Longer term monitoring of soil water content at a catchment scale is a key to understanding its dynamics, which can assist stakeholders in decision making processes, such as land use change or irrigation programs. Soil water monitoring in agriculturally dominated catchments can help in developing soil water retention measurements, for assessment of land use change, or adaptation of specific land management systems to climate change. The present study was carried out in the Pannonian region (Upper-Balaton, Hungary) on Cambisols and Calcisols between 2015 and 2021. Soil water content (SWC) dynamics were investigated under different land use types (vineyard, grassland, and forest) at three depths (15, 40, and 70 cm). The meteorological data show a continuous decrease in cumulative precipitation over time during the study with an average of 26% decrease observed between 2016 and 2020, while average air temperatures were similar for all the studied years. Corresponding to the lower precipitation amounts, a clear decrease in the average SWC was observed at all the land use sites, with 13.4%, 37.7%, and 29.3% lower average SWC for the grassland, forest, and vineyard sites, respectively, from 2016 to 2020 (measured at the 15 cm depth of the soil). Significant differences in SWC were observed between the annual and seasonal numbers within a given land use (p < 0.05). The lowest average SWC was observed at the grassland (11.7%) and the highest at the vineyard (28.3%). The data showed an increasing average soil temperature, with an average 6.3% higher value in 2020 compared to 2016. The grassland showed the highest (11.3 °C) and the forest soil the lowest (9.7 °C) average soil temperatures during the monitoring period. The grassland had the highest number of days with the SWC below the wilting point, while the forest had the highest number of days with the SWC optimal for the plants.
Therapeutic approaches to treat joint contracture after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction have not been established. Arthrofibrosis accompanied by joint inflammation following ACL reconstruction is a major cause of arthrogenic contracture. In this study, we examined whether antiinflammatory treatment using low-level laser therapy (LLLT) can prevent ACL reconstruction-induced arthrogenic contracture. Rats underwent ACL transection and reconstruction surgery in their right knees. Unoperated left knees were used as controls. After surgery, rats were reared with or without daily LLLT (wavelength: 830 nm; power output: 150 mW; power density: 5 W/cm2 ; for 120 s/day). We assessed the passive extension range of motion (ROM) after myotomy at one and two weeks post-surgery; the reduction in ROM represents the severity of arthrogenic contracture. ROM was markedly decreased by ACL reconstruction at both time points; however, LLLT partially attenuated the decrease in ROM. One week after ACL reconstruction, the gene expression of the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-1β in the joint capsule was significantly upregulated, and this upregulation was significantly attenuated by LLLT. Fibrotic changes in the joint capsule, including upregulation of collagen type I and III genes, shortening of the synovium, and thickening were caused by ACL reconstruction and seen at both time points. LLLT attenuated these fibrotic changes as well. Our results indicate that LLLT after ACL reconstruction could attenuate the formation of arthrogenic contracture through inhibition of inflammation and fibrosis in the joint capsule. Thus, LLLT may become a novel therapeutic approach for ACL reconstructioninduced joint contracture.
Biocrust sustainability relies on dew and rain availability. A study of dew and rain resources in amplitude and frequency and their evolution is presented from year 2001 to 2020 in southern Africa (Namibia, Botswana, South Africa) where many biocrust sites have been identified. The evaluation of dew is made from a classical energy balance model using meteorological data collected in 18 stations, where are also collected rain data. One observes a strong correlation between the frequency of dew and rain and the corresponding amplitudes. There is a general tendency to see a decrease in dew yield and dew frequency with increasing distance from the oceans, located west, east and south, due to decreasing RH, with a relative minimum in the desert of Kalahari (Namibia). Rain amplitude and frequency decreases when going to west and north. Short-term dew/rain correlation shows that largest dew yields clearly occur during about three days after rainfall, particularly in the sites where humidity is less. The evolution in the period corresponds to a decrease of rain precipitations and frequency, chiefly after 2010, an effect which has been cyclic since now. The effect is more noticeable towards north. An increase of dew yield and frequency is observed, mainly in north and south-east. It results in an increase of the dew contribution with respect to rain, especially after 2010. As no drastic changes in the distribution of biomass of biocrusts have been reported in this period, it is likely that dew should compensate for the decrease in rain precipitation. Since the growth of biocrust is related to dew and rain amplitude and frequency, future evolution should be characterized by either the rain cycle or, due to global change, an acceleration of the present tendency, with more dew and less rainfalls.
