Enhancing phenol removal from waste water by adding powder activated carbon to the lab-scale activated sludge system

In this study, the commercial powder activated carbon (PAC) was added to a bench scale conventional activated sludge (CAS) system to enhance phenol removal. The mixed liquor suspended solid (MLSS) concentration of CAS with adding PAC was stable in all stages of operation, while MLSS concentrations in CAS without PAC addition sharply decreased as the Phenol loading reached 1.8 g phenol/L.day. Higher removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and Phenol achieved with the CAS by PAC addition compared with those achieved with CAS without PAC addition. The difference in COD removal efficiency was 7 - 9% in stages 3 and 4 (0.8 and 1.2 g phenol/L.day, respectively), and about 33% in stage 5 (1.8 g phenol/L.day). The advantage of CAS with PAC addition was clearly observed in the highest phenol loading (1.8 g phenol/L.day) because the MLVSS/MLSS ratio of CAS with PAC addition increased and the COD and phenol removal efficiencies kept stable in this stage, while reverse trends were found for CAS without PAC addition. The results indicated that the adaptive ability of the CAS by adding PAC was significantly higher than the CAS without AC addition. This study offers useful preliminary results for applying a hybrid system between CAS and adsorption with PAC for further research and application in future.

SYMBIOTIC PROPERTIES OF BLACK MEDIC OF THE MIRA VARIETY

The first Russian variety of black medic of the Mira was created and included in the State Register of Breeding Achievements. The study of the symbiotic properties of this variety showed that the most promising strains for pre-sowing inoculation were LX1 and 412b, the first increased the collection of dry matter and seeds by 96 and 115%, and the second – by 81 and 73%, respectively. Both strains can be used when cultivating this variety for feed and seeds. Inoculation with the LX6 strain increased seed productivity by 84%. Strains LX2, LX5 and LX6 increase the adaptive ability of varieties of the Mira, shifting the metabolism of the alfalfa-rhizobial system towards increasing seed productivity. The proportion of seeds in plants inoculated with the above-mentioned strains increases to 24–31% of the total plant weight, and in other symbiotic systems this indicator was 19–22%. Strain LX1 was isolated from nodules of plants belonging to the same population on the basis of which the Mira variety was created and it is the most genetically complementary to this variety. The yield of black medic of the Mira variety without inoculation for two years of use was 3.3 t/ha of dry matter, 0.67 t/ha of seeds. Pre-sowing inoculation of seeds with the LX1 strain increased the yield of this variety to 6.48 t/ha (+96%) of dry matter and seeds – to 1.44 t/ha (+115%). In the vegetation experiment, inoculation with the rhizobium strain LX1 significantly increased the height of plants by 4.2 cm, the leaf area by 0.69 cm2 (+49%), productivity by 176%. The total nitrogen content in the aboveground part of the plants reached 3.63%, the roots 3.31%, the control indicators were 3.02 and 2.77%, respectively.

Sperm preparedness and adaptation to osmotic and pH stressors relate to functional competence of sperm in Bos taurus

The adaptive ability of sperm in the female reproductive tract micromilieu signifies the successful fertilization process. The study aimed to analyze the preparedness of sperm to the prevailing osmotic and pH stressors in the female reproductive tract. Fresh bovine sperm were incubated in 290 (isosmotic-control), 355 (hyperosmotic-uterus and oviduct), and 420 (hyperosmotic-control) mOsm/kg and each with pH of 6.8 (uterus) and 7.4 (oviduct). During incubation, the changes in sperm functional attributes were studied. Sperm kinematics and head area decreased significantly (p < 0.05) immediately upon exposure to hyperosmotic stress at both pH. Proportion of sperm capacitated (%) in 355 mOsm/kg at 1 and 2 h of incubation were significantly (p < 0.05) higher than those in 290 mOsm media. The magnitude and duration of recovery of sperm progressive motility in 355 mOsm with pH 7.4 was correlated with the ejaculate rejection rate (R2 = 0.7). Using this information, the bulls were divided into good (n = 5) and poor (n = 5) osmo-adapters. The osmo-responsive genes such as NFAT5, HSP90AB1, SLC9C1, ADAM1B and GAPDH were upregulated (p < 0.05) in the sperm of good osmo-adapters. The study suggests that sperm are prepared for the osmotic and pH challenges in the female reproductive tract and the osmoadaptive ability is associated with ejaculate quality in bulls.

