bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Preliminary study to determine the threonine requirement of specific humoral immune response in rearing ducks
Authors: HALAS Veronika , SZEGEDI Zsolt , NAGY József
Published: November 2024

Dietary threonine supply is reported to determine the quality of immune response in challenged animals, however, few data on threonine requirement of ducks is available. Therefore, the aim of the present trial was to study specific humoral immune response of ducks fed surplus threonine (+15 or +30%) above to the recommendation of the breeding company. For that purpose a total of 1050, 7 weeks old breeding ducks were used in the trail. The birds were assigned into 3 groups and fed with a commercial growing duck breeder diet supplemented with different doses of threonine. Dietary threonine levels were 0.59, 0.68 and 0.77 g per kg of feed. The body weight and feed intake of the birds were controlled weekly. All birds were immunized by live, freeze dried duck plague virus (Duck herpesvirus 1 ) at 16 and 20 weeks of age. Blood samples for virus neutralization (VN) tests were taken from 14 birds per treatment just before the first immunization (week 16), 2 weeks after (week 18) and 2 weeks after the 2nd immunization (week 22). Our data show that the specific humoral immune response to duck plague virus tended to be higher in birds fed surplus 15% threonine (P = 0.083). Higher supply, however, resulted in no difference in VN test compared to the group fed with the recommended dietary threonine level. Therefore it can be concluded that elevated dietary threonine supply boosts the immune defense of rearing ducks, however, the supplementation of surplus dietary threonine needs some caution.
Statistical evaluation of judging at the CDI-W dressage competition in Kaposvár 2011
Authors: SZABÓ Csaba , VANCZER Orsolya
Published: November 2024

The relationship between humans and horses has a long history. Now days the horses used mainly for sport purposes. The highest level of cooperation and harmony is needed in the discipline of dressage. Due to its nature the scoring has some subjectivity which can result in inconsistent judging even on Olympic Games. To improve the consistency the statistical evaluation of judging can be helpful. Therefore, the aim of our investigations was to statistically evaluate the judging on a lower level international dressage competition. Data were collected on the 2011 CDI-W competition held in Kaposvár, Hungary. Those competitions were included in the study, where at least ten riders started. Five out of eight judges evaluated each competition. The scores given by judges and the index of disagreement were evaluated with variance analyses. The judging position had no effect of on the average score given. However, in higher level tests the judges tended to give higher points. Some of the judges give significantly different average scores to others. This underlies the necessity of the participation on regular refresher seminars. The index of disagreement detected significant difference at judging position ‘B’ and in Grand Prix frees style test. In conclusion judges tended to give higher scores and have higher level of disagreement in higher level of competitions. However, it seems that in lower level international competitions the magnitude of disagreement is less compared to top ranked events. The index of disagreement is more robust to detect slight differences in inconsistent judging compared to variance analyses.
Conservational issues in local breeds – State of the art
Authors: BOZZI Riccardo , CROVETTI Alessandro
Published: November 2024

Local pig breeds represent an important resource in the Mediterranean countries and a sustainable exploitation of them could greatly contribute to the income of the farmers. At present 34 local pig breeds are recognized and still raised in Mediterranean countries even if the level of information about them varies consistently. Some of these breeds are considered at risk even if for almost four-fifths the trend is positive (stable or increasing). Literature on these breeds constantly increases from the early 1990s’ but there is a clear gap between the Iberian breed and the other genotypes. Genetics and quality of products are the two most important aspects investigated and within the former functional genetics became a priority in recent years. Selection in local pig breeds seems feasible, providing that goals are different from those used for the improved breeds, and the maintenance of genetic diversity continues to be a must for these populations. The research and new approaches developed until now contribute greatly to the knowledge about Mediterranean local pig breeds and it is important to set up future initiatives for the exploitation of the distinctive features of these genotypes. In the future actions to carry out will be to maintain genetic diversity and select characteristics to match consumer demands and farmers expectative. The use of the genomic selection could greatly help to reach these goals.
Fatty and lean piglets establish early differenciation in DNA, RNA and protein retain: comparative trial on Alentejano breed vs. crossbred piglets
Authors: CHARNECA Rui , TIRAPICOS NUNES José Luis
Published: November 2024

The aim of this trial was to compare protein, DNA and RNA concentrations in muscle samples from Alentejano piglets (AL) versus Large-White Landrace crossbred piglets (C), since DNA-RNA interrelations and the relations of each parameter with the protein, can serve as indicators for the number of muscle cells and the ability to synthesize protein. The Alentejano swine breed carcasses are characterized by offering a high fat/muscle ratio, consequently it is important to determine the reasons of the relatively small proportion of muscle in the carcass. Samples were taken from longissimus dorsi muscle (LD) of 6 Alentejano piglets (AL) and 6 crossbred piglets (C) slaughtered at 21 days of age. DNA, RNA and protein concentrations were determined. The LD samples from AL piglets showed lower concentration in the DNA compared with C piglets (131.87 ± 10.50 mg/100 g vs. 169.38 ± 10.50 mg/100 g; P < 0.05). However, the LD from AL piglets presented greater concentration of RNA (180.50 ± 11.25 mg/100 g vs. 134.00 ± 11.25 mg/100 g; P ≤ 0.01) and protein (22.41 ± 0.83 vs. 18.91 ± 0.83 g/100g; P ≤ 0.01) when compared to the LD from C piglets. The RNA/ADN and Protein/DNA relations were also significantly higher (P < 0.01) in samples of muscle from AL piglets. These results indicate a lower number of muscle cells in the LD of AL piglets however, the situation reversed when capacity for synthesis was considered.
Calcium and phosphorus retention in the carcass of Iberian pigs growing from 50 to 100 kg body weight fed high and low dietary protein concentrations
Authors: NIETO Rosa , HARO Ana , SEIQUER Isabel , PALMA-GRANADOS Patricia , BAREA Roberto , AGUILERA José Fernando
Published: November 2024

