Distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the bottom sediments of a dam reservoir,their interaction with organic matter and risk to benthic fauna

Journal of Soils and Sediments - The aims of the study were to investigate the interaction between fractions of organic matter and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in bottom sediments and to...     

Cyprinid herpesvirus 3: an interesting virus for applied and fundamental research

Cyprinid herpesvirus 3 (CyHV-3), a member of the family Alloherpesviridae is the causative agent of a lethal, highly contagious and notifiable disease in common and koi carp. The economic importance of common and koi carp industries together with the rapid spread of CyHV-3 worldwide, explain why this virus became soon after its isolation in the 1990s a subject of applied research. In addition to its economic importance, an increasing number of fundamental studies demonstrated that CyHV-3 is an original and interesting subject for fundamental research. In this review, we summarized recent advances in CyHV-3 research with a special interest for studies related to host-virus interactions.     

Binding of glycated ovocystatin to rat renal brush border membranes

Glycated proteins are considered as one of the factors involved in the pathogenesis of diabetic complications, including nephropathy. These proteins are formed endogenously under conditions of hyperglycemia, as well as being provided with food containing sugars, which was subjected to high temperature. Examples are egg products. One of the proteins found in eggs in a relatively high concentration is chicken cystatin (ovocystatin). It is now believed that some proteins can passage the intestinal epithelium by transcytosis directly into the bloodstream. Thus, glycated protein present in food can be an additional source of glycotoxins. The aim of this study was to compare the affinity of native and glycated cystatin to the brush border membranes of rat kidney. Kinetic analysis was performed with surface plasmon resonance technique using sensor chip L1. Dissociation constants for native and glycated cystatin (K_d) were 2.76 μmol/L and 3.82 μmol/L, respectively. The results of our study indicate that glycation only slightly affects binding of cystatin to brush border membranes. This suggests that glycated cystatin and other glycated proteins may also be efficiently taken up in the kidney proximal tubule. The observation may be important for understanding the mechanisms involved in the development of diabetic nephropathy.     

The Influence of Biochar Enriched with Magnesium and Sulfur on the Amount of Perennial Ryegrass Biomass and Selected Chemical Properties and Biological of Sandy Soil

Biochar used in this study was prepared from wheat straw and enriched with 10% solutions of chemically pure salts: ammonium sulfate [(NH₄)₂SO₄] and magnesium sulfate (MgSO₄ 7H₂O). The aim of this study was to determine the growth response of Perennial ryegrass L. as well as identify changes in chemical and biological properties of sandy soil after the application of biochar. A significant increase in the amount of Perennial ryegrass L. biomass was determined after amending the soil with unenriched biochar and biochar enriched with (NH₄)₂SO₄. The highest immobilization of available forms of Mg was observed for biochar enriched with (NH₄)₂SO₄. The highest dehydrogenase activity was determined in the soil with biochar enriched with MgSO₄ 7H₂O.     

A new classification of pre‐ovulatory oocyte maturation stages in pikeperch,Sander lucioperca (L.), and its application during artificial reproduction

This study aimed at improving the reproduction effectiveness and synchronization of ovulation in the pikeperch, Sander lucioperca (L.), during induced spawning, which is one of the main bottlenecks in the aquaculture of this species. For this purpose, a new categorization of maturation stages in pre‐ovulatory oocytes was applied. It is generally based on two morphological indicators: germinal vesicle migration or its breakdown (GVBD) and different oil droplet coalescence rates. This categorization covered seven stages (from I to VII) – from the end of vitellogenesis to ovulation. The categorization was verified by controlled reproduction with the use of hormonal stimulation (500 IU of hCG per kg of female body weight) and low spawning temperature (12 °C), which extended the latency time. In addition, some morphological indicators (pseudo‐gonadosomatic index, Fulton's condition coefficient) of females were calculated in order to determine their usability in determining the maturation stage. However, these indicators proved to be ineffective for this purpose, further highlighting the need to determine the maturational stages in pre‐ovulatory oocytes to synchronize ovulation in pikeperch. During the experiment, ovulation seemed to be synchronized among the experimental treatments. Statistical differences were found in terms of latency time between experimental groups at different maturity stages (II – 78–98 h; III – 57–78 h; IV – 48–58 h; V – 32–49 h; VI – 5–30 h) according to the proposed classification. This classification and the results presented in the study significantly improved the synchronization of ovulation, which may positively affect the effectiveness of pikeperch production under controlled conditions.     

Impact of diets with different proportions of linseed and sunflower oils on the growth, liver histology, immunological and chemical blood parameters, and proximate composition of pikeperch Sander lucioperca (L.)

