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The conservation of environmental resources is aimed at ensuring the continuity of ecosystem services for future generations and maintaining ecosystem integrity. Given the extensive reliance of agriculture on the environment, it is crucial to identify factors that impact the quality of ecosystem services (ESs), which can be regulated at large and heterogeneous national or European scales. This research, conducted within the Polish use case of the AGRICORE project, aims to demonstrate the feasibility of establishing indicators depicted in three ES categories, which can be shaped under the actions of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The study was conducted based on national sources, mostly the database of the Central Statistical Office. The analyses of regression showed a significant impact of selected agricultural productivity factors on the key performance indicators (KPIs) assessing the level of selected ESs. The yield of cereal grains, which quantitatively expresses the potential of current crop production, depended to the greatest extent (r = 0.81) on a comprehensive indicator of the agricultural production space suitability, as well as on the rise of the level of nitrogen fertilization (r = 0.68), and also on the reduced share of permanent grassland in the agricultural area (r = −0.53). It was proved that in territorial units, in which the level of nitrogen fertilization per 1 ha was greater, the share of soils with favorable pH > 5.5 was also greater. The gross nitrogen balance had a positive and significant correlation with the level of investment subsidies (r = 0.86), the share of agricultural land in the total area (r = 0.67), and the level of nitrogen fertilization (r = 0.66). Notably, there were positive correlations between the level of environmental subsidies and the increase in forestation (r = 0.68) and also between air quality and the share of cereals in the sowing structure (r = 0.86). Additionally, the impact of agricultural productivity factors on cultural eco-services was found, e.g., the share of ecological land had a positive impact on the number of natural monuments, the area of nature reserves, the number of agritourists, and agritourism nights, while the share of cereals in the sowing structure negatively correlated with the most of analyzed cultural indicators. These results are useful for the development of a module for the ABM model that employs the desired environmental parameters to provide different assessments of the impact of selected agricultural productivity factors and ecosystem services on the economic farm status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of a survey conducted electronically in the years 2020-2022 within the framework of the AGRICORE Horizon project. It concerned the Agri-Environment-Climate Measure M10 within the Rural Development Programme 2014-2020 and aimed to quantify the impact of its effects on environmental and climatic policy implementation at a national level according to the perceptions of Polish farmers. The representativeness of the scrutinized population was checked using general data from the Polish Statistics Office. The results of our study show a positive perception of M10 by the participating farmers. The majority of them observed the income progress of their activities despite the increased workload connected with programme implementation and the increased costs associated with some of the declared activities. The innovation activities of the M10 participants were directed mainly at sustainable agriculture and protecting the environment. The respondents who did not decide to participate in M10 most frequently explained themselves by noting a lack of information about the programme, bureaucratic limitations, or doubts concerning the profitability of participation. The results of the study suggest that during the implementation of future EU agri-environmental measures, more attention should be paid to administrative and legal activities at the national level which may improve the perception of the programme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The soil water retention curve (SWRC) is a key soil property required for predicting basic hydrological processes. SWRC is often obtained in laboratory with non-harmonized methods. Moreover, procedures associated to each method are not standardized. This can induce a lack of reproducibility between laboratories using different methods and procedures or using the same methods with different procedures. The goal of this study was to estimate the inter/intralaboratory variability of the measurement of the wet part (from 10 to 300 hPa) of the SWRC. An interlaboratory comparison was conducted between 14 laboratories, using artificially constructed, porous and structured samples as references. The bulk densities of samples were different at the very beginning of the experiment. This resulted in a variability of retention properties between the samples, which was estimated by a linear mixed model with a 'sample' random effect. Our estimate of inter/intralaboratory variability was therefore not affected by intrinsic differences between samples. The greatest portion of the differences in the measurement of SWRCs was due to interlaboratory variability. The intralaboratory variability was highly variable depending on the laboratory. Some laboratories successfully reproduced the same SWRC on the same sample, while others did not. The mean intralaboratory variability over all laboratories was smaller than the mean interlaboratory variability. A possible explanation for these results is that all laboratories used slightly different methods and procedures. We believe that this result may be of great importance regarding the quality of SWRC databases built by pooling SWRCs obtained in different laboratories. The quality of pedotransfer functions or maps that might be derived is probably hampered by this inter-/intralaboratory variability. The way forward is that measurement procedures of the SWRC need to be harmonized and standardized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current study the hypothesis that 1.0% dietary inclusion of glutamine (Gln), a conditionally essential amino acid that influences protein synthesis and shows anti-osteoporotic effect, can influence eggshell quality was tested on laying hens in the post-peak laying period. Thirty-week-old Bovans Brown hens were randomly assigned to control group or group supplemented with Gln in the form of alphaketoglutarate (10 g/kg) with 12 replicate cages (2 hens/cage) in each group. The experimental period lasted for 30 