Hormonal state of breeding bulls after a long winter period of operation in the conditions of the Udmurt Republic

Relevance. The study will help to identify new perspectives in breeding; get new data about the biological processes occurring in the body of animals according to the endogenous hormones of breeding bulls. The hormonal-immunobiological relationship in the body of bulls and their adaptive ability in different climatic conditions is a very important issue today.Methods. The work was performed in a temperate continental climate with a long, snowy winter and warm summer in the conditions of the Udmurt Republic in the period from 2020 to 2021 on breeding bulls (n = 27) of modern breeding at the age of 15–69 months. The state of endogenous hormones testosterone, estradiol, thyroxine and cortisol after a long winter period was studied, depending on the age, breed and selection in the normal physiological functioning of breeding bulls. The average serum values of estradiol — 0.517 nmol/l, testosterone — 25.7 nmol/l, thyroxine — 74.7 nmol/l, cortisol — 420 nmol/l, and their cholesterol precursor at the level of 3.2 nmol/l were established in the blood of breeding bulls located in this region. It was found that, depending on age, there are differences in all the studied indicators, however, there is a reliability for thyroxine and cortisol. The concentration of cortisol by selection significantly differs in imported bulls of European selection from the Netherlands at the level of p > 0.05, which characterizes the presence of a certain stress adaptation factor in this group. In terms of variability, a significant difference between min and max indicators was noted for the concentration of testosterone, which varied between 2.4 nmol/l and 60 nmol/l, indicating the individuality of these hormones in breeding bulls in this region.Results. Based on the data obtained, the need to take these data into account when operating breeding bulls and analyzing sperm products, taking into account the concentration of these hormones, as well as the implementation of appropriate preventive measures, is revealed.

Metagenomics: A Novel Tool for Livestock and Poultry Improvement: A Review

A distinct mechanism of generating metagenome is metagenomics which includes sequencing the whole DNA extracted from an environmental sample, mapping it to a reference database followed by gene annotation. Advancement in sequence-based metagenomics has significantly reduced processing costs and has acquired a rapid pace. Metagenomics has been crucial in investigating “hidden” genetic characteristics and construction biotechnological processes through the discovery of novel genes, enzymes, pathways and bioactive molecules with entirely different or improved biochemical functions. Metagenomics is a fairly recent addition to the molecular toolbox and is the simplest, impartial way of challenging the adaptive ability of microbial populations. Metagenomics is beneficial in recognising the complex consortium of bacteria, protozoa, archaea, fungi, etc. and association amongst them resulting in higher feed utilization and productivity of animals. It allows formulating probiotics feed materials, as well as in immunomodulation in both livestock and poultry. This review emphasizes significant recent achievements in metagenomics, offers insights into the possibilities, modern-day challenges and its utility in livestock and poultry.

Identification of ABC transporter G subfamily in white lupin and functional characterization of L.albABGC29 in phosphorus use

Background White lupin (Lupinus albus) is a leguminous crop with elite adaptive ability in phosphorus-deficient soil and used as a model plant for studying phosphorus (P) use. However, the genetic basis of its adaptation to low P (LP) remains unclear. ATPase binding cassette (ABC) transports G subfamily play a crucial role in the transportation of biological molecules across the membrane. To date, identification of this subfamily has been analyzed in some plants, but no systematic analysis of these transporters in phosphorus acquisition is available for white lupin. Results This study identified 66 ABCG gene family members in the white lupin genome using comprehensive approaches. Phylogenetic analysis of white lupin ABCG transporters revealed six subclades based on their counterparts in Arabidopsis, displaying distinct gene structure and motif distribution in each cluster. Influences of the whole genome duplication on the evolution of L.albABCGs were investigated in detail. Segmental duplications appear to be the major driving force for the expansion of ABCGs in white lupin. Analysis of the Ka/Ks ratios indicated that the paralogs of the L.albABCG subfamily members principally underwent purifying selection. However, it was found that L.albABCG29 was a result of both tandem and segmental duplications. Overexpression of L.albABCG29 in white lupin hairy root enhanced P accumulation in cluster root under LP and improved plant growth. Histochemical GUS staining indicated that L.albABCG29 expression increased under LP in white lupin roots. Further, overexpression of L.albABCG29 in rice significantly improved P use under combined soil drying and LP by improving root growth associated with increased rhizosheath formation. Conclusion Through systematic and comprehensive genome-wide bioinformatics analysis, including conserved domain, gene structures, chromosomal distribution, phylogenetic relationships, and gene duplication analysis, the L.albABCG subfamily was identified in white lupin, and L.albABCG29 characterized in detail. In summary, our results provide deep insight into the characterization of the L.albABCG subfamily and the role of L.albABCG29 in improving P use.

