Case specific: Addressing co-digestion of wastewater sludge, cheese whey and cow manure: Kinetic modeling.

The study investigated the methane production efficiency in a semi-continuous laboratory experiment with periodic feeding of wastewater sludge (WWS) as primary substrate and addition of whey (CW) and cow manure (CM). The short-term behavior of a real-scale anaerobic digester with WWS and the methane production improvements with different feeding mixtures of WWS, CW and CM were addressed. Gradual addition of CW to WWS (WWS:CW:CM = 70:20:0 to 70:55:0) increased the average daily methane production to 48.

Toxicity of nitrophenolic pollutant 4-nitroguaiacol to terrestrial plants and comparison with its non-nitro analogue guaiacol (2-methoxyphenol).

Phenols, and especially their nitrated analogues, are ubiquitous pollutants and known carcinogens which have already been linked to forest decline. Although nitrophenols have been widely recognized as harmful to different aquatic and terrestrial organisms, we could not find any literature assessing their toxicity to terrestrial plants. Maize (monocot) and sunflower (dicot) were exposed to phenolic pollutants, guaiacol (GUA) and 4-nitroguaiacol (4NG), through a hydroponics system under controlled conditions in a growth chamber.

Chemical alterations of grain surface by cold plasma technology: Comparison of buckwheat and wheat grain responses to oxygen low-pressure plasma.

Cold plasma (CP) has a great potential for decontamination or improvement of grain germination. However, disputing results have been reported, as plasma treatment can affect species and varieties of grains in different ways. The differences may be due to the chemical composition of grain pericarps, the structure of the grains and metabolic response mechanisms.

The Sensitivity of Fungi Colonising Buckwheat Grains to Cold Plasma Is Species Specific.

Fungi are the leading cause of plant diseases worldwide and are responsible for enormous agricultural and industrial losses on a global scale. Cold plasma (CP) is a potential tool for eliminating or inactivating fungal contaminants from biological material such as seeds and grains. This study used a low-pressure radiofrequency CP system with oxygen as the feed gas to test the decontamination efficacy of different genera and species commonly colonising buckwheat grains.

Exploring the potential of cold plasma treatment followed by zinc-priming for biofortification of buckwheat sprouts.

Increasing the concentration of an element in edible produce (i.e., biofortification) can mitigate the element deficiency in humans.

Tissue-specific calcium and magnesium allocation to explain differences in bulk concentration in leaves of one-year-old seedlings of two olive (Olea europaea L.) cultivars.

Olive tree (Olea europaea L.) leaves have recently been recognised as a valuable source in cosmetic and pharmaceutical industry as well as in preparation of health-supporting beverages. Little is known about the element composition of olive leaves and almost nothing about tissue-specific allocation of elements.

Immobilization of chromium enhanced by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in semi-aquatic habitats with biochar addition.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) exhibit great potential in heavy-metal immobilization in semi-aquatic habitats. Under high heavy-metal stress, however, the role of AMF is limited, and the detoxification mechanism of AMF in heavy metals' stabilization remains unclear. This study investigated the effects of AMF on a wetland plant (Iris pseudacorus) and chromium (Cr) immobilization at different water depths in semi-aquatic habitats with biochar addition.

The Influence of Glow and Afterglow Cold Plasma Treatment on Biochemistry, Morphology, and Physiology of Wheat Seeds.

Cold plasma (CP) technology is a technique used to change chemical and morphological characteristics of the surface of various materials. It is a newly emerging technology in agriculture used for seed treatment with the potential of improving seed germination and yield of crops. Wheat seeds were treated with glow (direct) or afterglow (indirect) low-pressure radio-frequency oxygen plasma.

Different Concentrations of Potassium Silicate in Nutrient Solution Affects Selected Growth Characteristics and Mineral Composition of Barley ( L.).

This study was undertaken to determine the effect of potassium silicate (KSiO) on the physiological and growth characteristics and elemental composition of barley plants. Hydroponically grown barley ( L.) var.

Decontamination and Germination of Buckwheat Grains upon Treatment with Oxygen Plasma Glow and Afterglow.

Buckwheat is an alternative crop known for its many beneficial effects on our health. Fungi are an important cause of plant diseases and food spoilage, often posing a threat to humans and animals. This study reports the effects of low-pressure cold plasma treatment on decontamination and germination of common (CB) and Tartary buckwheat (TB) grains.

Imaging of Potassium and Calcium Distribution in Plant Tissues and Cells to Monitor Stress Response and Programmed Cell Death.

In plants, the response to stress, such as salinity, pathogen attack, drought, high concentration of metals, hyperthermia, and hypothermia, is usually accompanied by potassium ion (K) leakage from the cytosol to the cell wall, mediated by plasma membrane cation conductivity. Stress-induced electrolyte leakage co-occurs with accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and calcium ions (Ca) and often results in programmed cell death (PCD). The development of X-ray and mass spectrometry (MS) based imaging techniques has enabled insight into the spatial tissue and cell-specific redistribution of major and trace elements during the stress response.

Molecular imaging of humain hair with MeV-SIMS: A case study of cocaine detection and distribution in the hair of a cocaine user.

Human hair absorbs numerous biomolecules from the body during its growth. This can act as a fingerprint to determine substance intake of an individual, which can be useful in forensic studies. The cocaine concentration profile along the growth axis of hair indicates the time evolution of the metabolic incorporation of cocaine usage.