weeks, from the 31st to the 60th week of age of hens, when eggs were collected and selected eggshell quality indices were determined. While Gln supplementation had no effect on egg geometry and eggshell cracking force, the analysis of eggshell quality showed an increase of the eggshell thickness (P<0.01), porosity (P<0.01), eggshell specific surface (P<0.001) and positive changes in other mechanical parameters (decrease of eggshell stiffness and Young's modulus, P<0.05 and P<0.01, respectively; increase of work needed to crack the eggshell, P<0.05). Changes in eggshell mineral composition, including an increase of Ca content (P<0.001), were also observed. In conclusion, the current study showed a beneficial effect of Gln on the eggshell thickness, calcification, and some mechanical parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aggregate stability of the soil is subject to the influence of anthropogenic factors and is of great interest all over the world. The research aimed to quantify the correlations between soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and total potassium, soil macropore parameters and water-stable aggregates under no-tillage and conventional tillage in Cambisol. The content of water-stable aggregates and macroporosity tended to increase in the following order: conventional tillage (returned residues) < conventional tillage (removed residues) < no-tillage (removed residues) < no-tillage (returned residues) in both fertilizations. The relationships between total nitrogen and various soil factors were investigated: soil organic carbon (r=0.65, p<0.05), total phosphorus (r=0.65, p<0.05), were statistically significant. Soil organic carbon and total nitrogen were positively correlated with water-stable aggregates (r=0.81, p<0.01 and r=0.68, p<0.05, respectively), whereas the relationship between total potassium and water-stable aggregates was negative. The relationship between total phosphorus and water-stable aggregates (r=0.62, p<0.05) was positive. The soil chemical properties, macropores and water-stable aggregates that were averaged across the residues and fertilizations were higher in no-tillage than in conventional tillage. Soil organic carbon, total nitrogen and total phosphorus all had a positive direct influence on the formation of water-stable aggregates under different tillage conditions. Since our results are largely based on correlations, the mechanisms of interaction between the soil chemical properties, water-stable aggregates and the formation of pores in the soil need to be explored further in future investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The multiphase splash phenomenon is especially interesting in the context of environmental protection, as it could be a mechanism for transporting various types of pollution. A numerical 3D multiphase transport model was applied to a splash that occurred under the impact of a petrol drop on the water surface. The splash phenomenon in immiscible liquids was simulated using the multiphaseInterFoam solver, i.e., a part of the OpenFOAM computational fluid dynamics software implementing the finite volume method (FVM) for space discretization. Thirteen variants with a variable drop size (3.00–3.60 mm) or drop velocity (3.29–3.44 m/s) were conducted and validated experimentally based on splash images taken by a high-speed camera (2800 fps). Based on the numerical simulation, it was possible to analyse aspects that were difficult or impossible to achieve experimentally due to the limitations of the image analysis method. The aspects included the cavity spread, the jet forming moment, and, notably, the scale of the petroleum contamination spread in the splash effect. The simulations showed that droplets detaching from the crown did not consist of pure water but were mostly a "mixture" of water and petrol or petrol alone. The applied modelling workflow is an efficient way to simulate three-phase splash phenomena. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to elucidate the dynamics of fluid topology during drainage and evaporation of wetting and non-wetting fluids via evaluation of their Euler characteristic (EC) and Betti numbers from designed experiments. The results showed that the EC of the non-wetting fluid remained constant at a high wetting fluid saturation and then decreased nonlinearly. However, the EC of the wetting fluid exhibited more complex trends. In the 2-D micromodel, the number of loops decreased monotonously, reached zero, and remained constant for lower saturations, while the number of distinct components fluctuated because of the appearance and disappearance of disconnected clusters. In the 2-D model, the number of distinct components played a significant role; in the 3-D X-ray CT experiment, the number of loops of pendular rings dominated the EC. The findings suggest that the trends observed in the 2-D micromodel may not apply under 3-D conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We developed a low-cost method for fabricating "soil-on-a-chip" micromodels with 2D and 2.5D pore structures by stacking layers made with a conventional low-cost tabletop CNC router followed by tape bonding. The pore structure was extracted from an X-ray micro-computed tomography scanning image of a medium-grain sandstone sample. The imbibition experiments performed in the 2D and 2.5D micromodels showed the trends of the residual saturation versus capillary number (Ca). The channels showed opposing trends for low-aspect-ratio 2D and high-aspect-ratio 2.5D micromodels. As the channel aspect ratio increased, the location of air entrapment changed from dead-end pores to transport pores. The sizes of trapped air bubbles in the transport pores decreased as the injection flow rates increased. To show the relationship between the air trapped size and Ca, we derived equations that described the competition between the bulk menisci and the corner flow in the channels for different Ca based on the "supply principle." The relative contributions of the piston displacement and corner film flow, which were dependent on the cross-sectional shapes of the pores and Ca, determined the size and location of the air bubbles trapped in the 2.5D micromodel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The numerical modelling of transport phenomena in porous media often requires a compromise between grid precision and the accuracy of simulation results. This study demonstrates the impact of errors on the accuracy of the reproduction of the actual pore space by the numerical grid on the estimated values of the saturated water conductivity. Four types of computational grids with varying levels