The Influence of Cryopreservation on Sperm Morphology and Its Implications in Terms of Fractions of Higher-Quality Sperm.

Male infertility is a significant global health issue, comprising approx. 50% of all infertility cases. Semen cryopreservation, a critical component of assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs), is a method commonly used in a wide range of situations, including gonadotoxic treatments such as radiation or chemotherapy, hazardous occupational exposures, and various medical conditions.

Heat stress causes chromatin accessibility and related gene expression changes in crown tissues of barley (Hordeum vulgare).

Plant responses to stress caused by high temperatures involve changes occurring at the molecular, metabolic, and physiological levels. Understanding the mechanisms by which plants recognize signals to activate this response is a prerequisite for identifying key genes and signaling pathways and for obtaining heat-tolerant plants. We demonstrated the first implementation of an assay for transposase-accessible chromatin to identify open chromatin regions (OCRs) in crown tissues of barley using three genotypes carrying different allelic forms of the sdw1 gene encoding gibberellin 20-oxidase subjected to elevated temperatures.

Drought-induced molecular changes in crown of various barley phytohormone mutants.

One of the main signal transduction pathways that modulate plant growth and stress responses, including drought, is the action of phytohormones. Recent advances in omics approaches have facilitated the exploration of plant genomes. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the response in the crown of barley, which plays an essential role in plant performance under stress conditions and regeneration after stress treatment, remain largely unclear.

The impact of multiple abiotic stresses on ns-LTP2.8 gene transcript and ns-LTP2.8 protein accumulation in germinating barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) embryos.

Abiotic stresses occur more often in combination than alone under regular field conditions limiting in more severe way crop production. Stress recognition in plants primarily occurs in the plasma membrane, modification of which is necessary to maintain homeostasis in response to it. It is known that lipid transport proteins (ns-LTPs) participate in modification of the lipidome of cell membranes.

Global Proteome Profiling Revealed the Adaptive Reprogramming of Barley Flag Leaf to Drought and Elevated Temperature.

Plants, as sessile organisms, have developed sophisticated mechanisms to survive in changing environments. Recent advances in omics approaches have facilitated the exploration of plant genomes; however, the molecular mechanisms underlying the responses of barley and other cereals to multiple abiotic stresses remain largely unclear. Exposure to stress stimuli affects many proteins with regulatory and protective functions.

The Effects of Growth Modification on Pollen Development in Spring Barley ( L.) Genotypes with Contrasting Drought Tolerance.

Drought stress inducing pollen sterility can reduce crop yield worldwide. The regulatory crosstalk associated with the effects of drought on pollen formation at the cellular level has not been explored in detail so far. In this study, we performed morphological and cytoembryological analysis of anther perturbations and examined pollen development in two spring barley genotypes that differ in earliness and drought tolerance.

The effects of heading time on yield performance and HvGAMYB expression in spring barley subjected to drought.

In the lifetime of a plant, flowering is not only an essential part of the reproductive process but also a critical developmental stage that can be vulnerable to environmental stresses. To ensure survival during drought, plants accelerate the flowering process, and this response is known as "drought escape." HvGAMYB-transcription factor associated, among others, with flowering process and anther development in barley-has also an important role in developmental modification and yield performance in plants subjected to stressed conditions.

Genome-wide association study of agronomical and root-related traits in spring barley collection grown under field conditions.

The root system is a key component for plant survival and productivity. In particular, under stress conditions, developing plants with a better root architecture can ensure productivity. The objectives of this study were to investigate the phenotypic variation of selected root- and yield-related traits in a diverse panel of spring barley genotypes.

Transcriptome profiling disclosed the effect of single and combined drought and heat stress on reprogramming of genes expression in barley flag leaf.

Despite numerous studies aimed at unraveling the genetic background of barley's response to abiotic stress, the modulation of the transcriptome induced by combinatorial drought and increased temperature remains largely unrecognized. Very limited studies were done, especially on the flag leaf, which plays an important role in grain filling in cereals. In the present study, transcriptome profiles, along with chlorophyll fluorescence parameters and yield components, were compared between barley genotypes with different flag leaf sizes under single and combined drought and heat stress.

and Epstein-Barr Virus Co-Infection in Polish Patients with Gastric Cancer - A Pilot Study.

The infectious agents may be the etiological factor of up to 15-20% of cancers. In stomach cancer, attention is paid to and Epstein-Barr virus, both of which cause gastritis and can lead to tumor development. In co-infection, the inflammatory process is much more intense.

Methodology for the Determination of a Process Safety Culture Index and Safety Culture Maturity Level in Industries.

A mature of safety culture is crucial to preventing and mitigating accidents, incidents, and unsafe behaviors in the process industry, so as to make it more sustainable and economically responsible. Measurement, investigation, and assessment of the safety culture using interviews, questionnaires, behavior observation, reviewing documentation, and its impact on the safety performances of an organization is complicated, challenging, and requires a commitment to all employees. The aim of this study was to propose a novel, unique semi-quantitative methodology for the determination of a total process safety culture index and parametric model of process safety culture maturity in an organization based on the Bradley model.

High-throughput sequencing data revealed genotype-specific changes evoked by heat stress in crown tissue of barley sdw1 near-isogenic lines.

Background: High temperature shock is becoming increasingly common in our climate, affecting plant growth and productivity. The ability of a plant to survive stress is a complex phenomenon. One of the essential tissues for plant performance under various environmental stimuli is the crown.

Research on the Safety and Security Distance of Above-Ground Liquefied Gas Storage Tanks and Dispensers.

