Precipitation chemistry and atmospheric processes in the forested part of Croatia

The influence of mesoscale weather patterns on the chemical composition of daily precipitation samples is analysed. The data of pH, sulphur from sulphates and total nitrogen are analysed for two rural sites: Plitvice station in forested part of Central Croatia (1981 to 1990) and Puntijarka suburban station on the mountain near Zagreb, the capital of Croatia (1982–1991). The two prevailing weather types in precipitation days are selected and the comparison of chemical composition of precipitation is made for each of them. The frequency distributions of pH, sulphur and nitrogen show that concentration of major ions in precipitation apparently depends on the regional scale weather type. It is shown that the seasonal variation of deposition is related to the seasonal variation in precipitation amount. In both weather types Plitvice receives more pollution than Puntijarka that is closer to urban and industrial pollution sources. Both locations are under the prevailing influence of regional pollution sources.     

Chromosomal interchanges and phylogeny of some accessions of Triticum aestivum subsp. spelta

Summary The occurrence of chromosomal interchanges was studied in F1 hyrids in two diallel schemes, including nine accessions of Triticum aestivum subsp. spelta, originating from Iran, Europe and North Africa, and the common wheat variety Chinese Spring as a reference. Seven accessions of subsp. spelta differed in one translocation from Chinese Spring. The European accession Grey differed in one or perhaps two interchanges from the reference variety, and Iran 417a showed a difference of three interchanges with Chinese Spring. In total six or perhaps seven interchanges were observed. Thus the number of translocation events in subsp. spelta appeared to be low. One translocation was unique and occurred only in the accession from North Africa. Also one accession from Europe, the landrace Schwarzwald, possibly carried a unique translocation. In both diallels an interchange with a relatively low coefficient of multivalent realisation at first meiotic metaphase was observed in most accessions. The two extra translocations in Iran 417a are considered to be the result of more recent translocation events, whereas the possible second translocation in accession Grey showed such a low coefficient of multivalent realisation that its existence could be doubted.     

Changes in the content of free sulphydryl groups during postharvest wheat and flour maturation and their influence on technological quality

The main aim of this study was to determine the changes in free sulphydryl content during postharvest wheat and flour maturation. The content of free sulphydryl groups was determined from wet gluten over 50 days of wheat postharvest maturation and over 14 days of flour maturation by varying incubation temperatures (30 and 37 °C) and incubation times (0, 45, 90 and 135 min). The amount of free sulphydryl groups increased during postharvest wheat and flour maturation as well as with the increase in temperature and gluten incubation time. The additional aim of this study was to find the interrelation between the content of free sulphydryl groups and selected parameters of technological quality by means of Principal Component Analysis. During wheat/flour maturation, the strengthening of protein structure was observed manifested by the increase in gluten index and Mixolab protein network weakening (C2), and changes in dough resistance as well. The incubation temperature of 37 °C affected the weakening of protein structure manifested by the decrease in gluten index and resistance, and increase in extensibility. Strong differentiation of examined varieties in terms of selected quality indicators was observed upon pre-defined maturation period, probably due to the expression of their intrinsic properties.     

Principal component analysis of trace elements in Serbian wheat

Trace elements (Cu, Fe, Pb, Hg, Cd, As, Mn, Zn) were analyzed quantitatively in 14 wheat samples collected from fields in all Serbian growing regions, harvested in 2002. Microelements were determined according to an atomic absorption spectrophotometric method. Principal component analyses (PCA) were performed on data matrices consisting of contents of trace elements in wheats (columns) and all Serbian wheat-growing regions (rows). It was found that four principal components account for 87.2% of the total variance in the data. The plot of component loadings showed significant groupings for concentration of some microelements. The component scores indicated the similarities among the Serbian wheat-growing regions. The loading plot reveals that there is no need to measure all of the variables to achieve the same classification. It is enough to measure one variable per group. Naturally, this conclusion is valid only within the limits of the present study of wheat grain samples from different parts of Serbia.     

Phytoplasma infection may affect morphology,regeneration and pyrethrin content in pyrethrum shoot culture

The aim of the work was to infect pyrethrum (Tanacetum cinerariifolium (Trevir.) Schultz-Bip.), an important secondary metabolite pyrethrin producing plant, with MA phytoplasma (16S rRNA group III, subgroup B) to initiate tissue culture of phytoplasma-infected plants, and to examine possible effects of infection on pyrethrin content, morphology, and regenerative capacity in shoot culture.     