This work is concerned with discrete-time zero-sum games with Markov transitions on a denumerable space. At each decision time player II can stop the system paying a terminal reward to player I, or can let the system to continue its evolution. If the system is not halted, player I selects an action which affects the transitions and receives a running reward from player II. Assuming the existence of an absorbing state which is accessible from any other state, the performance of a pair of decision strategies is measured by the total expected reward criterion. In this context it is shown that the value function of the game is characterized by an equilibrium equation, and the existence of a Nash equilibrium is established.
The trade-off between flight capability and reproduction is well known in adult males of insects with wing dimorphism but the reproductive advantage of short-winged (SW) males over long-winged (LW) males appears to vary across insect taxa. In the present study, we determined the difference in the mating ability of SW and LW males of Velarifictorus ornatus (Orthoptera: Gryllidae) in order to evaluate whether the SW male morph has a reproductive advantage. We found that the choice of a mate depended on the female. Compared with LW males, SW males had an obvious mating advantage when both SW and LW males courted females simultaneously, and that dealation significantly enhanced the mating ability of LW males. Losing the ability to produce songs reduced the mating advantage of SW males, thereby indicating that the greater mating advantage of SW males was related to the attractiveness of the song. In addition, the difference in the mating ability of LW and SW males was not related to body size or age. These results indicate that SW males of V. ornatus have a mating advantage over their LW counterparts because their underdeveloped flight muscles allow them to devote more resources to reproduction., Lv-Quan Zhao, Huai-Lin Chai, Hong-Jun Wu, Dao-Hong ZhuU., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The influence of female mating status on ovarian development of the ladybird, Propylea dissecta (Mulsant) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), was investigated under laboratory conditions. We assessed the extent to which ovariole development was affected by mating and for that we initially created a base line by observing age specific ovariole development. Results show that the number of follicles in each ovariole increased with the age of both virgin and mated females up to the age of 3 days, thereafter, no increase in number of follicles was recorded. Ovariole width also increased with age in both virgin and mated females up to 4 days, thereafter, no increase in ovariole width was recorded. The ovariole width of mated females was significantly greater than that of virgin females. Egg maturation and the egg load started to increase at the age of 8 days in virgin females. Thereafter, it increased with increase in female age. While in mated females, immature eggs were recorded in their ovarioles from the age of 1 to 2 days. In mated females, however, the increase in the number of mature eggs per ovariole and egg load started when they were 3 days old. Egg load continuously increased with increasing female age., Mhd Shahid, Arshi Siddiqui, Omkar, Geetanjali Mishra., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Objective. Although Psychological capital has encountered increasing research interest in recent years, the scale for measuring PsyCap is absent in the Slovak language. In the present pre-registered study, the authors provide the initial results of the adaptation of the Revised Compound Psychological Capital Scale to the Slovak language. Method. A cross-sectional study with N = 262 people has been conducted. CPC-12R and measures of theoretically related constructs have been used.Results. With