Calcium and phosphorus retention in the carcass of Iberian barrows growing from 50 to 100 kg body weight (BW) were determined. Twenty-eight pigs were randomly assigned to a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments, with 2 dietary protein concentrations (145 g CP/kg of dry matter (DM) and 70 g/kg DM), 2 feeding levels (0.95 × and 0.80 × ad libitum) and 7 pigs per treatment combination. Two diets of similar metabolisable energy (ME) were prepared, which provided excess or marginally deficient amounts of amino acids relative to requirements. Six additional pigs were slaughtered at the start of the trial to estimate initial carcass composition. The comparative slaughter procedure was used. Better performance was obtained for pigs fed the diet containing 70 g CP/kg of BW. Carcass protein and water retention was not affected by dietary protein level, whereas fat deposition increased in pigs fed the diet of 70 g CP/kg of DM (P < 0.001). Total ash retention increased in pigs fed the higher protein content diet (P < 0.05), although there was no effect of dietary protein concentration in daily retention of Ca and P. Our results indicate that Ca and P retention in the carcass attains average values of 4.7 and 2.3 g/day, respectively, which suggest a minimum net daily requirement of 6.0 g Ca and 2.9 g of P to attain optimum bone mineralization for Iberian pigs growing from 50 to 100 kg BW. A high excess of protein supply did not affect daily carcass retention of Ca and P.
Relationships between the quality of thermographic image and the measure of skin temperature on piglets
Authors: NANNI COSTA Leonardo , MAGNANI Diego , CAFAZZO Simona , LUZI Fabio , REDAELLI Veronica , DALL’OLIO Stefania
Published: November 2024

In order to evaluate the influence of the quality of the thermal image in assessing piglet’s skin temperature, 576 images of back and 576 images of belly from 192 subjects were examined. Images were recorded using a FLIR P640 camera at 37, 45 and 55 days of age. Thermal images were analysed with software which calculates minimum, average, and maximum values of skin temperature. The quality of the images was evaluated subjectively by a reviewer assigning a rating of “excellent”, “good” or “fair” on the basis of the available surface for measuring and on the presence of dirt or wet skin area. Average and minimum skin temperatures of both sampling areas were significantly reduced with the decrease of thermal image quality, while maximum value was less affected by the image quality. This latter measure seems more suitable for thermographic assessment of piglet’s skin temperatures.
Consumers acceptability of Slavonian “kulen” sausage: influence of pig breed information
Authors: KAROLYI Danijel
Published: November 2024

This research examined the influence of information about pig breed (Black Slavonian pig breed (BSB) or modern white breeds (MWB) on consumer acceptability of traditional Slavonian “kulen” sausage. Hedonic evaluations of two “kulen” samples were obtained from 100 consumers under both blind and informed tasting conditions. Additionally, consumers reported their quality expectations regarding BSB and MWB “kulen”. An expectancy test revealed higher quality expectations of BSB “kulen” compared to MWB “kulen”. The share of respondents preferring BSB “kulen” in a blind test was significantly lower than in the expectancy test (negative disconfirmation). In contrast, the consumers found MWB “kulen” tasted better than expected (positive disconfirmation). Providing the information about pig breed affected consumer preferences; positively towards BSB and negatively towards MWB “kulen”. However, the assimilation of information was complete for MWB, but not for BSB “kulen”, implying that, apart from extrinsic cues, intrinsic cues have an impact on actual (informed) preferences for “kulen” sausage.
Mapping of heterozygosity rich regions in Austrian Pinzgauer cattle
Authors: FERENČAKOVIĆ Maja , BANADINOVIĆ Maja , MERCVAJLER Mario , KHAYATZADEH Negar , MÉSZÁROS Gábor , CUBRIC-CURIK Vlatka , CURIK Ino , SÖLKNER Johann
Published: November 2024

Heterozygosity, the state of possessing different alleles at a given locus of an individual, is functionally related to inbreeding, heterosis and biodiversity. We questioned the appearance of regions with extraordinary high rates of heterozygosity, here “Heterozygosity Rich Regions” (HRR) in the genomes of a cattle population. We used 120 Pinzgauer bulls genotyped with 611102 SNPs and detected 14702 HRR unequally dispersed in the genome. Mean coverage of SNP chip data with HRR was 0.99 %. In total we found 11 regions with high frequency of SNPs being in HRR on nine chromosomes yielding 21 genes of which 17 have described functions. We further identified genes located in HRR and discussed their importance and function. The results of this study point to the analysis of HRR providing additional understanding of the genomes of livestock.
Genetic diversity of Old Kladruber and Nonius horse populations through microsatellite variation analysis
Authors: MORAVČÍKOVÁ Nina , KASARDA Radovan , KUKUČKOVÁ Veronika , VOSTRÝ Luboš , KADLEČÍK Ondrej
Published: November 2024

