoms) in the variants of longer biochar residence time. There was evidence of trans-13-docosenamide, which originated from biochar. Fatty acids and fatty alcohols distributions also implicate microbial contribution to soil organic matter (SOM), supporting the suggestion that biochar addition can improve soil microbiological status.

Компютър-томографската пепфузия (КТП) на мозъчния паренхим е достъпен и информативен невроизобразяващ метод, който позволява да се разшири обхвата на пациенти – индицирани за провеждане на интравенозна тромболиза (ИВТ) при остър исхемичен инсулт. Бързата и прецизна идентификация с КТП на пенумбрата е от ключово значение за по-нататъшното терапевтично поведение. Представяме три клинични случая на пациенти с остър исхемичен инсулт, представящи различни аспекти от нашата рутинна практика, при които би било невъзможно провеждането на успешна тромболитична терапия без перфузионно изследване на мозъчния паренхим.

The productivity of plants is considerably affected by various environmental stresses. Exploring the specific pattern of the near-infrared spectral data acquired non-destructively from plants subjected to stress can contribute to a better understanding of biophysical and biochemical processes in plants. Experiments for investigating NIR spectra of maize plants subjected to water stress were conducted. Two maize lines were used: US corn-belt inbred line B37 and mutant inbred XM 87-136, characterized by very high drought tolerance. After reaching the 4-leaf stage, 10 plants from each line were subjected to water stress, and 10 plants were used as control, kept under a regular water regime. The drought lasted until day 17 and then the plants were recovered by watering for 4 days. A MicroNIR OnSite-W Spectrometer (VIAVI Solutions Inc., Chandler, AZ, USA) was used for in vivo measurement of each maize leaf spectra. PLS models for determining drought days were created and aquagrams were calculated separately for the plants’ second, third, and fourth leaves. Differences in absorption spectra were observed between control, stressed, and recovered maize plants, as well as between different measurement days of stressed plants. Aquagrams were used to visualize the water spectral pattern in maize leaves and how it changes along the drought process.

A three-year field experiment with maize was carried out on fluvisol. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the impact of biochar on maize yield at different levels of water stress and its effect on the amount of soil microorganisms. The following variants were studied: control with no biochar addition, and variants with biochar. Biochar was applied in 2 t/ha in 2016, produced by pyrolysis of rice straw, then in 3 t/ha in 2017 and 10 t/ha in 2018, both obtained by pyrolysis of oak bark. These variants were divided into three more depending on the irrigation regime: i.e. non-irrigated, irrigation at dT>0 °C, and irrigation at dT

A field study with spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) was conducted on the area of long-term balance experiment in Tsalapitsa village near Plovdiv (Bulgaria), on alluvial-meadow soil. Mineral fertilization was not applied to this crop in order to equalize the area regarding nutrient content. The crop grown before barley was maize with 4 variants of fertilization and one control variant: N0P0, N100Р50, N150Р100, N200Р150, and N250P200. The present study aimed to evaluate the productivity, content and uptake of macronutrients (N, P, K, Ca and Mg) with the biomass of barley, grown as aftereffect. Due to the fertilization of the previous crop, different residual amounts of nutrients in soil lead to significant variability in barley yields. The highest grain yield was obtained in variant N250P200 - 3978.8 kg/ha, approximately four times higher than the yield in the control. Nitrogen content in the grain of barley is also influenced by the variants, being the lowest in the control - 1.25%, and the highest in variants N250P200 and N200P150 - 2.13% and 2.09%, respectively. The variability of P, K, Ca and Mg contents by variants is lower. With the total biomass of barley, depending on the variants of the experiment, between 23.2 - 132.7 kg N/ha; 26.6 - 146.3 kg K/ha and 9.3 - 36.5 kg P/ha were exported from the field. A good regression relationship was found between barley grain yield and nitrogen export with the total biomass (R2 = 0.859, P≤0.001).