regards to evidence for factor validity, the authors found that the default higher-order model (PsyCap as a second-order factor & four first-order dimensions – hope, optimism, self-efficacy, and resilience) provided an acceptable fit to the data. With regards to evidence for convergent and divergent validity, the authors found that, as hypothesized, CPC-12R was related to a set of variables covering: A) a more specific work-related domain, B) more general well-being, and also C) more stable personality traits. More specifically, the scale correlated with work satisfaction, staying intentions, and three aspects of engagement (namely vigor, absorption, and dedication). Furthermore, the scale correlated with subjectively perceived stress, life satisfaction, and emotional components of habitual well-being. The scale was also related Submitted: 21. 1. 2022; P. K., Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice, Moyzesova 9, 040 01 Košice, Slovakia; e-mail: pavol.kacmar@upjs.skThis work was supported by the Slovak Research and Development Agency, Contract no. APVV-20-0319, by the grant agency of The Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic VEGA Contract no. 1/0853/21, and by the Czech Science Foundation no. GA20-03810S. Open data, analytical code and pre-registration can be found at: osf.io/b4j57/.to Big-five personality domains, such as extra-version, conscientiousness, and negative emotionality, but not to the aesthetic sensitivity facet (considered as evidence for divergent validity). With regard to evidence for concurrent validity, the authors found that CPC-12R was strongly related to PCQ12 and both scales were related to other variables of interest to a similar degree.Limitations. Cross-sectional design and convenience sampling are the main limitations of the present study. and Cieľ. Napriek tomu, že je v posledných rokoch venovanej Psychologickému kapitálu stále viac výskumnej pozornosti, škála, ktorá by tento konštrukt zachycovala v slovenskom jazyku, absentuje. V tejto predregistrovanej štúdii sa autori preto podujali na adaptovanie revidovanej Compound Psychological Capital scale (CPC-12R) do slovenského jazyka a na predstavenie úvodných faktorových, konvergentných, divergentných a súbežných dôkazov validity.Metódy. Výskumný súbor tvorilo 262 účastníkov. Boli využité CPC-12R a ďalšie škály, týkajúce sa rôznych oblastí (sféra práce, duševnej pohody a osobnostných čŕt). Výsledky. Čo sa týka dôkazov validity, týkajúcich sa faktorovej štruktúry, primárny model druhého rádu (PsyCap ako faktor druhého rádu a 4 subfaktory) ukázal predbežne akceptovateľné parametre. Čo sa týka konvergentných a divergentných dôkazov validity, výsledky ukázali, že škála súvisela s premennými z oblasti práce, všeobecnejšie chápanou duševnou pohodou, ako aj stabilnejšimi osobnostnými čŕtami. Presnejšie, škála bola vo vzťahu s pracovnou spokojnosťou (r=.45), úmyslom zotrvať v organizácii (r=.24), ako aj angažovanosťou a jej troma zložkami (r=.52, .36, a .24). Škala sa taktiež ukázala byť vo vzťahu so subjektívne vnímaným stresom (r=-.53), životnou spokojnosťou (r=.56) a viac emočne ladeným aspektom v intenciách pozitívneho (r=.50) a negatívneho (r=-.46) komponentu habituálnej životnej pohody. Okrem toho sa súvis preukázal s črtami modelu veľkej päťky, ako extraverzia (r=.44), svedomitosť (r=.36) a negatívna emocionalita (r=-.59), ale nie s estetickou senzitivitou (r=.02) (dôkaz divergentnej validity). Čo sa týka súbežných dôkazov validity, výsledky poukázali na to, že CPC-12R bolo v tesnom vzťahu s PCQ12 a to aj vtedy, keď autori zobrali do úvahy potenciálnu jazykovú bariéru účastníkov výskumu. Limity. Medzi hlavné limity patria predovšetkým prierezový charakter štúdie a príležitostný výber výskumného súboru. Závery. Štúdia prináša CPC-12R do slovenského jazykového prostredia a ponúka úvodne dôkazy pre viaceré druhy validity.
