Molecular Characterization and Phylogenetic Analysis of Honeybee () Mite-Borne Pathogen DWV-A and DWV-B Isolated from Lithuania.

Deformed wing virus (DWV) is known as one of the main viruses that affect honeybees' health all around the world. The virus has two widespread genotypes, DWV-A and DWV-B (VDV-1), transmitted mainly by mites. In this study, we collected honeycombs with covered broods from 73 apiaries in eight Lithuanian regions and initially investigated the prevalence of mites.

The Role of Mutated Calreticulin in the Pathogenesis of -Negative Myeloproliferative Neoplasms.

Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) are characterized by increased proliferation of myeloid lineages in the bone marrow. Calreticulin () 52 bp deletion and 5 bp insertion have been identified in essential thrombocythemia (ET) and primary myelofibrosis (PMF). There is not much data on the crosstalk between mutated and MPN-related signaling pathways, such as JAK/STAT, PI3K/Akt/mTOR, and Hedgehog.

Exploring the perceived effectiveness and strictness of penalties for traffic offences: The influence of prior punishment experience and evaluation perspective (personal vs. general).

Introduction: Previous research has identified the perception of penalties as one of the most important deterrents to road traffic offenses. This study investigated whether the perceived effectiveness and the perceived strictness of penalties for different traffic offenses are associated with prior punishment experience and evaluation perspective (personal - if participants were being punished themselves, vs. general - for punishing all drivers).

Health workers' perspectives on the quality of maternal and newborn health care around the time of childbirth: Results of the Improving MAternal Newborn carE in the EURO Region (IMAgiNE EURO) project in 12 countries of the World Health Organization European Region.

Background: Health workers' (HWs') perspectives on the quality of maternal and newborn care (QMNC) are not routinely collected. In this cross-sectional study, we aimed to document HWs' perspectives on QMNC around childbirth in 12 World Health Organization (WHO) European countries.

Methods: HWs involved in maternal/neonatal care for at least one year between March 2020 and March 2023 answered an online validated WHO standards-based questionnaire collecting 40 quality measures for improving QMNC.

Effect of Burned Multi-Crop Ashes on Faba Bean-Development Parameters.

The use of burned plant biomass ashes could help not only with respect to utilizing combustion residues, but also with respect to optimizing the nutrition of cultivated agricultural plants without harming the environment. With this aim, a pot experiment of the effects of multi-crop biomass ash on faba bean seedlings was carried out in the Academy of Agriculture of the Vytautas Magnus University (VMU). Four ash fertilization rates were tested: 1.

Phytochemical and Functional Diversity of Enzyme-Assisted Extracts from L., Thunb., and L.

Plant leaves are a source of essential phenolic compounds, which have numerous health benefits and can be used in multiple applications. While various techniques are available for recovering bioactive compounds from by-products, more data are needed on enzyme-assisted extraction (EAE). The aim of this study was to compare EAE and solid-liquid extraction (SLE), to evaluate the impact on bioactive compounds' extraction yield, phytochemical composition, and the antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antidiabetic properties of leaves and roots, sea buckthorn and hemp leaves.

Insights from the Active Use of Neuroscience Findings in Teaching and Learning.

The aim of this paper is to show how teachers apply teaching and learning strategies related to the principles of the nervous system's functions. In our view, understanding what constitutes good teaching is about identifying how it engages the underlying cognitive and neurosystemic processes within the human brain in relation to learning. Using a student self-assessment questionnaire, we have investigated several key processes involved in neurodidactics (excitation, perception, memory, and the use, transfer, and adaptation of information and/or actions).

Reviving the forgotten legacy: Strategies for reviving qanats as sustainable solutions for agricultural water supply in arid and semi-arid regions.

In semi-arid and arid regions, qanats are a vital water source for agricultural needs. However, many communities are abandoning these traditional and sustainable water supply systems in favor of modern and more productive methods. Consequently, this research aimed to identify the most effective approaches for rejuvenating qanats in the dry and semi-arid areas of Razavi Khorasan province, Iran.

Spatial heterogeneity in the properties of hydroponic wheat fodder and its sustainability.

This study was conducted to determine the heterogeneity of the quantitative and qualitative properties of fodder growth in cultivated hydroponic wheat fodder (HWF) in the growth tray area and to evaluate the impact on the environment. HWF was grown using nutrient film technique. Yield productivity (YP) of HWF in the growth tray area was divided into four characteristic zones (A, B, C, and D).

Comparative analysis of national and foreign players' performance in Euroleague Basketball.

This study aimed to quantitatively assess the statistical contributions between foreign and national players in men's Euroleague Basketball. Data from 588 games in the 2021-2022 regular season and 612 games in the 2022-2023 regular season were analyzed through non-participant observation. Paired t-tests and Wilcoxon tests were employed to analyse variables with normal and non-normal distributions, respectively.

Posttraumatic growth and its associations with perceived stress and core beliefs in women after traumatic childbirth during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic added new challenges and stressors to the childbirth period, potentially increasing the risk of traumatic childbirth experiences. There is little known about posttraumatic growth (PTG) in a childbearing population. This study describes PTG in women after traumatic childbirth during the COVID-19 pandemic and its association with sociodemographic, birth-related characteristics, traumatic childbirth events, perceived stress, and core beliefs, as well as explores what factors predict PTG.