The aim of this study was to evaluate the genetic diversity across horse populations of Old Kladruber and Nonius breeds and to assess the degree of subdivision based on genetic relationships within them. In total, 270 Czech Old Kladruber and 18 Nonius horses from Slovak studs have been included in study. To determine the level of genetic variability the dataset of 17 microsatellites has been used. The average values of observed heterozygosity (0.68 ± 0.03) and gene diversity (0.66 ± 0.02) indicated good level of variability across populations. The value of FIS (0.04 ± 0.02) showed relative balanced proportion of homozygotes and heterozygotes and signalized the existence of HWE across populations. According to the value of Shannon’s information index (1.48 ± 0.07) the high degree of overall variability has been confirmed. Most of the variations in dataset explained the differences among individuals within each population. The FST index and Nei’s distances showed stronger connection between the Old Kladruby black variety and the Nonius, compared to the grey variety. The segregation of Nonius and Old Kladruber populations demonstrated also results of PCA analysis.
Pleiotropic and epistatic interactions between stillbirth and calving ease in cattle
Authors: MÉSZÁROS Gábor , TAFERNER Roland , SÖLKNER Johann , MÉSZÁROS Gábor
Published: November 2024

Pleiotropic and epistatic interactions were analyzed for stillbirth and calving ease in Fleckvieh cattle, with deregressed breeding values from 7384 bulls used as phenotypes. The genotype data consisted of 41,884 SNPs after quality control. A multivariate linear regression approach was used to obtain pleiotropic and epistatic effects using the CAPE package in R. Total of five regions on chromosomes 6, 14, 17 and 21 showed evidence of pleiotropic interaction. The genes in these significant regions were also relevant to the two phenotypes of interest, such as PLAG1 affecting growth and height, XKR4 affecting rump thickness and insulin levels, ELMOD2 connected to immune response, UCP1 connected to thermoregulation and UBE3A connected to the Prader-Willi syndrome. The results for epistatic effects were less convincing, although they identified connections to possible regulatory genes within chromosome 21.
The freezing point of bulk tank milk in Slovenia
Authors: ULE Anita , PREPADNIK Helena , KLOPČIČ Marija
Published: November 2024

The purpose of this paper was to determine effects on freezing point of milk in bulk tank. The analysis included 90,579 milk bulk samples from Štajerska region between 2008 and 2013. The statistical model included milk purchaser, herd size, breed, interaction between pipeline material and milking system, calving interval, culling rate, milk cooling system, season, fat/protein ratio, production intensity and protein, lactose, and urea content as fixed effects. All effects significantly affected freezing point of bulk tank milk. The statistical model explained 32 % of the variance. The average value of freezing point was −0.5209 °C. The permissible value of −0,515 was exceeded by 5.7 % of the samples. In summer an increased freezing point and lower protein content was recorded. The estimated regression coefficient for protein was 0.0069 °C/%.
Does the selection on ß-casein affect the traits important for dairy production of Slovenian Brown Swiss cattle?
Authors: POTOČNIK Klemen , LUŠTREK Barbara , KAIĆ Ana
Published: November 2024

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of genomic selection on A2A2 ß-casein genotype in Brown Swiss cattle on important dairy production traits – traits included in total merit index (TMI). A total of 190 Slovenian Brown Swiss cattle, 83 females and 107 males, with known direct genomic values (DGV) from InterGenomics project and known genotype for ß-casein were used for estimation of the genotype effect. The determined genotype frequencies in population were 2.63 % for A1A1, 35.26 % for A1A2 and 62.11 % for A2A2 genotype. For DGV data analysis a single–trait model was used, considering genotype for ß-casein as fixed effect. Analysis showed significant differences between genotypes for ß-casein for three dairy production traits –TMI for dual purpose, pasterns and rear teat position. Our research indicates that selection on A2A2 ß-casein genotype would not have implications for traits important for dairy production.
The Relationship between carcass lean meat percentage and MRI data obtained on hams of entire boars
Authors: RADIŠIĆ Žarko , BERNAU Maren , DJURKIN KUŠEC Ivona , BAULAIN Ulrich , SCHOLZ Armin M. , KUŠEC Goran
Published: November 2024

The study on the relationship between lean meat percentage (LMP) and ham measures assessed by means of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed on 20 carcasses of entire boars from one performance testing station in Germany. In addition, linear carcass measurements were taken, according to the standard protocol for stationary performance testing, to be used to estimate LMP by the Bonner Formula. Finally, manual dissection was serving as reference, for LMP. The correlations between the true LMP and linear measurements Bonner Formula were medium strong, but not in all cases statistically significant. On the other hand, the correlations between ham data obtained by MRI and reference LMP had stronger and significant correlations. Three new formulas were constructed in order to evaluate the LMP of entire boars. The best prediction ability was found when combining linear measurements with one MRI measure – the widest circumference of the ham (R2 = 0.67 and RMSEP = 1.395). Interestingly, the proposed equation has variables that can be easily taken; three of them are taken regularly for Bonner Formula estimation and MRI based ham circumference aided to improve the prediction accuracy, a measure that could also be acquired by the simple use of meter or rope.
Microsporidian Nosema spp. as a model gastrointestinal microorganism of Carniolan honey bee (Apis mellifera carnica, Pollman, 1879): Aspects of spore counting
Authors: OSOJNIK ČRNIVEC Ilja Gasan
Published: November 2024