of complexity were prepared for each of the 12 tomographic images of the porous specimens. The specific surfaces and total porosities were calculated for each of the meshes and compared with those parameters calculated for binarized tomographic images. Simulations of steady flow were performed on the computational grids, and the saturated water conductivity values were calculated. It has been shown that an insufficiently accurate mesh only reproduces the largest pore spaces in the analysed sample, which most often leads to an underestimation of the water conductivity coefficient. The following criterion for the optimal accuracy of the computational grid is proposed, it is based on the voxel size of the tomographic images of the porous media: the minimum size of the cell in the mesh used for simulations has to be at most two times the size of the voxel used in the tomographic scans of the porous medium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aimed to quantify the relationship between root parameters and soil macropore characteristics in two soil layers of Retisol from a hilly landscape in Western Lithuania, as influenced by different land use systems. The decreases in root volume and root length density were dependent on land use and soil depth. The values of root length density and root volume at 0-20 cm depth tended to decrease in the following order: grassland > forest > arable land under conventional tillage. The highest volume in the framework of macropores was recorded for medium-size pores under arable land (3.02%), for fine pores (2.56%) in forest soil and very fine pores in grassland soil (below 1.19%) at the 0-10 cm soil depth, while at 10-20 cm soil depth, the coarse macropores dominated in the arable land system (below 1.41%). Root length density, root volume and the volume of very fine macropores had close relationships (p < 0.01, r = 0.91 and r = 0.68, respectively) under different land use at 0-20 cm depth. In Retisol, the roots were concentrated at 0-10 cm soil depth, and their volume was higher compared to the 10-20 cm depth. Plant roots increased the volume of very fine macropores in all land use systems, within the entire 0-20 cm soil depth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been demonstrated in numerous studies that bee pollen supplementation shows numerous positive effects on health. However, its impact on bones is largely unknown. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of bee pollen supplementation on the tibia biomechanical properties and bone morphometric measures using Japanese quail as an animal model. The experiment was arranged in a 2x2x2 factorial design, with sex, quail line (meat-type or egg-lying type), and bee pollen inclusion (0 or 10 g/kg of feed) as factors. The quails were one-day-old at the beginning of the experiment, they were euthanized after 42 days. Our study showed for the first time unfavorable effects of bee pollen on bones properties. Bee pollen supplementation negatively affected bone structure, irrespective of quails' sex or line type. Bone length (P < 0.001), weight (P < 0.01), and mean relative wall thickness (P < 0.01) and mineralization (P < 0.05) were reduced by bee pollen treatment. For female quails, irrespective of line type, the decrease of yield load (P < 0.001), ultimate load (P < 0.01), yield stress (P < 0.001) and ultimate stress (P < 0.05) was noted. Analysis of growth plate in bone metaphysis showed that bee pollen supplementation slowed the process of bone maturation irrespective of sex (P < 0.05). On contrary, dietary bee pollen positively affected bone homeostasis of trabecular bone in bone metaphysis as bone mineral density increased in experimental groups (P < 0.05). In males, this was the result of the increase of trabecular thickness (P < 0.01), in females due to the reduction of trabecular space (P < 0.001). In conclusion, our results demonstrate that bee pollen (1.0%, 10 g/kg of feed) supplementation caused significant negative effects on the mechanical endurance of the tibia of quails, while showed beneficial effects on trabecular bone histomorphometry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kynurenic acid (KYNA) is a neuroactive metabolite of tryptophan. KYNA naturally occurs in breast milk and its content increases with lactation, indicating the role of neonatal nutrition in general growth with long-term health effects. KYNA is also an antagonist of ionotropic glutamate receptors expressed in bone cells. The aim of this study was to establish the effects of chronic KYNA supplementation on bone homeostasis in young rats, using mandible as a model bone. Female and male newborn Wistar rats were divided into control and KYNA-administered groups until 60 days of age (25x101 mg/L or 25x102 mg/L in drinking water). Hemimandibles were subjected to densitometry, computed tomography analysis and mechanical testing. Rats supplemented with KYNA at both doses showed a decrease in body weight. There were no effects of KYNA administration and mandible histomorphometry. In males, a significant quadratic effect (P < 0.001) was observed in the densitometry of the hemimandible, where BMD increased in the group supplemented with 2.5x101 mg/L of KYNA. Analysis of mechanical tests data showed that when fracture forces were corrected for bone geometry and rats body weight the improvement of bone material properties was observed in male and female rats supplemented with lower dose of KYNA. This study showed that chronic supplementation with KYNA may limit weight gain in the young, without adversely affecting the development of the skeleton. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