Human and Cobot Cooperation Ethics: The Process Management Concept of the Production Workplace

The competitiveness of modern companies depends today on the ability to implement digitised technologies into production processes in human-friendly ways. The aim of this paper is to analyse ethical aspects of human-cobot cooperation in industrial production and to design a process standard aimed at ensuring an ethically stable cooperative workplace. The scientific contribution of this study lies in the identification and definition of standardized parameters of the ethics of the production process in the workplace. Based on the analysis of cooperative workplaces in 250 industrial companies, a code of ethics has been defined, i.e. a process standard that determines the navigation of the design by selected optimization criteria necessary for setting up a hybrid workplace defined as human and cobot (collaborative robot) with the support of digitised technologies. In the presented results and the final discussion attention is devoted to the need to radically change the philosophy of workplace standardization in the sense of equal access to workload settings by humans and robots. In the process of standardization, it is necessary to consider the difference in the standardization of human jobs and cobot jobs: the thinking process. In modern industrial companies the need has arisen to create working standards that take into account the adaptive ability of cobots and adapt the cobots’ workflow to human needs concerning performance and productivity. The presented results include recommendations for industrial companies to develop an ethical and stable production workplace based on an adequately defined form of cooperation.

Association of temperature humidity index during summer with haematological parameters in native and crossbred goats of Kerala

The study was conducted to investigate the association of temperature humidity index (THI) during summer with haematological responses in Malabari, crossbred and Attappady goats of Kerala. The research work was conducted at University Goat and Sheep Farm, KVASU, Mannuthy, Thrissur district in Kerala from March to May, 2020. In-house temperature and in-house relative humidity were measured daily at 7.00 AM, 10.00 AM, 2.00 PM and 5.00 PM. Haematological parameters such as total erythrocyte count (TEC), total leucocyte count (TLC), haemoglobin concentration (Hb), volume of packed red cells (VPRC), mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC) were analysed during 2nd, 32nd day and 60th day of the study. There was no significant change in TEC, VPRC levels in between the breeds and within the observed days. However, TLC were significantly increased for Malabari goats and MCHC were significantly increased in all the breeds at 32nd day of study period. The Hb concentration were significantly increased in crossbred and Attappady black at 32nd day of study period. There was a significant decrease in MCV values in 2nd and 32nd day for all the breeds. The study demonstrated certain altered hematological features in all the breeds under study indicating the adaptive ability of these animals during heat stress.

Caesarean section in severe preeclampsia: features of early neonatal adaptation

Objective. To study the course of early neonatal adaptation depending on the anesthetic aid in abdominaldelivery of pregnant women with severe preeclampsia. Characteristic o fchildren and research methods. Thea uthorscarried outaprospective cohort study o f342 childrenborn from mothers with severepreeclampsia. The children were grouped according to their gestationalage. The author sanalyzed perinatallosse sand assessed general condition according to the Apgarscaleat the 1st and 5th minutes of life, aswell as the neurological status of newborns according to the NACS scale at the 15thminute of life and in 2 hours depending on the anesthesia method used during the caesareansection.Results. The authors found that the newborns from mothers with severe preeclampsia, starting from the 34th week of gestation, demonstrated a significantly more pronounced negative effect of total intravenous anesthesia on their somatic (birth in a state of hypoxia) and neurological status as compared with spinalanesthesia (р<0,05). ><0,05).Conclusion. The results are of practical value to neonatologists, as total intravenous anesthesia is expectedto causethe revealed violations of the adaptive ability of newborns and the doctor is able to provide adequate timely assistance to children.