Many countries lack clear legal requirements on the distance between buildings and petrol station facilities. The regulations in force directly determine the petrol station facilities' required distance to buildings, and such distances are considered relevant for newly designed and reconstructed buildings. Public buildings must be located no closer than 60 m to the above-ground liquefied gas tanks and liquid gas dispensers.

Understanding the Associations of Prenatal Androgen Exposure on Sleep Physiology, Circadian Proteins, Anthropometric Parameters, Hormonal Factors, Quality of Life, and Sex Among Healthy Young Adults: Protocol for an International, Multicenter Study.

Background: The ratio of the second finger length to the fourth finger length (2D:4D ratio) is considered to be negatively correlated with prenatal androgen exposure (PAE) and positively correlated with prenatal estrogen. Coincidentally, various brain regions are sensitive to PAE, and their functions in adults may be influenced by the prenatal actions of sex hormones.

Objective: This study aims to assess the relationship between PAE (indicated by the 2D:4D ratio) and various physiological (sex hormone levels and sleep-wake parameters), psychological (mental health), and sexual parameters in healthy young adults.

Identifying causes of poor water quality in a Polish agricultural catchment for designing effective and targeted mitigation measures.

The Gowienica Miedwiańska catchment is a small agricultural catchment located in the NW of Poland draining into Lake Miedwie, on which a drinking water source for the city of Szczecin is located. The catchment is characterized by very rich soils. Subsequently, agriculture is intensive and this is thought to influence the poor water quality in the local area.

Emerging organic compounds in European groundwater.

In Europe, emerging organic compounds (EOCs) in groundwater is a growing research area. Prioritisation for monitoring EOCs in Europe was formalised in 2019 through the development of the first voluntary groundwater watch list (GWWL). Despite this, groundwater occurrence data in the peer reviewed literature for Europe has not been reviewed to date.

A multi-actor, participatory approach to identify policy and technical barriers to better farming practices that protect our drinking water sources.

Despite an improvement of water quality across Europe there are many pollution hotspots for both nitrates and PPPs, mainly due to agricultural activities. The BMPs and MMs to reduce pollution from agriculture are well known, and there are policy instruments in place to ensure drinking water standards, but the current approach has not been efficient enough. Within the H2020 Water Protect project the premise was that there is a need for a multi-actor, participatory approach to tackle the issue from a new angle, and to assess why the uptake of known BMPs and MMs was not better among farmers.

Phenolic Metabolites from Barley in Contribution to Phenome in soil Moisture Deficit.

Eight barley varieties from Europe and Asia were subjected to moisture deficit at various development stages. At the seedling stage and the flag leaf stage combined stress was applied. The experiment was designed for visualization of the correlation between the dynamics of changes in phenolic compound profiles and the external phenome.

Image Phenotyping of Spring Barley ( L.) RIL Population Under Drought: Selection of Traits and Biological Interpretation.

Image-based phenotyping is a non-invasive method that permits the dynamic evaluation of plant features during growth, which is especially important for understanding plant adaptation and temporal dynamics of responses to environmental cues such as water deficit or drought. The aim of the present study was to use high-throughput imaging in order to assess the variation and dynamics of growth and development during drought in a spring barley population and to investigate associations between traits measured in time and yield-related traits measured after harvesting. Plant material covered recombinant inbred line population derived from a cross between European and Syrian cultivars.

Mapping of quantitative trait loci for traits linked to fusarium head blight in barley.

Fusarium head blight (FHB) is a devastating disease occurring in small grain cereals worldwide. The disease results in the reduction of grain yield, and mycotoxins accumulated in grain are also harmful to both humans and animals. It has been reported that response to pathogen infection may be associated with the morphological and developmental traits of the host plant, e.

Insights into Barley Root Transcriptome under Mild Drought Stress with an Emphasis on Gene Expression Regulatory Mechanisms.

Root systems play a pivotal role in coupling with drought stress, which is accompanied with a substantial transcriptome rebuilding in the root tissues. Here, we present the results of global gene expression profiling of roots of two barley genotypes with contrasting abilities to cope with drought that were subjected to a mild level of the stress. We concentrate our analysis on gene expression regulation processes, which allowed the identification of 88 genes from 39 families involved in transcriptional regulation in roots upon mild drought.

Effects of multiple abiotic stresses on lipids and sterols profile in barley leaves (Hordeum vulgare L.).

Plants are usually exposed to several types of abiotic stress in regular field conditions. The lipid profile of barley homozygous lines exposed to drought, heat, salinity, and their combinations, was investigated in the present study. Free fatty acids, free sterols, and diacylglycerols were the most abundant classes (∼8.

Prioritization of Candidate Genes in QTL Regions for Physiological and Biochemical Traits Underlying Drought Response in Barley ( L.).

Drought is one of the most adverse abiotic factors limiting growth and productivity of crops. Among them is barley, ranked fourth cereal worldwide in terms of harvested acreage and production. Plants have evolved various mechanisms to cope with water deficit at different biological levels, but there is an enormous challenge to decipher genes responsible for particular complex phenotypic traits, in order to develop drought tolerant crops.

How much information about embryo implantation potential is included in morphokinetic data? A prediction model based on artificial neural networks and principal component analysis.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to answer the question of how much information about embryo implantation potential can be obtained from morphokinetic parameters through the creation a predictive model based on morphokinetic information and using advanced data-mining and artificial intelligence methods.

Materials And Methods: Time-lapse recordings of 610 embryos were included in the analysis. For each embryo, absolute (t, t, t, t) and relative (cc2 and s2) morphokinetic parameters were collected.