At high invasion levels, nosemosis can act as an underlying cause of colony collapse disorder, especially in cases of simultaneous invasion of other parasites or/and in combination with virus infections. Rapid quantitative methods for Nosema spp. spore detection are therefore required for various research and diagnostic needs. In this study, the use of haemocytometer (standard method) and Coulter counter is compared. All work was performed with late summer forager bees of Carniolan honey bee subspecies, prepared as isolates and homogenates of the posterior section of the worker bee’s intestine. It can be concluded that the Coulter counter provides greater sample dilution flexibility at sufficient repeatability (RSD 0.01–0.1) in the cases of: (i) low concentrations of spores, as well as (ii) samples that required high dilutions (c ≥ 107 spores ml–1). However, Coulter counter use required additional data processing for obtaining precise concentration estimates at ~ 3 μm mean spore size. Nevertheless, the uncorrected, as-measured values provided concentration ranges which were found to be suitable for general diagnostic purposes.
Estimation of (co)variance components for age at first farrowing and farrowing interval in Czech Large White
Authors: KRUPA Emil , ŽÁKOVÁ Eliška , KRUPOVÁ Zuzana , MICHALIČKOVÁ Monika
Published: November 2024

We aimed to estimate the variance and covariance components for the original and transformed age at the first farrowing (AFF) and farrowing interval in this study. The data from 25,094 sows (77,544 observations) of the Czech Large White pig breed between January 2000 and December 2015 provided by Czech Pig Breeders Association were used for the analyses. Data higher than the median were only transformed. The farrowing interval was evaluated separately from the first to the fourth parity (FI1–FI4). The heritabilities for the original traits were very low: 0.17, 0.11, 0.07, 0.06, and 0.06 for AFF and FI1–FI4, whereas those for the transformed traits were higher: 0.19, 0.14, 0.11, 0.11, and 0.12 for AFF and FI1–FI4, respectively. The phenotypic correlations between the traits were low, but significant. The estimated genetic correlations between all the farrowing intervals were clearly lower than one, indicating that all the farrowing intervals should be treated as different traits. Using the transformation procedure decreased the skewness and kurtosis of the original data in our study. The heritabilities of the analysed farrowing intervals were only increased owing to the transformation.
Pharmacogenetics of colorectal cancer in a third-level hospital in Valencia
Authors: Comes-Raga Ana , Sendra Gisbert Luis , Marcaida-Benito Goitzane , Aliño Pellicer Salvador F. , Herrero Cervera María José
Published: November 2024

Objectives

Genetic variants with associated pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic effects have an impact on the development of adverse drug reactions and survival of patients with colorectal cancer.

Methods

A selection of genetic variants was performed according to the established chemotherapy and the pharmacogenetic databases. Genotyping was performed using MassArray technology (Agena Bioscience). Variant-toxicity and survival-genotype correlations were assessed using logistic regression (SPSS v.28.0.1.1).

Results

Genotyping of 25 SNPs was performed in 96 patients. In relation to the DPYD gene, 3.5 % had the rs75017182 mutation; 4.7 % the rs1801158 mutation and 7.1 % the rs1801160 mutation. Genotypic frequencies in the UGT1A1 gene were 39.4 % (*1/*1); 37.9 % (*1/*28); 19.7 % (*28/*28); and 3 % (*1/*36). The genotypes CT of the rs1801160 variant, AT of the rs67376798 variant (DPYD) and *1/*36 (UGT1A1) were associated with low survival (p-value: 0.006, <0.001, and 0.052, respectively). The most frequent adverse reactions were gastrointestinal disorders, followed by neurotoxicity. The CC genotype (rs1801160, DPYD) was associated with a lower risk for developing severe gastrointestinal events, whereas CC (rs1801158, DPYD) was associated with a lower risk of developing severe general hematologic toxicity.

Conclusions

The population frequencies obtained in our study for rs1801160 and rs75017182 (DPYD); and for *1/*28, *28/*, and *1/*36 (UGT1A1) were inconsistent with the frequencies reported for the Spanish population in the literature. The genotypes CT of rs1801160, AT of rs67376798 (DPYD), and 1/*36 (UGT1A1) were associated with lower survival rates.
Ibn al-Ṭayyib’s Fiqh al-Naṣrāniyya
Authors: Ebeid Bishara
Published: November 2024

Abū l-Faraǧ ʿAbd Allāh Ibn al-Ṭayyib (10th-11th c.) is one of the most important Christian authors of his time. He was a physician, philosopher and also theologian belonging to the East Syrian Church. He wrote many works on medicine, commentaries on most of the works of Aristotle, Galen and Hippocrates, exegetical works on most of the books of the Holy Scripture and dogmatic treatises. Additionally, he was one among the first East Syrian authors who produced collections of ecclesiastical and civil canons and laws in Arabic. His collection, entitled Fiqh al-Naṣrāniyya, that is, Law of Christianity, is not a simple translation of ancient and traditional East Syriac sources of ecclesiastical law but it should be considered a legal source for the East Syrians under the Islamic Caliphate, even if some parts of it are a reworking and rewriting of previous collections, like the Nomokanon of Gabriel of Basra. My contribution, consequentially, aims, to analyse how two specific topics, namely (1) the re-baptism of the converted, heretics and unbelievers and (2) divorce, are treated in Ibn al-Ṭayyib’s Fiqh al-Naṣrāniyya. The analysis aims to examine the way our author recalls and uses the East Syriac legal tradition, the criteria he follows in selecting material in support of his own position, how he tries to adapt this material to the new socio-political context in which he lives, and finally, whether the Islamic law tradition influences his methodology to any extent.
Rearing Neoseiulus cucumeris and Amblyseius swirskii (Mesostigmata: Phytoseiidae) on non-target species reduces their predation efficacy on target species
Authors: Busuulwa Allan , Lahiri Sriyanka
Published: November 2024