X-ray computed tomography soil studies rely on image analysis procedures that commonly begin with a thresholding step which is prone to errors and leads to uncertainty in the deduced values of soil characteristics, e.g., total porosity, specific surface or simulated saturated water conductivity. In this paper, four 3D images of soil cores were thresholded using two different algorithms. Total porosity and specific surface were determined for binarized images whereas saturated water conductivity was numerically estimated using the Navier-Stokes equation-based modelling. The study shows that an erroneous thresholding step leads to uncertainty in the determination of soil pore system characteristics and saturated water conductivity estimation. The lowest relative error in the total porosity determination, which was obtained in our study, was 15%, and the highest 40%. The results of this study demonstrate that errors related to thresholding may have a huge impact on the estimation of saturated hydraulic conductivity in soils, easily reaching a relative error of 50% of the saturated water conductivity reference value. Even small shifts in the threshold level can cause huge changes in saturated water conductivity estimation (a threshold shift by 6.7% for sample 2 analysed in the study caused more than a two-fold increase in the estimated value of saturated hydraulic conductivity). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses the effects of soil macropores, temperature and water content on soil carbon dioxide (CO2) efflux behaviour, which could help understand the mechanism of CO2 efflux as influenced by soil type and land use methods. The temporal dynamic changes of CO2 efflux from the soil surface using a closed chamber method (LI-COR LI-8100A Automated Soil CO2 Flux System) were measured. Soil CO2 efflux was investigated at a topsoil depth of 0-5 cm in (1) arable land under conventional tillage on Cambisol (CM), (2) grassland on Cambisol, (3) park on Cambisol, (4) arable land under conventional tillage on Retisol (RT), (5) grassland on Retisol and (6) forest on Retisol. CO2 emission was measured six times per growing season from May to September in 2017. Soil macropore network was researched by implementing an X-ray computed tomography and carried out at the laboratory of the Institute of Agrophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences in Lublin, Poland. Macropores resulting from soil pedogenesis and land use methods played an important role on soil water, temperature and gas transport. The type of soil vegetation cover and amount of soil macropores significantly influenced soil respiration rate. The efflux values were recorded ranging from 0.71 to 3.43 µmol CO2 m-2 s-1 (Cambisol) and from 0.70 to 3.05 µmol CO2 m-2 s-1 (Retisol) in the grassland, from 0.43 to 2.57 µmol CO2 m-2 s-1 (Cambisol) in the park, from 0.44 to 2.52 µmol CO2 m-2 s-1 (Retisol) in the forest, from 0.52 to 2.68 µmol CO2 m-2 s-1 (Retisol) and from 0.09 to1.57 µmol CO2 m-2 s-1 (Cambisol) in the conventional tillage. Computational tomography data revealed that the content of macropores amounted to 10.75% in the grassland site, 1.97% in the park and 1.21% in the conventional tillage within the soil depth of 3-8 cm of the Cambisol and 6.45% in the forest, 4.94% in the conventional tillage and 3.86% in the grassland at the same soil depth of the Retisol. Soil temperature, water content and macroporosity were the main factors exerting the influence on soil gas origination rate. The relationship between soil CO2 efflux and volumetric water content at a 5 cm depth can be described by a linear regression model y = 0.0943x - 0.7651, R² = 0.53 (valid for volumetric water content from 22.5 to 27.0 vol.% on Retisol and from 16.8 to 24.4 vol.% on Cambisol). Also, linear regression model y = 0.1167x - 0.8214, R² = 0.65 showed the relationship between soil CO2 efflux and soil macroporosity at the 3-8 cm depth. Soil CO2 efflux displayed a typical polynomial relationship with soil temperature at the 5 cm depth; however, the relationship was very weak. Both soil type and land use methods had a noticeable influence on macroporosity, surface area and macropore range of soil pore-size distribution. The amount of macropores in macropore geometry was an important factor when dealing with CO2 flow. Topsoil CO2 efflux under contrasting vegetation cover and management conditions on Cambisol and Retisol was directly related to soil macroporosity and volumetric water content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although slope aspect determines the amount of solar irradiation, with implications on the functioning of forest ecosystems, little is known yet about how this affects the aboveground deadwood decomposition dynamics. Therefore, we set up a climosequence case study to evaluate the impact of slope exposure (north- vs. south-facing sites) on the physico-chemical and microbiological properties of Picea abies coarse woody debris (CWD) at different stages of natural decay (decay classes, DCls 1–5) in an Italian Alpine setting. Variations in bacterial, fungal and archaeal abundances were assessed by real-time PCR in the extra- and intracellular DNA fractions (eDNA vs. iDNA) of the total deadwood DNA pool. Physico-chemical wood properties (macro- and micronutrients; lignin and cellulose content; 3D structure via X-ray microtomography) were also performed along with the determination of key enzymatic activities involved in the main nutrient cycles. Overall, higher microbial abundances were registered in Picea abies CWD samples at the cooler, more acidic and moister north-facing site, which are favourable conditions especially for fungal wood decomposers. This thermal signal (N > S) was more evident for the advanced decay stages (DCls 4 and 5), being wood pH the most determinant factor for discriminating between both slopes. We also found that the impact of exposure was enzyme-specific and strongly dependent on the decay class, except for those enzymes involved in the P cycle. In addition, the eDNA/iDNA ratio provided a simple yet powerful index of microbial activity in terms of exposure, with lower values at the north-facing slope indicative of a higher microbial activity. This is in line with the more pronounced physical wood damage detected at this slope by the X-ray microtomography. A higher microbial activity at the cooler north-facing site rather seems surprising – a circumstance that probably is not due to temperature itself but due to increased moisture availability at this slope. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we estimated using the machine learning methodology the main wetting branch of the soil water retention curve based on the knowledge of the main drying branch and other, optional, basic soil characteristics (particle size distribution, bulk density, organic matter content, or soil specific surface). The support vector machine algorithm was used for the models' development. The data needed by this algorithm for model training and validation consisted of 104 different undisturbed soil core samples collected from the topsoil layer (A horizon) of different soil profiles in Poland. The main wetting and drying branches of SWRC, as well as other basic soil physical characteristics, were determined for all soil samples. Models relying on different sets of input parameters were developed and validated. The analysis showed that taking into account other input parameters (i.e., particle size distribution, bulk density, organic matter content, or soil specific surface) than information about the drying branch of the SWRC has essentially no impact on the models' estimations. Developed models are validated and compared with well-known models that can be used for the same purpose, such as the Mualem (1977) (M77) and Kool and Parker (1987) (KP87) models. The developed models estimate the main wetting SWRC branch with estimation errors (RMSE = 0.018 m3/m3) that are significantly lower than those for the M77 (RMSE = 0.025 m3/m3) or KP87 (RMSE = 0. 