Trends in mercury, lead and cadmium concentrations in 27 European streams and rivers: 2000-2020.

Temporal trends for concentrations of mercury (Hg), lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) were evaluated from year 2000-2020 in 20 (Hg), 23 (Pb) and 11 (Cd) watercourses in remote forest catchments in Europe. Decreasing trends were observed in 15% (Hg), 39% (Pb) and 45% (Cd) of the watercourses during the period of evaluation. Decreasing trends were mainly observed between 2000 and 2005 for Hg and between 2000 and 2015 for Pb and Cd.

Application of cold plasma therapy for managing subclinical mastitis in cows induced by and .

The primary objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of cold plasma therapy in managing subclinical mastitis in cows caused by and . After detection of mastitis pathogens, 38 cows were selected for cold plasma therapy for five days. On the fifth day of treatment, the mastitis agents were re-examined and no causative agents were identified.

Factors associated with teachers' intention to leave their profession: teacher portraits from two European countries.

Introduction: Turnover of teachers is an mportant factor that impedes building and maintaining sustainable positive pedagogical practices to facilitate students' adjustment. The aim of this study was to elicit a portrait of teachers wanting to leave their profession.

Methods: The research sample comprised 784 teachers from two European countries, namely 357 teachers from Latvia and 427 from Lithuania.

Tree regeneration and ontogenetic strategies of northern European hemiboreal forests: transitioning towards closer-to-nature forest management.

Background: Tree ontogeny is the genetic trajectories of regenerative processes in trees, repeating in time and space, including both development and reproduction. Understanding the principles of tree ontogeny is a key priority in emulating natural ecological patterns and processes that fall within the calls for closer-to-nature forest management. By recognizing and respecting the growth and development of individual trees and forest stands, forest managers can implement strategies that align with the inherent dynamics of forest ecosystem.

Tribological Research of Resin Composites with the Fillers of Glass Powder and Micro-Bubbles.

This study investigates the tribological properties of resin composites reinforced with the fillers of glass powder and micro-bubbles. Resin composites were prepared with varying concentrations from 1% to 5% wt of fillers. Tribological tests were conducted using a block-on-ring scheme under dry friction conditions.

Seed Treatment with Cold Plasma and Electromagnetic Field: Changes in Antioxidant Capacity of Seedlings in Different (L.) H. Karst Half-Sib Families.

In the context of climate change, methods to improve the resistance of coniferous trees to biotic and abiotic stress are in great demand. The common plant response to exposure to vastly different stressors is the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) followed by activation of the defensive antioxidant system. We aimed to evaluate whether seed treatment with physical stressors can activate the activity of antioxidant enzymes and radical scavenging activity in young (L.

Interplay between Electric Field Strength and Number of Short-Duration Pulses for Efficient Gene Electrotransfer.

Electroporation is a method that shows great promise as a non-viral approach for delivering genes by using high-voltage electric pulses to introduce DNA into cells to induce transient gene expression. This research aimed to evaluate the interplay between electric pulse intensity and 100 µs-duration pulse numbers as an outcome of gene electrotransfer efficacy and cell viability. Our results indicated a close relationship between pulse number and electric field strength regarding gene electrotransfer efficacy; higher electric pulse intensity resulted in fewer pulses needed to achieve the same gene electrotransfer efficacy.

Flavonoids, Phenolic Acids, and Tannin Quantities and Their Antioxidant Activity in Fermented Fireweed Leaves Grown in Different Systems.

The increasing demand for organic and biodynamically cultivated fireweeds worldwide has led to a paucity of studies on the effects of solid-phase fermentation and various growth techniques on the quantities of biologically active substances and their antioxidant activity. This experiment was carried out in 2023 at the organic farm in the Jonava district (Safarkos village, Lithuania). The aim of this work was to investigate polyphenols (flavonoids and phenolic acids) and antioxidant activity in fireweed ( (L.

Genetic Characterization of spp. Strains in an Organic Field Pea ( L.) Field in Lithuania.

Biological nitrogen fixation in legume plants depends on the diversity of rhizobia present in the soil. Rhizobial strains exhibit specificity towards host plants and vary in their capacity to fix nitrogen. The increasing interest in rhizobia diversity has prompted studies of their phylogenetic relations.

Association of Dry Period Length with Automatic Milking System, Mastitis, and Reproductive Indicators in Cows.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between dry period (DP) length and various indicators of productivity, reproduction, and udder health in cows managed with an automatic milking system. We analyzed records from 3861 cows, categorizing them into three groups based on their DP duration: (1) <40 days, (2) 40-70 days, and (3) DP > 70 days. Cows with a DP of 40-70 days had an average energy-corrected milk production that was 8.

Leisure-time physical activity improves happiness, health, and mood profile better than work-related physical activity.

Background: In an online survey of Lithuanian adults (n = 1140) aged 18 to 64 years, we sought to better understand the factors influencing the structure of physical activity (PA). We hypothesised that the PA paradox (i.e.