In Florida, strawberries are prone to infestation by Tetranychus urticae Koch (twospotted spider mite; Trombidiformes: Tetranychidae) and Scirtothrips dorsalis Hood (chilli thrips; Thysanoptera: Thripidae). Management of these pests using conventional insecticides is becoming difficult, thereby forcing many growers to adopt the use of commercially available biological control agents including Neoseiulus cucumeris Oudemans and Amblyseius swirskii Athias-Henriot (both Mesostigmata: Phytoseiidae). These predators are mass reared on prey different from T. urticae, and their prey switching capacity is unknown. Therefore, the objective of this study was to compare the predation capacity of A. swirskii and N. cucumeris feeding on familiar and unfamiliar prey. Thus, using T. urticae as a non-familiar prey model organism, a no choice test was conducted where A. swirskii and N. cucumeris were each provided with Acarus spp. (commonly used as prey for commercial rearing of predatory mites) as familiar prey and eggs, deutonymphs, and adult females of T. urticae as unfamiliar prey. Prey consumption was recorded at 12, 24, 36 and 48 h. Our results show that both A. swirskii and N. cucumeris exhibited higher prey consumption when prey was familiar (Acarus spp.) compared to unfamiliar prey. Additionally, both predators showed higher consumption of eggs compared to T. urticae nymphs and adults. In 12 h, both predators had consumed 50 % of eggs, however, 36–48 h were required for 50 % of the T. urticae adults and nymphs to be consumed. Therefore, strawberry growers utilizing these predatory mites ought to refrain from the use of insecticides known to be detrimental to predatory mites for a period of at least 48 h to allow the predators to adjust to the new prey and environment.
Optimal design of neural network-based fuzzy predictive control model for recommending educational resources in the context of information technology
Authors: Liu Tingting , Liu Qiyuan , Wang Xiaobei , Yang Yang
Published: November 2024

As the information technology develops, educational resource recommendation system has become an indispensable part of the education field. At the same time, people’s demand for personalised educational resources is also growing; therefore, how to accurately predict user demand and provide personalised recommendations has become an important issue. In this study, a fuzzy predictive control model on the grounds of neural network is proposed to optimise the design of educational resource recommendation in the context of information technology. After experimental testing, the model recommendation fit reached 95.16 and 92.91% on the two test datasets, which are significantly higher than the control model. The average F1 values of the proposed model also reached 95.21 and 88.77%, which are higher than the control model. In other control experiments, the proposed model of this study also has a better performance. The relevant outcomes showcase that the predictive performance and recommendation effect of the model can be further enhanced by improving the structure of the neural network and the parameter optimisation method. Meanwhile, the proposed model has high performance in information overload and personalised demand, which offers a useful reference for the optimal design of educational resource recommendation system.
Comparison between mycobiota diversity and fungi and mycotoxin contamination of maize and wheat
Authors: Zadravec Manuela , Pleadin Jelka , Kos Jovana , Cvetnić Luka , Mitak Mario , Vulić Ana
Published: November 2024

The aim of this study was to establish the differences in fungi and mycotoxin contamination and mycobiota biodiversity between wheat and maize after harvesting. Determination of fungal contamination of wheat and maize is crucial, given that these grains are extensively used in food and feed production. Some moulds can produce toxic secondary metabolites, such as mycotoxins, which can cause serious health problems in humans and animals. Due to the metabolic activities of moulds, undesirable changes in food and feed colour, taste, and smell can occur. In this study, samples of wheat and maize, harvested during 2021 in the Northern Croatia, were analysed for mycological and mycotoxin contamination before storage. Also, potentially mycotoxigenic mould genera were identified at the species level in order to uncover the presence of toxigenic species. The presence of the following mycotoxins was examined: zearalenone, deoxynivalenol, ochratoxin, aflatoxin B1, T-2, and HT-2 toxin. The results indicate that both wheat and maize samples were contaminated with yeasts, with maize exhibiting a higher level of contamination as compared to wheat (1.5 × 104 to 1.8 × 106 vs 1.7 × 103 to 9.0 × 105). In wheat, the predominant mycotoxigenic mould species was Alternaria, as opposed to maize in which the Penicillium genus was the most represented. Mycotoxin analysis revealed that both maize and wheat were contaminated with Fusarium mycotoxins. Aflatoxin B1 and ochratoxin were not determined in any of the tested samples. The results point out that grains carry a different risk of contamination with Fusarium mycotoxins and that maize is more susceptible to fungus spoilage.
Feindliche Übernahme
Authors: Krämer Olav
Published: November 2024