047 m3/m3) models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An admixture of lightweight aggregate substrates (beidellitic clay containing 10 wt % of natural clinoptilolite or Na-P1 zeolite) with used motor oil (1 wt %-8 wt %) caused marked changes in the aggregates' microstructure, measured by a combination of mercury porosimetry (MIP), microtomography (MT), and scanning electron microscopy. Maximum porosity was produced at low (1%-2%) oil concentrations and it dropped at higher concentrations, opposite to the aggregates' bulk density. Average pore radii, measured by MIP, decreased with an increasing oil concentration, whereas larger (MT) pore sizes tended to increase. Fractal dimension, derived from MIP data, changed similarly to the MIP pore radius, while that derived from MT remained unaltered. Solid phase density, measured by helium pycnometry, initially dropped slightly and then increased with the amount of oil added, which was most probably connected to changes in the formation of extremely small closed pores that were not available for He atoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The splash phenomenon is the first stage of water erosion on the soil. It occurs when the water drops of the rain strike the surface. The impact of the water drop is fast. But if one has a fast enough measuring system, it can be considered as a temporally extended phenomenon. The aim of this paper is to describe a system for the measurement of the dynamic of the changing forces when a water drop interacts with the surface during impact. The constructive assumptions and validation of the measurement system, which has been based on piezoelectric sensors, are also presented. The system allows one to measure the changes of the force with the frequency of 150 kHz. The maximum force is 200 N, which is quite sufficient for all sizes of water drops which occur in nature and their maximum speeds. The results of test measurements, that is, the changes of the force obtained from water drops falling on the sensors, are also shown. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Particle size distribution (PSD) is a major soil characteristic, which is essential and commonly used for the development of pedotransfer functions (PTFs) to estimate the water retention of soils. The laser diffraction method (LDM) became a popular alternative to the standard sieve-hydrometer method (SHM) of PSD measurement. Unfortunately, PSDs determined with LDM and SHM methods differ sometimes substantially. Moreover, it is claimed that the laser diffraction method underestimates finer fractions in favor of coarser fractions. Several authors have tried to elaborate on methods to recalculate LDM PSD into its SHM counterparts, but no universal methodology has been developed to this date. In this paper, we use PSD determined by LDM directly for PTF development and compare it with the classical PTF approach based on PSD measured by SHM. Four different PTF models based on LDM particle size distribution data were developed, with different PSD characteristics taken as the models' input variables. The possibility of using alternative PSD characteristics, such as deciles, area moment mean and volume moment mean, for PTF development was examined. The accuracy of PTF models constructed on the basis of LDM-measured PSD was comparable with that of the developed models using texture data obtained from SHM, giving approximately the same RMSE and R2 values. Our study shows that LDM-measured particle size distribution may be directly used for PTF developments without any recalculations to their sieve-hydrometer counterparts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work presents point pedotransfer function (PTF) models of the soil water retention curve. The developed models allowed for estimation of the soilwater content for the specified soilwater potentials: -0.98, -3.10, -9.81, -31.02, -491.66, and -1554.78 kPa, based on the following soil characteristics: soil granulometric composition, total porosity, and bulk density. Support Vector Machines (SVM) methodology was used for model development. A new methodology for elaboration of retention function models is proposed. Alternative to previous attempts known from literature, the C-SVM method was used for model development and the results were compared with the formerly used the v-SVM method. For the purpose of models' parameters search, genetic algorithms were used as an optimisation framework.Anew formof the aimfunction used formodels parameters search is proposed which allowed for development of models with better prediction capabilities. This new aim function avoids overestimation of models which is typically encountered when root mean squared error is used as an aim function. Elaborated models showed good agreement with measured soil water retention data. Achieved coefficients of determination values were in the range 0.67- 0.92. Studies demonstrated usability of C-SVM methodology together with genetic algorithm optimisation for retention modelling which gave better performing models than other tested approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elements of design and a field application of a TDR-based soil moisture and electrical conductivity monitoring system are described with detailed presentation of the time delay units with a resolution of 10 ps. Other issues discussed include the temperature correction of the applied time delay units, battery supply characteristics and the measurement results from one of the installed ground measurement stations in the Polesie National Park in Poland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A metabolite of leucine, ß-hydroxy-ß-methylbutyrate (HMB), used as a dietary supplement effects muscle tissue gain and bone tissue quality. Since there are no studies on the effects of HMB during pregnancy yet, the aim of the current study was to determine the effects of HMB supplementation during pregnancy on osteoporotic bone quality postpartum and post-lactation using spiny mice (Acomys cahirinus) as the animal models. The six-month-old dams were divided into four groups: pregnant and lactating controls, and pregnant and lactating HMB-treated (during the second trimester of pregnancy) females. The intensity of the immunoreaction