Objective. The Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire – Symptoms (CPAQ-S, 20 items) measures patients’ acceptance of their symptoms. The questionnaire was created by reframing the Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire-20 (CPAQ-20). This study describes the Czech validation of the full and short CPAQ-S forms.Sample and settings. The final sample consisted of 368 patients (71% female) recruited at seven clinical sites in the Czech Republic. Hypotheses. A hypothesized two-dimensional factor structure (Activity Engagement and Symptom Willingness) was tested together with other theoretically relevant factor solutions.Statistical analyses. An ordinal confirmatory and exploratory factor analysis were employed. Results. None of the theory-driven factor structures were confirmed in the CPAQ-S-20, and exploratory factor analysis did not yield any satisfactory factor solution. However, an eightitem version (CPAQ-S-8) was derived based on the factor analysis that was characterized by good psychometric properties even when retaining important facets of the expected two-factor structure (i.e., Activity Engagement and Symptom Willingness).Limitations. While the sample heterogeneity was conceived as a strength of the study, an underlying noninvariance across different types of complaints could have caused unsatisfactory functioning of the scale. and Cíl. Škála Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire (20položková verze) měřící přijetí chronické bolesti byla adaptována k měření přijetí obecných chronických obtíží pacientů klinických zařízení: Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire – Symptoms. Tato studie popisuje českou adaptaci plné a zkrácené (CPAQ-S) verze škály. Vzorek. Finální vzorek sestával z 368 pacientů (71 % žen) ze sedmi klinických zařízení v České republice. Hypotézy. Předpokládaná dvoufaktorová struktura (Zapojení do aktivit navzdory bolesti a Ochota snášet symptomy) byla testována společně s dalšími teoreticky relevantními modely. Statistické analýzy. Byla použita ordinální konfirmační a následná explorační faktorová analýza. Výsledky. Žádný z testovaných faktorových modelů CPAQ-S-20 nebyl podpořen daty. Využití explorační faktorové analýzy nepřineslo žádnou přidanou informační hodnotu. Empiricky odvozená osmi-položková verze škály (CPAQ-S-8) byla charakterizována poměrně dobrými psychometrickými vlastnostmi i po zachování očekávané dvoufaktorové struktury tj., Zapojení do aktivit navzdory bolesti a Ochota snášet symptomy. Limity. Zatímco heterogenitu vzorku je možné vnímat jako silnou stránku studie, heterogenita různých typů obtíží, jimiž pacienti ve vzorku trpěli, mohla způsobit neuspokojivé fungování škály.
Male reproductive functions are an important area affecting men´s overall health and well-being. However, during the last years, there has been observed increasing incidence of male reproductive issues. The radical growth has been recorded parallelly with a massive expanse of industrialization and agricultural chemigation. Many groups of experts have begun to identify several potential factors and substances that may have adverse effects on men´s reproductive health. Since then, xenobiotics have become a major concern of many scientific studies. There is evidence that most of them have multigenerational and transgenerational effects on reproductive health, which is a serious problem for our population. Bisphenol A could be considered as one of the most studied endocrine disruptors. Until now, several negative effects of bisphenol A were associated with reduced weight testes, histological alterations, impairment spermatogenesis, and steroidogenesis as well as with testes or prostate cancer. Due to convincing evidence, bisphenol A has been started to replace by its analogues such as bisphenol B, S, F, in order to eliminate and suppress the risk of exposure to bisphenol A. However, it seems that a lack of toxicological analyses allows using of these hazardous substances in daily life. Their harmful effect was confirmed by the animal in vitro and in vivo models, while the epidemiological studies monitoring the impact of bisphenol analogues on men's reproductive health are markedly limited. This review provides information about the effects of bisphenol on reproductive health in men. At the same time, it is focused on physiological aspects of sperm viability, steroid hormone secretion, sperm motility, or testes histology in relation to bisphenols exposure.
The Asian ladybird Harmonia axyridis is an invasive insect in Europe and the Americas and is a great threat to the environment in invaded areas. The situation is exacerbated by the fact that non native species are resistant to many groups of parasites that attack native insects. However, very little is known about the complex microbial community associated with this insect. This study based on sequencing 16S rRNA genes in extracted metagenomic DNA is the first research on the bacterial flora associated with H. axyridis. Lady beetles were collected during hibernation from wind turbines in Poland. A mean ± SD of 114 ± 35 species of bacteria were identified. The dominant phyla of bacteria recorded associated with H. axyridis were Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes. Representatives of these phyla are common in the environment, e.g. in the soil, and are often identified as the dominant bacteria associated with arthropods. We also identified animal pathogenic bacteria, such as Burkholderia, Rhodococcus, Chlamydiae and Anaplasmataceae spp. (Neorickettsia helminthoeca and Ehrlichia ovina). We also identified Wolbachia pipientis in a single beetle. This bacterium is a causative agent of reproductive alterations in arthropods. These results support the enemy release hypothesis in the case of this ladybird invasion. Pathogenic bacteria were recorded in only a few samples. Moreover, male-killing bacteria such as Spiroplasma spp., Wolbachia spp. and Rickettsia spp. were only recorded in single insects so they cannot be responsible for the observed alterations in the sex-ratio of the ladybird population studied., Krzysztof Dudek, Kinga Humińska, Jacek Wojciechowicz, Piotr Tryjanowski., and Obsahuje bibliografii