As several studies of Thomas Mann’s novel Der Zauberberg have shown, the novel refers in various complex ways to the so-called ›literature of world-views‹ (›Weltanschauungsliteratur‹), represented by the works of Ernst Haeckel, Oswald Spengler, and others. The article explores one aspect of this relationship, focusing on argumentative techniques that characterize the ›literature of world-views‹. In Mann’s novel, these techniques of argumentation - especially generalizations, analogies and inferences from ›is‹ to ›ought‹ - are shown in a very critical light when they are employed by Settembrini and Naphta; the novel suggests that they are dubious from a moral as well as an epistemic standpoint. However, in other parts of the novel, the same modes of argumentation are used by the protagonist and the narrator to develop a general view of the human, nature, ethics and politics, a view that is meant to surpass the world-views represented by Settembrini and Naphta.
VITORLÁSSPORT ISKOLAI OKTATÁSÁNAK ÉS UTÁNPÓTLÁS-NEVELÉSÉNEK NÉHÁNY KÉRDÉSE MAGYARORSZÁGON
Authors: Varga Gábor , Gáthy Gergely , Győri Ferenc
Published: November 2024

A vitorlázás sokféleképpen vesz részt a személyiség fejlesztésében, ezért hozzáadott pedagógiai értéke magas. Mint versenysport, eredményességét tekintve fontos, hogy versenyzői korán megismerkedjenek alapjaival, majd rendszeres képzésben vegyenek részt. Kutatásunk célja a vitorlássport közoktatáshoz kapcsolódó képzési lehetőségeinek vizsgálata.Feltárjuk továbbá az edzők és az utánpótláskorú versenyzők klubjának telephelye, valamint lakóhelyük földrajzi elhelyezkedésének néhány összefüggését. Feltételezzük, hogy (1) az igazolt versenyzők nagyobb része nem a vitorlás telephelyek közelében lakik; (2) a helybeli versenyzők száma összefüggést mutat a helybeli edzők számával.
SIRCON 2021: A brief overview
Authors: Editorial Team
Published: November 2024

The SIRCON 2021 virtual conference conducted on 20th and 21st witnessed enthusiastic participation of scientific fraternity across India. This article provides a brief note of the two-days comprised of lectures, panel discussions and interactive sessions.
The conference started with the opening remarks by Dr. Jyotirmay Biswas, President of Society of Inflammation Research.
«The Brain as a Whole» Concept: Facilitating Approaches to Brain Death Understanding
Authors: Machado C. , Drobná Sániová B. , Drobný M.
Published: November 2024

James Bernat claimed that «the formulation of whole-brain death provides the most congruent map for our correct understanding of death». However, the author has recently proposed the categorization of another phrase: «brain as a whole (BAAW)». This is because patients with primary brainstem lesions who otherwise meet the clinical criteria for BD may still have EEG, CBF, evoked potentials, and hypothalamic-pituitary neurosecretion. Bernat and colleagues suggested «tightening the clinical tests for brain death or loosening the whole-brain criterion of death». They emphasize that the BAAW criterion is an intermediate standard between the whole-brain and brainstem views, tolerating the irreversible cessation of critical brain functions, whereas the BD/DNC determination does not require the cessation of all brain functions or the death of every neuron. In this paper, we have revised the concept of BAAW, which is intuitive and facilitates a conceptual and practical approach, but requires further refinement to specify precisely which brain functions must cease at brain death and which may continue.
Urbanismo futurista saudí como puerta al Indo-Pacífico
Authors: Debasa Felipe
Published: November 2024

Los países de la península arábiga y del golfo pérsico llevan tiempo explorando modelos económicos alternativos ante el final anunciado de los combustibles fósiles. El último país en sumarse a esta tendencia es Arabia Saudí, quien además se abre al mundo con novedosas iniciativas tecnológicas, políticas y religiosas, que buscan consolidar su liderazgo en la zona. Una de las áreas a explorar, dentro de los nuevos modelos, es la relacionada con la planificación urbana: los edificios y las ciudades inteligentes y lo más novedoso: los espacios cognitivos. Un concepto que trasciende al de ciudad inteligente.
El Indo-Pacífico se presenta como una nueva área geográfica, desde la óptica de las relaciones internacionales y la geopolítica, que presenta retos y oportunidades. En esta investigación se analizan, en relación con el Mundo Actual, los siguientes elementos: crisis de combustibles fósiles, acción por el clima, diversificación económica, urbanismo futurista, ciudades inteligentes y urbanismo cognitivo. Todo ello, en el ámbito de las megalópolis de la región del Indo-Pacífico, que han florecido rápida y desordenadamente, albergando muchas de ellas a más de diez millones de habitantes. Esto plantea un problema que requiere soluciones inmediatas, eficaces y, sobre todo, respetuosas con el medioambiente. La propuesta saudí podría contribuir al liderazgo regional y, por tanto, a un papel como puerta a occidente. La propuesta saudí de una ciudad cognitiva, para el urbanismo futurista, contribuye a consolidar el liderazgo de la nación árabe en la región. De ejecutarse con éxito el modelo de ciudad planteado, Arabia Saudí se postularía además para el papel de puerta al espacio del Indo-Pacífico gracias al reto demográfico que supone. Este menester es, asimismo, trascendente, ya que, crear ciudades y comunidades sostenibles se presenta como el Objetivo 11 dentro de los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible de Naciones Unidas (ODS).
En las conclusiones constatamos el peso que, como potencia regional, Arabia Saudí ha conseguido en pocos años al albur del liderazgo de su primer ministro y príncipe heredero Mohamed bin Salman. También se reflexiona acerca del rol en las nuevas ciudades, marcadas por el empleo masivo de la tecnología, con respecto a los desafíos del Indo-Pacífico, uno de los espacios con mayor peso demográfico y urbano hoy en día. En cuanto al modelo de ciudad cognitiva, The Line constata que, pese a que está impulsada gracias a los beneficios de la industria dedicada a los combustibles fósiles, su éxito no depende sólo de la ejecución técnica, sino de la capacidad de generar beneficios intangibles para la sociedad y económicos para los inversores.
ВАРИАБЕЛЬНОСТЬ ВЛАГОЗАПАСА СНЕЖНОГО ПОКРОВА В ПРЕДГОРЬЯХ ВОСТОЧНОГО САЯНА НА ФОНЕ КЛИМАТИЧЕСКИХ СДВИГОВ
Authors: Е.Ф. ТРОПИНА , А.А. КНОРРЕ , М.Г. ЕРУНОВА , М.К. ЦЕЛИХИН
Published: November 2024