The aim of the study was to determine the impact of applying different proportions of linseed (LO) and sunflower (SFO) oils in pikeperch diets on growth, histological changes in the liver, immunological and blood chemical parameters. The fish were fed isoenergetic and isoprotein feeds containing SFO (group 100SFO) or LO (group 100LO) in quantities of 67 g kg/feed, and a mixture of oils: 47 g SFO and 20 g LO kg/feed (group 70SFO/30LO) and 20 g SFO and 47 g LO kg/feed (group 30SFO/70LO). Dietary ratios of polyunsaturated fatty acids from the n-3 and n-6 series (n3/n6 index) were 0.36–2.15. Pikeperch were reared for 56 days in three replicates for each dietary treatment. Various dietary oils and ratios of n3/n6 did not impact fish growth, feed conversion ratio, viscerosomatic and hepatosomatic index, and size of the hepatocytes. Feeding the fish high quantities of LO and SO oils (groups 100LO and 100SFO) reduced the immunological response of the phagocytes and lymphocytes in the fish. Moreover, this resulted in significant differences among groups in the quantity of linolenic and linoleic acid in whole fish bodies, viscera, fillets, and livers. Various quantities of vegetable oils in the fish diets did not impact the quantity of arachidonic, eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acid in the fillets and livers. The immunological index and low quantities of linoleic acid in the fillets obtained in group 30SFO/70LO indicate that the n3/n6 dietary ratio of 1.35 was the most advantageous for feeding juvenile pikeperch feeds with vegetable oils.     

Acute ammonia toxicity during early ontogeny of ide Leuciscus idus (Cyprinidae)

Acute ammonia toxicity was investigated in four developmental stages of the juvenile ide, Leuciscus idus: 1, 10, 20 and 30 days after the first feeding. Mean (±SD) total length of the larvae was 8.5 ± 0.3, 15.7 ± 0.7, 23.0 ± 2.0 and 29.7 ± 2.0 mm, and standard weight was 1.6 ± 0.3, 9.2 ± 5.5, 94.9 ± 31.0 and 196.0 ± 31.7 mg, respectively. The larvae used for toxicity tests were reared in the experimental, closed recirculating system. Groups of fishes (n from 7 to 10; in respect of fish size) were exposed to the ammonium chloride solutions in 1-L glass units. Water temperature was 25 ± 0.1 °C for both the rearing and the toxicity tests. pH was not adjusted and ranged between 8.4 and 8.7. The ammonium chloride solutions were renewed every 12 h. At the same time, dead larvae were counted and removed, and the pH and temperature measurements were taken. Each acute toxicity test duration was 96 h, and lethal concentration LC₁, LC₅₀ and LC₉₉ values were calculated for 24, 48, 72 and 96 h. The susceptibility of the ide larvae to ammonia decreased linearly with age up to 20th day and surprisingly increased during the next 10 days. The LC₅₀ (48 h) values ranged from 0.27 mg L^?1 of unionized ammonia nitrogen for 1 day after the first feeding (AFF) larvae to 1.42 mg L^?1 at day 20 after first feeding. The LC₅₀ (48 h) for 30 days AFF was as high as 0.67 mg L^?1. The critical level of the unionized ammonia nitrogen for ide larvae was suggested as 0.21 mg L^?1.     

Simultaneous selection for yield-related traits and susceptibility to Fusarium head blight in spring wheat RIL population

Fusarium head blight (FHB), caused by the fungal plant pathogen Fusarium, is a fungal disease that occurs in wheat and can cause significant yield and grain quality losses. The present paper examines variation in the resistance of spring wheat lines derived from a cross between Zebra and Saar cultivars. Experiments covering 198 lines and parental cultivars were conducted in three years, in which inoculation with Fusarium culmorum was applied. Resistance levels were estimated by scoring disease symptoms on kernels. In spite of a similar reaction of parents to F. culmorum infection, significant differentiation between lines was found in all the analyzed traits. Seven molecular markers selected as linked to FHB resistance QTLs gave polymorphic products for Zebra and Saar: Xgwm566, Xgwm46, Xgwm389, Xgwm533, Xgwm156, Xwmc238, and Xgwm341. Markers Xgwm389 and Xgwm533 were associated with the rate of Fusarium-damaged kernels (FDK) as well as with kernel weight per spike and thousand kernel weight in control plants. Zebra allele of marker Xwmc238 increased kernel weight per spike and thousand kernel weight both in control and infected plants, whereas Zebra allele of marker Xgwm566 reduced the percentage of FDK and simultaneously reduced the thousand kernel weight in control and infected plants.