of osteocalcin (OC), osteoprotegerin (OPG), bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP-2), tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases 2 (TIMP-2), matrix metalloproteinase 8 and 13 (MMP-8 and MMP-13) and proteins involved in bone turnover, was measured in femoral trabecular and compact bone, as well as in the hyaline and epiphyseal cartilage of the femora. The analysis of the trabecular bone microarchitecture showed that the administration of HMB to pregnant females, by influencing the proteins responsible for bone cell activity and collagen remodeling, can provide protection from bone loss. Based on the results of the current study it can be assumed that HMB administration to pregnant females has a more positive impact on trabecular than compact bone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structure and strength are responsible for soil physical properties. This paper determines in a uniaxial compression test the strength of artificial soils containing different proportions of various clay-size minerals (cementing agents) and silt-size feldspar/quartz (skeletal particles). A novel empirical model relating the maximum stress and the Young's modulus to the mineral content basing on the Langmuir-type curve was proposed. By using mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP), bulk density (BD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), structural parameters influencing the strength of the soils were estimated and related to mechanical parameters. Size and shape of particles are considered as primary factors responsible for soil strength. In our experiments, the soil strength depended primarily on the location of fine particles in respect to silt grains and then, on a mineral particle size. The surface fractal dimension of mineral particles played a role of a shape parameter governing soil strength. Soils containing minerals of higher surface fractal dimensions (rougher surfaces) were more mechanically resistant. The two latter findings appear to be recognized herein for the first time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The incessant increase in the demand for food from the world population, which is occurring due to its continuous growth has, as a consequence, led to an increase in the use of fertilisers. Our work aims to analyse the application effect of various fungal strains with urea fertiliser on the structure and functions of bacterial communities, including ammonia-oxidising microorganisms (AOM) in different soil types. By analysing the abundance of ammonia-oxidising archaea (AOA) and bacteria (AOB), we observed that the application of urea fertiliser (UC) changed the soil microbial community, causing a disturbance in soil microorganisms diversity, whereas the addition of fungal strains to urea fertiliser (UA100; UA60) did not have a disordering effect compared to the Control soil (C). This indicates that the addition of fungal strains mitigated the adverse effects of urea on the soil environment. A similar effect was observed for the genes involved in the carbon cycle (bacterial carbon fixation, chitinase, and methanotrophic pathway genes). It was observed that the addition of fungi to the urea fertiliser had a positive effect, as the abundance of functional genes recorded in these treatments was the same as in the Control soil. From the diversity point of view, it is worth emphasizing that the diversity index changed after fungal organisms' addition. We may also observe that the addition of fungal strains to urea protected or even improved the state of the soil macropores which are important for microbial communication in the soil environment. Furthermore, it may be concluded that to avoid a strong negative effect from the application of urea and the mitigation of its influence by fungal strains, we must consider the soil texture, pH, total carbon content, and soil organic matter including humic and fulvic acids. [Display omitted] • Fungal application affected abundance of amoA gene and diversity of soil microbes. • Fungal application mitigated adverse influence of urea on bacterial community function and structure. • Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria predominated in the soil microbiome after urea application. • Fungal strains addition protected or improved the presence of the soil macropores. • High content of cht gene in UA100 treatment was connected with the increase of AOB abundance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil chronosequences in Alpine areas have often been applied to trace physical, mineralogical and chemical soil properties over time. How the soil pore system of undisturbed soils evolves, however, has not yet been clarified. We therefore investigated two soil chronosequences in the Swiss Alps spanning a time period from a few decades up to the Early Holocene/Late Pleistocene. One soil sequence developed on siliceous parent material in the Sustenpass (proglacial area of the Stein glacier), with soils aged from 30a to 10 ka while the second developed on calcaric parent material in the Klausenpass, with soils aged from 110a to 14 ka (proglacial area of the Griess glacier). We hypothesised that the overall pore size of the topsoil and consequently the relative proportion of macropores decrease with increasing soil age. The pore size characteristics were determined by using X-ray computed tomography. Independent of the parent material (calcareous vs siliceous), macroporosity decreased with time. The greatest changes seemed to occur between the Little Ice Age (LIA) and about 3–4 kyr of soil evolution. Vegetation composition and the functional richness of the plant community exert an influence on soils that developed on siliceous parent material by giving rise to more small pores. Besides pore sizes, pore characteristics also changed with time. In general, the tortuous structure of the soils became more complex with time. The evolution of the pore characteristics such as tortuosity, number and length of pore networks seem also to be related to biologic factors such as root properties, plant species and soil organic matter composition. It remains, however unanswered how these time-dependent biologic factors interact with and influence in detail the pore network. This aspect certainly merits investigation in greater detail in the future. • Moraine soils are valuable tools to investigate Holocene soil evolution. • Physical soil evolution on siliceous and calcareous parent material is different. • Macropore evolution is not continuous over millennia of soil development. • Biotic factors are the main drivers of macropore evolution. • X-ray computed tomography