The impact of the chromium supplementation on insulin signalling pathway in different tissues and milk yield in dairy cows

Thirty days before expected time of parturition, 20 Holstein cows were divided into ?Cr and +Cr groups. From day 25 before parturition (BP ) up to day 30 after parturition (AP ), +Cr cows received 10 mg of Cr (chromium‐enriched yeast) daily. Muscle and adipose tissue samples were taken at days ?30, ?10, +7 and +10 related to parturition, when body condition score (BCS ) was also determined. Hepatic tissue samples were taken at days ?10 and +7. Tissue samples were used for determination of the insulin signalling pathway protein expressions. Intravenous glucose tolerance test (IVGTT ) was performed at days ?28, ?7, +10 and +30. Milk yield was recorded during first 14 weeks AP . Milk composition was obtained at days 7 and 28 AP . At day 10 BP , protein content of β ‐subunit of insulin receptor (IR β ) was significantly higher (p ? 0.05) in muscle, and phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate 1 at serine 307 (pIRS ‐1 Ser³⁰⁷) was significantly lower (p ? 0.05) in hepatic tissue of +Cr group. After parturition, pIRS ‐1 Ser³⁰⁷ was significantly lower in muscle tissue at days 7 and 28 (p ? 0.05 and p ? 0.001, respectively), while phosphorylation of Akt at serine 473 (pA kt Ser⁴⁷³) was significantly higher (p ? 0.01) in hepatic tissue at day 7 AP in +Cr group. Chromium had opposite effect on insulin kinetics during IVGTT s obtained BP and AP . Insulin secretion was significantly reduced at day 7 BP and significantly enhanced at day 10 AP , when NEFA concentration was also significantly increased. Milk yield and ECM value were depressed in +Cr group. DMI and BCS were significantly enhanced in +Cr group at day 7 BP . In conclusion, chromium modulates insulin signalling pathway in dairy cows, but targeted signalling molecules are different in antepartal then post‐partal period, probably due to duration of exposure to chromium and different energy status between those periods.     

Vacuum-induced transparency

Photons are excellent information carriers but normally pass through each other without consequence. Engineered interactions between photons would enable applications as varied as quantum information processing and simulation of condensed matter systems. Using an ensemble of cold atoms strongly coupled to an optical cavity, we found that the transmission of light through a medium may be controlled with few photons and even by the electromagnetic vacuum field. The vacuum induces a group delay of 25 nanoseconds on the input optical pulse, corresponding to a light velocity of 1600 meters per second, and a transparency of 40% that increases to 80% when the cavity is filled with 10 photons. This strongly nonlinear effect provides prospects for advanced quantum devices such as photon number-state filters.     

Effects of seed potato tuber treatment with imidacloprid on some soil and foliar insects in Croatia

The treatment of seed potato tubers by imidacloprid, as well as the standard granular insecticides applied in the furrow, did not, in four years of trials, sufficiently prevent damage from wireworms, noctuid larvae and mole crickets to potato tubers. The main reason for this failure is the spatial and temporal distance between the application of insecticides and the moment when their action is needed. On the other hand, the effects of imidacloprid applied as seed tuber treatment on the larvae of the Colorado potato beetle was very good: depending upon conditions, it lasted from at least 55, to 70 days at the most. It protected the foliage from any substantial damage from the entire first generation, and ensured high yields. Therefore a decision on seed tuber treatment with imidacloprid in Croatia should primarily depend upon the cost/benefit calculation based on damage expected from the CPB (or aphids), and not from soil insect pests.     

Electrical Resistivity of Plasma Treated Viscose and Cotton Fabrics with Incorporated Metal Ions

Cellulose fabrics (viscose and cotton) were treated with atmospheric pressure dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) in air. After DBD treatment, samples were characterized and volume electrical resistance was measured under different relative humidity conditions (φ=40-55 %). Results have shown that DBD treatment increases wettability and polar surface functional groups content, which consequently causes a decrease of volume electrical resistivity of cellulose fabrics in measured relative humidity range (φ=40-55 %). Metal ions (silver, copper, and zinc) were incorporated in untreated and plasma treated samples through sorption from aqueous solutions and incorporation of metal ions into plasma treated cellulose samples decreased electrical resistivity even further. Resistivity of cotton and viscose fabrics with incorporated metal ions followed the order Zn²⁺ > Cu²⁺ > Ag⁺. The most pronounced decrease, for entire order of a magnitude, was obtained by modification of cotton fabric with DBD and silver ions, where value of resistivity dropped from GΩ to a several dozens of MΩ.