Nutritional Quality and Safety of the Dietary Supplements Sold on the Slovenian Market.

The microalgae may be a popular dietary supplement rich in essential nutrients and vitamins, but oversight of the supplement industry, in general, remains limited, and increasing incidents of adulteration, misbranding, and undeclared ingredients together with misleading claims create potential risks. In response, this study characterized the elemental, amino acid and fatty acid content of commercially available supplements in Slovenia using EDXRF, ICP-MS and GC-MS and compared the results with their nutritional declaration. The gathered data confirm that supplements are a good source of calcium (0.

Human Neocortex Layer Features Evaluated by PIXE, STIM, and STXM Techniques.

The human neocortex has a cytoarchitecture composed of six layers with an intrinsic organization that relates to afferent and efferent pathways for a high functional specialization. Various histological, neurochemical, and connectional techniques have been used to study these cortical layers. Here, we explore the additional possibilities of swift ion beam and synchrotron radiation techniques to distinguish cellular layers based on the elemental distributions and areal density pattern in the human neocortex.

Silicon Mitigates Negative Impacts of Drought and UV-B Radiation in Plants.

Due to climate change, plants are being more adversely affected by heatwaves, floods, droughts, and increased temperatures and UV radiation. This review focuses on enhanced UV-B radiation and drought, and mitigation of their adverse effects through silicon addition. Studies on UV-B stress and addition of silicon or silicon nanoparticles have been reported for crop plants including rice, wheat, and soybean.

Development of Cold Plasma Technologies for Surface Decontamination of Seed Fungal Pathogens: Present Status and Perspectives.

In view of the ever-growing human population and global environmental crisis, new technologies are emerging in all fields of our life. In the last two decades, the development of cold plasma (CP) technology has offered a promising and environmentally friendly solution for addressing global food security problems. Besides many positive effects, such as promoting seed germination, plant growth, and development, CP can also serve as a surface sterilizing agent.

1,8-dihydroxy naphthalene (DHN) - melanin confers tolerance to cadmium in isolates of melanised dark septate endophytes.

The contribution of 1,8-dihydroxy naphthalene (DHN) melanin to cadmium (Cd) tolerance in two dark septate endophytes (DSE) of the genus Cadophora with different melanin content was investigated in vitro. The DSE isolate Cad#148 with higher melanin content showed higher tolerance to Cd than the less melanised Cad#149. Melanin synthesis was significantly reduced by Cd in both isolates with uninhibited melanin synthesis, in a dose-dependent manner.

Brain iron enrichment attenuates α-synuclein spreading after injection of preformed fibrils.

Regional iron accumulation and α-synuclein (α-syn) spreading pathology within the central nervous system are common pathological findings in Parkinson's disease (PD). Whereas iron is known to bind to α-syn, facilitating its aggregation and regulating α-syn expression, it remains unclear if and how iron also modulates α-syn spreading. To elucidate the influence of iron on the propagation of α-syn pathology, we investigated α-syn spreading after stereotactic injection of α-syn preformed fibrils (PFFs) into the striatum of mouse brains after neonatal brain iron enrichment.

Cold Plasma Affects Germination and Fungal Community Structure of Buckwheat Seeds.

Crop seeds are frequently colonised by fungi from the field or storage places. Some fungi can cause plant diseases or produce mycotoxins, compromising the use of seeds as seeding material, food or feed. We have investigated the effects of cold plasma (CP) on seed germination and diversity of seed-borne fungi in common and Tartary buckwheat.

Magnesium and calcium overaccumulate in the leaves of a schengen3 mutant of Brassica rapa.

Magnesium (Mg) and calcium (Ca) are essential mineral nutrients poorly supplied in many human food systems. In grazing livestock, Mg and Ca deficiencies are costly welfare issues. Here, we report a Brassica rapa loss-of-function schengen3 (sgn3) mutant, braA.

Effects of Nonthermal Plasma on Morphology, Genetics and Physiology of Seeds: A Review.

Nonthermal plasma (NTP), or cold plasma, has shown many advantages in the agriculture sector as it enables removal of pesticides and contaminants from the seed surface, increases shelf life of crops, improves germination and resistance to abiotic stress. Recent studies show that plasma treatment indeed offers unique and environmentally friendly processing of different seeds, such as wheat, beans, corn, soybeans, barley, peanuts, rice and , which could reduce the use of agricultural chemicals and has a high potential in ecological farming. This review covers the main concepts and underlying principles of plasma treatment techniques and their interaction with seeds.

Breeding Buckwheat for Increased Levels of Rutin, Quercetin and Other Bioactive Compounds with Potential Antiviral Effects.

Common buckwheat ( Moench) and Tartary buckwheat ( (L.) Gaertn.) are sources of many bioactive compounds, such as rutin, quercetin, emodin, fagopyrin and other (poly)phenolics.

Temporal and Spatial Patterns of Zinc and Iron Accumulation during Barley ( L.) Grain Development.

Breeding and engineering of biofortified crops will benefit from a better understanding of bottlenecks controlling micronutrient loading within the seeds. However, few studies have addressed the changes in micronutrient concentrations, localization, and speciation occurring over time. Therefore, we studied spatial patterns of zinc and iron accumulation during grain development in two barley lines with contrasting grain zinc concentrations.