A study on the synergistic extraction of Eu(III) ions with a series of chelating ligands and determination of the process parameters is presented by employing ionic liquids and typical organic diluents. The investigations of the liquid–liquid extraction, commonly applied in the separation science of 4f and 5f-ions acidic chelating compounds, 4-benzoyl-3-methyl-1-phenyl-2-pyrazolin-5-one (HP), 4-benzoyl-3-phenyl-5-isoxazolone (HPBI), and 2-thenoyltrifluoroacetone (HTTA) alone and in combination with two synergistic agents, meso-hexamethylpropyleneamine oxime (S2: HM-PAO) and its bis-imine precursor (S1: pre-HM-PAO), are presented. The interaction between the two extractants (acidic/neutral) in deuterochloroform was studied using 1H, 13C, and 1H-1H NOESY experiments. Several conclusions are given highlighting the role of the ionic diluent in complexation processes and selectivity with an employment of the two synergistic agents for various metal s-, p-, d-, and f-cations in the Periodic table, with almost 25 metal ions. The objective was to optimize a system for 4f-ions solvent extraction based on the new oxime molecules with β-diketone/isoxazolone/pyrazolone partnership. As detailed above, slight enhancements of extraction efficiencies were obtained either by using basic synergistic agents such as HM-PAO and/or using pre-HM-PAO. A competitive solvent extraction test of nearly 18 f-ions by various ligands (HTTA, S1, S2, and HPBI) and the two mixtures HTTA−S1 and HTTA−S2 diluted in ILs or organic diluents was also conducted in order to evaluate the switchable diluent impact. Additionally, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy was used to study the established chemical species with Cu2+ cations in the obtained organic extracts involving the two synergistic molecules.

One of the main challenges facing the development of aquaponics is disease control, due on one hand to the fact that plants cannot be treated with chemicals because they can lead to mortality in cultured fish. The aim of this study was to apply the visible–near-infrared spectroscopy and vegetation index approach to test aquaponically cultivated lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) infected with different fungal pathogens (Aspergillus niger, Fusarium oxysporum, and Alternaria alternata). The lettuces on the third leaf formation were placed in tanks (with dimensions 1 m/0.50 m/0.35 m) filled up with water from the aquaponics system every second day. In this study, we included reference fungal strains Aspergillus niger NBIMCC 3252, Fusarium oxysporum NBIMCC 125, and Alternaria alternata NBIMCC 109. Diffuse reflectance spectra of the leaves of lettuce were measured directly on the plants using a USB4000 spectrometer in the 450–1100 nm wavelength range. In near-infrared spectral range, the reflectance values of infected leaves are lower than those of the control, which indicates that some changes in cell structures occurred as a result of the fungal infection. All three investigated pathogens had a statistically significant effect on leaf water content and water band index. Vegetative indices such as Chlorophyll Absorption in Reflectance Index (CARI), Modified chlorophyll absorption in reflectance index (MCARI), Plant Senescence Reflectance Index (PSRI), Red Edge Index (REI2), Red Edge Index (REI3), and Water band index (WBI) were found to be effective in distinguishing infected plants from healthy ones, with WBI demonstrating the greatest reliability.

Introduction: The testis is an immune privileged organ that provides a specific environment for germ cell development. Various factors responsible for inflammatory changes can lead to deterioration of the immune tolerant model found in the testis. As a result, the thickness of the proper membrane of seminiferous tubules changes and the process of spermatogenesis is disturbed. Aim: The purpose of the present study was to find the connection between the changes in the level of testis-specific isoform of angiotensin-converting enzyme (tACE) expression and the morphological changes of the seminiferous tubule wall of the testis in patients with infertility.Materials and methods: The study included 24 infertile men who underwent a testicular biopsy. Routine histological techniques, immunohistochemical reactions for tACE, α-smooth muscle actin, and morphometric analysis were performed to examine the biopsy preparations.Results: By using testicular biopsy to diagnose patients with infertility, a stage-specific pattern of the processes associated with thickened proper membrane of seminiferous tubules was established and a decreased or absent spermatogenic activity was observed.Conclusions: A significant increase in the proper membrane thickness of the seminiferous tubules in the testis was found in patients with infertility. This finding shows that the processes take place gradually over time, correlating with the degree of pathology, and that changes do not depend on the factors causing them. We also found that the degree of proper membrane thickening correlated with disturbances of spermatogenesis, using tACE expression as a marker for spermatogenic epithelium differentiation.

The prevalence of obesity in IBD patients is a major research topic, showing a considerable variation in an incidence between 5 and 30%. The aim of the present study was to make an anthropometric assessment of obesity among IBD patients. Materials and methods: 50 IBD patients were studied. For each patient, data on age, gender, abdominal circumference, weight and BMI, smoking habits, and relevant comorbidities were collected. Obesity was diagnosed with a BMI > 30 kg/m2. The data were processed statistically using variation, dispersion, correlation and comparative analyses. Results: The percentage of men and women was even, with an average age of 43.26, a minimum age of 18, and a maximum age of 75. No difference in the age of onset was found between US and CD patients. The majority of the studied patients are genetically burdened with diabetes mellitus and hypertensive disease. The disease appears in younger patients having IBD and obesity. In conclusion, our study can lay the foundation of some further research. Because of the epidemiological increase of IBD in the developed countries, the pathogenetic role and influence on the disease outcome played by a diet should not be underestimated and should be further investigated. Planning new clinical trials aiming the evaluation of the clinical, laboratory and endoscopic parameters at baseline and after the changes in BMI may be useful, as this topic is still very poorly studied.