Исследованы многолетние вариации параметров снежного покрова в подтаежной и горно-таежной группе лесов заповедной территории национального парка «Красноярские Столбы». Выявлено значительное сокращение сроков залегания устойчивого снежного покрова (~20 дней) за счет более позднего установления и более раннего схода. Показана возможность расчета влагозапаса в снеге по мощности снежного покрова ( r= 0.74-0.96; p < 0.001) в конкретных условиях. Определены наиболее стабильные участки территории с высотой снега 50-70 см ( V< 50 %), на которые приходилось в разные годы от 52 до 71 % всей территории ООПТ, за исключением критически многоснежного 2021 г. (всего 28 % территории). Общий суммарный влагозапас снежного покрова на начало снеготаяния в зависимости от погодных условий конкретного года варьировал от 46.6 до 89.7 · 106 м3 при средневзвешенном влагозапасе на единицу площади от 98.8 до 190.1 мм. Представленные данные сопоставимы с ранее опубликованными для других территорий Красноярского края (Буренина и др., 2013) и Сибири (Доклад…, 2019-2023), что дает возможность дальнейшего углубленного анализа связи расчетных данных по влагозапасу снега с климатическими параметрами среды на более длительной временной шкале.

Long-term data on variations in snow cover parameters in the subtaiga and mountain-taiga group of forests in the protected area of the National Park Krasnoyarsk Stolby are presented. A significant reduction in the period of occurrence of stable snow cover (~ 20 days) was revealed due to later snow formation and earlier melting. To evaluate the water storage in snow, we use the thickness of the snow cover ( r = 0.74-0.96; p < 0.001) in specific conditions for period 2018-2023. According of our estimation the territory with snow depths in the intervals of 50-70 cm ( V , % < 50) is identified as a most stable areas (from 52 to 71 % of all protected area) in different years, except for 2021 yrs. (only 28 % of the territory) with the critically low amount of the snow. The total amount of the water storage in snow at the beginning of snowmelt, depending on the weather conditions of a different years, varied from 46.6 to 89.7 · 106 m3 with an average weighted water storage per unit area from 98.8 to 190.1 mm. The presented data are comparable with those previously published for other territories of the Krasnoyarsk region (Burenina et al., 2013) and Siberia (Report..., 2019-2023), which makes it possible to further in-depth analysis of the relationship between evaluated data on water storage in snow and climatic parameters of the environment in longer time scale.
An Urban Lake Drainage Catena: Influences of Terrain, Soils, and Precipitation
Authors: Dhaliwal Harprabhjot K. , Holmberg Kerry , Vogel Madeline , Hinz Aaron , Radler Bella , Magner Joe
Published: November 2024

Urban lake drainage systems are heavily impacted by terrain, soil characteristics, and precipitation, which influence water infiltration and groundwater movement. This study focused on the drainage catena around Lake Nokomis in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where local residents have experienced wet basements and yards. The primary goal was to identify the factors contributing to these water-related problems, particularly soil permeability and how it responds to precipitation. By conducting soil borings, using pressure transducers, and measuring saturated hydraulic conductivity (Kfs), the study compared upland and lowland areas. Findings indicated that upland soils, primarily composed of sandy fill, had much higher infiltration rates, with Kfs values ranging from 72.4 cm/hr to 149 cm/hr. In contrast, lowland areas characterized by lacustrine and organic soils exhibited significantly lower Kfs values, ranging from 1 cm/hr to 14.8 cm/hr. Between 2022 and 2024, wet and dry seasons occurred, yet recorded more than 127.5 cm of rain and snow water equivalent, further contributing to groundwater rise and surface water presence in low-lying regions. The study concluded that increased precipitation, coupled with specific hydrogeologic conditions, was the main factor causing elevated groundwater levels and surface saturation in these areas. To address these challenges, Minnesota's water management authorities are encouraged to implement strategies that consider the increasing magnitude and intensity of precipitation events due to climate change. Incorporating hydrogeologic assessments into urban planning is recommended to better manage water infiltration, reduce flood risks, and strengthen the resilience of drainage systems to changing climate patterns.
The acquisition of Russian motion verbs by Italian-speaking students in light of new linguodidactic concepts
Authors: Piccolo Federico
Published: November 2024

The research presented in the article aims to identify linguodidactic principles that would help to shape the forma mentis of Italian-speaking students studying the Russian language, and assist them in the process of learning and acquiring motion verbs while avoiding errors due to interference between L1 (Italian) and FL (Russian) in encoding deictic information. The study raises several important questions: Why do students make mistakes in using motion verbs despite their high level of proficiency in Russian? What innovative approaches can facilitate the learning of Russian motion verbs?
On the relations between the grammatical codifications of the serbian and ‘illyrian’ literary languages by Karadžić (1818) and Babukić (1836): plagiarism and adaptation
Authors: Silobrčić Ivan
Published: November 2024