is applicable on high-mountain soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different modelling techniques could be used for estimation of the conductivity based on CT images. In this research three methods are intercompared: direct modelling using Navier-Stokes (NS) approach; simplified geometry pore-network (PN) approach and estimation by Kozeny-Carman (KC) equation. All of above-mentioned modelling approaches rely on the same input information – geometry of the pore medium but use it differently: NS is using real geometry for modelling while PN rely on the simplified pore-space model – pore network – build up from spherical pores and cylindrical throats. Contrary to NS and PN approaches KC estimation is based only on two global measures of the pore-space: total porosity and specific surface. Estimation of the saturated conductivity using all three methods is made for 20 samples prepared from sand material with diverse particle size distribution. As a material for samples different intact and milled sand fractions were used. Samples were scanned using X-ray CT device with voxel size 2um. After filtering CT images were thresholded and then numerical mesh (for NS modelling) and pore-networks (for PN modelling) were generated. Saturated conductivity was estimated using all three methods and results were compared. PN estimated saturated conductivity was found to be statistically equivalent to NS determined saturated conductivity values. The average value of the PN determined to NS determined conductivity ratio (KsatPN/NS) was equal to 0.927. Kozeny-Carman equation-based estimation overestimated saturated conductivity more than twice (2.624) in relation to NS estimations (KsatKC/NS). The dependence between pore media specific surface and KsatPN/NS and KsatKC/NS ratios was observed. In case of Kozeny-Carman estimation this dependence was caused by the pore media tortuosity changes with specific surface.AcknowledgmentThis work was partially supported by a grant from the Polish National Centre for Research and Development within the contract no.: PL-TW/IV/5/2017. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Software implementing Richards' equation was developed. Solver allows for simulation of the water flow in vadose zone. The software was implemented using application programming interface provided by OpenFOAM open source numerical library. Developed solver supports efficient parallelization using MPI (Message Passing Interface) standard. Automatic mesh refinement in regions of high soil potential gradients is also supported. Basic soil water retention models are already implemented, software allows for easy extension by additional retention models. All typically used boundary conditions are supported by the model. Software was validated against analytical solutions of the Richards' equation. Validation by comparisons with solutions provided by other vadose zone water transport simulation software (Hydrus) was also done. Results of validation confirms correctness of solver's implementation. Sample validation results and usage cases are presented.AcknowledgmentThis work was partially supported by a grant from the Polish National Centre for Research and Development within the contract no.: PL-TW/IV/5/2017. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microstructure of concretes containing ceramic sanitary ware waste and granite aggregates was studied using scanning electron microscopy, mercury intrusion porosimetry and computer microtomography, before and after cyclic heating of the concretes to 1000 °C. All methods showed an increase in porosities in the concretes after heating. The proposed new approach to microtomography data analysis detected a much higher increase in the number of cracks in granite than in ceramic concrete after heating. This new approach to combining mercury intrusion and microtomography data showed that heating led to the narrowing of throats connecting smaller pore voids and a broadening of throats connecting larger pore voids, in both concretes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The investigation of the dynamics of gas cell coalescence, i.e. a phenomenon that deteriorates the homogeneity of the cellular structure of bread crumb, was carried out performing simultaneously measurements of the dough volume, pressure, and viscosity. It was demonstrated that, during the baking expansion of chemically leavened wheat flour dough, the maximum growth rate of the gas cell radius determined from the ratio of pressure exerted by the expanded dough to its viscosity was on average four-fold lower than that calculated from volume changes in the gas phase of the dough. Such a high discrepancy was interpreted as a result of the course of coalescence, and a formula for determination of its rate was developed. The coalescence rate in the initial baking expansion phase had negative values, indicating nucleation of newly formed gas cells, which increased the number of gas cells even by 8%. In the next baking expansion phase, the coalescence rate started to exhibit positive values, reflecting dominance of the coalescence phenomenon over nucleation. The maximum coalescence rates indicate that, during the period of the most intensive dough expansion, the number of gas cells decreased by 2–3% within one second. At the end of the formation of bread crumb, the number of the gas cells declined by 55–67% in comparison with the initial value. The correctness of the results was positively verified using X-ray micro-computed tomography. The developed method can be a useful tool for more profound exploration of the coalescence phenomenon at various stages of evolution of the cellular structure and its determinants, which may contribute to future development of more effective methods for improving the texture and sensory quality of bread crumb. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil moisture prediction is an important application of environmental modeling. Here we compare two models that we used for soil moisture prediction: a soft-computing SVM model and a physical one based on Richards equation. Our results show that both of these models can successfully serve as soil moisture temporal estimation within the soil profile. Comparison of long-term daily prediction of soil water content at different depths of soil coming from two models, one physically based (HYDRUS-1D) and the other being soft-computing technique (Support Vector Machine), has been done. The models used provide quite accurate prediction for soil moisture content, especially in the most important layers for crop growth--those close to the surface. The RMSE of estimations of the volumetric soil water content in topsoil made by the Support Vector Machine (1/2-SVM) based model was 0.035, 0.030, and 0.021 cm cm for depths of 5, 10, and 25 cm, respectively, while the physically based 3'3 model had RMSE values of 0.042, 0.049, and 0.045 cm cm for the same depths. Our results showed that the 1/2-SVM modeling approach can be used for estimations of soil water content changes in time with the accuracy comparable of to the one of the physically based models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The method of determination of the fractal dimension based on particle size distribution (PSD) derived from the laser diffraction method is analysed. Discussion is provided on the impact of the PSD determination methodology on the derived fractal dimension, and the possibility for characterization of soil by a single fractal approach. Analysisof particle size distribution (PSD) is one of the methods used for calculating fractal dimensions. The PSD of soils has been determined by sedimentation methods for many years. Newer laser diffractometry PSD measurement techniques were developed during the past few decades. Whereas sedimentation methods can differentiate between a few (usually eight) particle sizes, laser diffraction methods produce many more fractions (tens or even several hundred). The aim of this paper is to answer the question of whether or not the number of size fractions and intervals between them determine the value of the fractal dimension when it is calculated on the basis of PSD. The conclusion is that the number of fractions and the way in which they are divided does affect the calculated fractal dimension, and that therefore the calculation procedure should be standardized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The initial location of the beads influenced the type and distance of their displacement. • The areas of various types of displacement overlapped each other. • The dry bed surface was more deformed by the impact of the drop. • Elements of the saturated bed were ejected over longer distances. • 97% of the beads ejected came from the first layer of the bed. The phenomenon of splash is connected with soil erosion, occurs commonly, and has a complex nature. The study presents the results of research in which glass beads (dry and saturated beds) with a diameter size range of 0.425–0.6 mm were used as a soil model. Patterns and layers of glass particles (beads), distinguished by their colour were placed on the surface of the samples. Displacements of the marked beads were used for the analysis of movement caused by splash. The measurements were supplemented with recordings made with high-speed cameras and photographs from an X-ray microtomograph. Three types of displacement for dry bed elements were distinguished: (i) displacement inside the surface area wetted with a falling drop of water, (ii) ejection and (iii) placement on the crater rim, as well as two types of displacement for elements from saturated beds: (i) displacement inside the deformation and (ii) ejection. The distance travelled by the beads was related to the specificity their displacement, which was associated with the initial location of the beads on the sample surface. In the case of dry beds, glass beads with an initial location equal to 14 mm or more from the centre of the drop impact were not moved. In the case of saturated beds, this distance was about 10 mm. More than 95% of the beads ejected from dry beds came from the surface layer of the sample. All the measurement methods applied show that the deformations of the dry bed surfaces were greater and more diversified than those of the saturated beds. The results presented in the study are important for understanding the mechanisms of transport of bacteria, fungi, and pollutants transferred with ejected soil particles during splash. The results can also be used for a physical description of the phenomenon for the computer modelling of both splash and water erosion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of ß-hydroxy-ß-methylbutyrate (HMB) supplementation during pregnancy on postpartum bone tissue quality by assessing changes in trabecular and compact bone as well as in hyaline and epiphyseal cartilage. The experiment was carried out on adult 6-month-old female spiny mice ( Acomys cahirinus ) divided into three groups: pregnant control (PregCont), pregnant HMB-treated (supplemented with 0.02 g/kg b.w of HMB during the second trimester of pregnancy, PregHMB), and non-pregnant females (NonPreg). Cross-sectional area and cortical index of the femoral mid-shaft, stiffness, and Young modulus were significantly greater in the PregHMB group. Whole-bone mineral density was similar in all groups, and HMB supplementation increased trabecular number. Growth plate cartilage was the thinnest, while the articular cartilage was the thickest in the PregHMB group. HMB supplementation increased the content of proteoglycans in the articular cartilage and the percentage of immature collagen content in metaphyseal trabeculae and compact bone. In summary, dietary HMB supplementation during the second trimester of pregnancy intensifies bone metabolic processes and prevents bone loss during pregnancy.

This work presents point pedotransfer function (PTF) models of the soil water retention curve. The developed models allowed for estimation of the soil water content for the specified soil water potentials: -0.98, -3.10, -9.81, -31.02, -491.66, and -1554.78 kPa, based on the following soil characteristics: soil granulometric composition, total porosity, and bulk density. Support Vector Machines (SVM) methodology was used for model development. A new methodology for elaboration of retention function models is proposed. Alternative to previous attempts known from literature, the ν-SVM method was used for model development and the results were compared with the formerly used the C-SVM method. For the purpose of models' parameters search, genetic algorithms were used as an optimisation framework. A new form of the aim function used for models parameters search is proposed which allowed for development of models with better prediction capabilities. This new aim function avoids overestimation of models which is typically encountered when root mean squared error is used as an aim function. Elaborated models showed good agreement with measured soil water retention data. Achieved coefficients of determination values were in the range 0.67-0.92. Studies demonstrated usability of ν-SVM methodology together with genetic algorithm optimisation for retention modelling which gave better performing models than other tested approaches.