This study presents five graves discovered east of the Palace Centre in Pliska (fig. 1). They represent individual burials located in the inter-dwelling area (fig. 2). The graves’ contexts were studied interdisciplinarily. The archaeological study provided data on the stratigraphy of the graves and detailed documentation of the burial pits and skeletal remains. The anthropological study provided information about the sex, age and height of the buried individuals, also their anatomical and anthropological features, disease (pathologies), traumas and medical manipulations that left traces on the bone remains. Stratigraphically, the graves date to the last phase of habitation of the medieval city (between the 30s/40s of the 11th c. and the 60s of the 11th c.). The newly studied graves can be placed in the context of the other intramural graves in the Inner City of Pliska, which makes it possible to clarify and summarize a wide range of issues related to the stratigraphy and chronology of the intramural graves and their connection with the demographic and ethnic cultural changes in the medieval city.

Background: Tanacetum parthenium (L.) Sch.Bip. (T. parthenium) is an aromatic perennial plant belonging to the Asteraceae family, also known as feverfew. It is widely distributed in various regions of Europe and other parts of the world. The plant has a rich background in the traditional medicine of many nations and has been used as a remedy for fever, pain, inflammation, asthma, rheumatism, menstrual disorders, etc. Methods: GC–MS analysis was conducted to determine the chemical composition of the isolated essential oil (EO). Using the method proposed by Litchfield and Wilcoxon, the average lethal dose (LD50) of the EO on Wistar rats was determined for two routes of administration: oral (p.o.) and intraperitoneal (i.p.). The subacute toxicity of the EO was also tested by oral administration of a daily dose of 1.0 g/kg body weight (BW) for 28 days. The toxicity of the EO was evaluated by observing and evaluating changes in behavior, body weight, basic hematological and serum biochemical parameters, and histopathological changes of the internal organs. Results: Thirty-seven volatile organic compounds representing 94.58% of the total oil composition were tentatively detected in the obtained T. parthenium EO. The dominant compounds were camphor (45.47%), trans-chrisantenyl acetate (21.65%), camphene (9.48%), and cis-isogeraniol (5.42%). The results showed that the EO was not toxic when administered in acute oral doses. The acute mean lethal dose for intraperitoneal administration was LD50 i.p. = 2.13 g/kg BW. In the subacute study involving administration of an oral dose of EO for 28 days, there were a number of changes in the hematological and serum biochemical parameters of the blood compared with the control group of animals. However, no symptoms of toxicity, changes in the body weight of the rats, death, or pathological changes in the histological indicators of the examined organs—brain, heart, stomach, liver, spleen and kidney—were found. Extrapolating the results obtained from the rat experiments, we can state that the EO is safe for use in doses below 1 g/kgBW for a period not exceeding one month.

In this work, the mutual solubilities of sets of organic diluents (CHCl3, C6H6, C2H4Cl2, CCl4, C6H12, and n-hexane) with the organic compound ethylene glycol are investigated via gas chromatography (GC). The experimental data measured for these binary organic systems are used to adjust the future nonaqueous systems for the solvent extraction of various metals with ligands. The obtained results showed that the solubility of ethylene glycol decreased in the order CHCl3 > C6H6 > C2H4Cl2 > CCl4(0%) ≈ C6H12 ≈ n-hexane. On the other hand, the solubility of the tested traditional organic diluents in ethylene glycol decreased in the following order: C6H6 > CHCl3 > C2H4Cl2 > n-hexane > C6H12 > CCl4. 1H NMR was also used as an analytic method in order to compare the obtained results for the samples showing significant solubility only, including an additional study with 1,2- or 1,3-propanediol. The enhanced solubility of the C6H6 compound in ethylene glycol was identified here as critical due to the GC technique, which will be without future consequences in chemical technology. Therefore, it was found that the best molecular diluent for the recovery of metals among the tested ones is C6H12, with a green protocol as the new paradigm, replacing the aqueous phase with another nonaqueous phase, i.e., a second organic diluent.