Contemporary debates regarding whether or not the Croatian literary language is equal to the Serbian literary language seldom touch upon the matter of the Illyrian national revival and its organiser, Ljudevit Gaj (German: Ludwig von Gay). Their Illyrian literary language, whose purpose was to become the common literary language of all Southern Slavs, was codified in Zagreb in the Osnova slovnice slavjanske narěčja ilirskoga by the Croatian linguist Vjekoslav Babukić, first published in the mouthpiece of the Illyrian movement Danica ilirska in 1836. This short grammatical sketch corresponds to Karadžić’s grammar in his dictionary Српски рјечник (1818) far more than it does not, and this fact is dealt with awkwardly in the histories of the Croatian language. In essence, the differences in Babukić’s text with respect to the source text consist in Slovene-Kajkavian lexemes and grammatemes, but they are not great in number. In this article, we propose to analyse the claim that Babukić’s short grammatical sketch constitutes a case of plagiarism and of adaptation with regard to the grammar appended to Karadžić’s dictionary, as seen through the scientific literature covering the Illyrian National Movement.
The union of linguistics and prompt engineering: linguistic features of prompts to neural networks
Authors: Stetsyk Marianna
Published: November 2024

This article offers a linguistic perspective on the study of the interaction between humans and Artificial Intelligence. The focus of the work is on analyzing human communication with neural networks which generate textual content. With the advent of text-based interfaces for neural networks, where programming skills are no longer required for human-AI communication, and it is sufficient to create text queries (prompts), one of the key skills for prompt engineers (specialists in prompt creation) has become the ability to ‘program’ and obtain AI responses corresponding to the query while using natural language resources. This work is aimed at studying, identifying, and describing the linguistic features of prompts and their parameters that influence the stylistic correctness of the generated responses by the neural networks.
Features of working with handwritten archival documents (based on the archive of Mstislav Dobuzhinsky and the diaries of Olga Dubeneckienė- Kalpokienė)
Authors: Fedorovskaya Olga
Published: November 2024

The article highlights key aspects of working with archival handwritten documents by using the example of the Mstislav Dobuzhinsky Foundation and the diaries of Olga Dubeneckienė-Kalpokienė. The author examines the difficulties associated with deciphering and interpreting such sources, including issues of handwriting, outdated vocabulary, the need for cross-documentary analysis, and the impact of correct reading on researchers’ conclusions. The importance of an integrated approach to the analysis of manuscripts, including the use of digital technologies and artificial intelligence, as well as the role of such research in the field of history and philology, is emphasized.
Joep Leerssen’s imagology and Yuri Lotman’s semiotic ideas
Authors: Khalipov Victor
Published: November 2024

Having emerged as an independent branch of literary studies, today, imagology is represented by various schools. Its most prominent representative, Joep Leerssen, has developed a holistic version of the imagological theory, which, in many respects, correlates with constructivist approaches to understanding nationalism. The main categories of imagology as interpreted by this school are ethnic stereotype, ethnotype, category of the imaginary, non-falsifiability, imagotypes, imaginary discourse, auto-image, hetero-image, context, common places, imagemes, and the representativeness trap.From the point of view of semiology, ethnic stereotypes, which are studied by imagology, are the signs by means of which their bearer interprets for himself the sphere of interaction between people, in which they act as representatives of certain nations. Thus, the imagosphere can be interpreted as part of the semeosphere, distinguished from it only by problem-thematic rather than by structural-functional features. Accordingly, many of Yuri Lotman’s semiotic ideas can potentially be productive for research in the field of imagology.Imagologists and semiologists analyze the same works of literature and formulate different conclusions largely because they use different types of the scientific discourse in the categories of which they conduct their research. However, in essence, these conclusions are often not so different, at least not mutually exclusive.
Two different forms of devilry in short stories of N. V. Gogol Viy and The Portrait
Authors: Czumft Réka
Published: November 2024

In the article, the forms of the personification of impure forces are analyzed based on the materials of two N. V. Gogol’s short stories named Viy and The Portrait. The image of the devil in Gogol’s works is diverse, so we are making an attempt to identify the specifics of his image in these stories. The article examines in detail the spatial structure of the two plots, their dynamics, changes in values and the embodiment of evil spirits at the lexical level. A comparison of the two works in these aspects will help to better understand the evolution of the depiction of evil spirits in Gogol’s work.
From imagery to revelation: interpretation of the apocalypse in the novel The Idiot by F. M. Dostoevsky and in the film Stalker by A. A. Tarkovsky
Authors: Gajdos Nárcisz
Published: November 2024

In the literature dedicated to Andrei Tarkovsky, parallels between the protagonist of the film Stalker and the main character of Fyodor Dostoevsky’s novel The Idiot, Prince Myshkin, have been repeatedly drawn. The aim of this study, based on the analysis of the novel and the film, is to show how Tarkovsky attempted to rethink the main philosophical and religious problems of The Idiot in Stalker, centred on the image, and the meaning of the Apocalypse. The starting point of our study is Hans Holbein the Younger’s painting The Body of the Dead Christ in the Tomb, which appears in both works: as an ekphrasis in the novel and as a visual quotation in the film. The painting and its interpretation play an important role in the formation of apocalyptic images in the inner world of the characters.