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This article presents the results of three experiments conducted in 2022–2023 using an Argo autonomous profiling float anchored to the seabed with a thin line. The aim of the study was to prevent the float from drifting in order to perform measurements in a precisely defined location. The experiments were carried out in the Baltic Sea - in Puck Bay and the vicinity of the Hel Peninsula. Puck Bay, a shallow and sheltered body of water with a unique and sensitive ecosystem, provided an excellent location for testing the method under calm conditions. In contrast, the northern areas of the Hel Peninsula, exposed to strong currents and high waves, allowed for the evaluation of the method’s effectiveness in more dynamic conditions. The results of the experiments demonstrated that anchoring the Argo float is effective in shallow and sheltered waters with low wave activity and weak currents, such as Puck Bay. However, in the more challenging environment of the Hel Peninsula, the method proved to be less effective, indicating its limitations in harsher environmental conditions. Standard Argo floats, which are most often deployed in deeper parts of the Baltic Sea, provide limited data from shallow-water areas, particularly those near the coast and in enclosed waters such as lagoons and bays. The introduction of anchored Argo floats could complement the existing network of drifting floats, ensuring better coverage of shallow-water areas and improving the quality of marine environmental monitoring.

High antibiotic resistance of gastric pathogen Helicobacter pylori (Hp) and the ability to escape the host immune response prompt searching for therapeutic immunomodulators. Bacillus Calmette–Guerin (BCG) vaccine with Mycobacterium bovis (Mb) is a candidate for modulation the activity of immunocompetent cells, and onco-BCG formulation was successfully used in immunotherapy of bladder cancer. We determined the influence of onco-BCG on the phagocytic capacity of human THP-1 monocyte/macrophage cells, using the model of Escherichia coli bioparticles and Hp fluorescently labeled. Deposition of cell integrins CD11b, CD11d, CD18, membrane/soluble lipopolysaccharide (LPS) receptors, CD14 and sCD14, respectively, and the production of macrophage chemotactic protein (MCP)-1 were determined. Furthermore, a global DNA methylation, was also assessed. Human THP-1 monocytes/macrophages (TIB 202) primed or primed and restimulated with onco-BCG or Hp, were used for assessment of phagocytosis towards E. coli or Hp, surface (immunostaining) or soluble activity determinants, and global DNA methylation (ELISA). THP-1 monocytes/macrophages primed/restimulated with BCG showed increased phagocytosis capacity towards E. coli fluorescent particles, elevated expression of CD11b, CD11d, CD18, CD14, sCD14, increased MCP-1 secretion and DNA methylation. Preliminary results indicate that BCG mycobacteria may also induce the phagocytosis of H. pylori by THP-1 monocytes. Priming or priming and restimulation of monocytes/macrophages with BCG resulted in an increased activity of these cells, which was negatively modulated by Hp.

The Brenner normal fault bounds the Tauern Window to the west and accommodated a significant portion of the orogen-parallel extension in the Eastern Alps. Here, we use zircon (U–Th)/He, apatite fission track, and apatite (U–Th)/He dating, thermokinematic modeling, and a topographic analysis to constrain the exhumation history of the western Tauern Window in the footwall of the Brenner fault. ZHe ages from an E–W profile (parallel to the slip direction of the fault) decrease westwards from ~ 11 to ~ 8 Ma and suggest a fault-slip rate of 3.9 ± 0.9 km/Myr, whereas AFT and AHe ages show no spatial trends. ZHe and AFT ages from an elevation profile indicate apparent exhumation rates of 1.1 ± 0.7 and 1.0 ± 1.3 km/Myr, respectively, whereas the AHe ages are again spatially invariant. Most of the thermochronological ages are well predicted by a thermokinematic model with a normal fault that slips at a rate of 4.2 km/Myr between ~ 19 and ~ 9 Ma and produces 35 ± 10 km of extension. The modeling reveals that the spatially invariant AHe ages are caused by heat advection due to faulting and posttectonic thermal relaxation. The enigmatic increase of K–Ar phengite and biotite ages towards the Brenner fault is caused by heat conduction from the hot footwall to the cooler hanging wall. Topographic profiles across an N–S valley in the fault footwall indicate 1000 ± 300 m of erosion after faulting ceased, which agrees with the results of our thermokinematic model. Valley incision explains why the Brenner fault is located on the western valley shoulder and not at the valley bottom. We conclude that the ability of thermokinematic models to quantify heat transfer by rock advection and conduction is crucial for interpreting cooling ages from extensional fault systems.

The ability of the rumen ciliate Eudiplodinium maggii to utilize chitin from fungal cell wall was determined. Cultivation experiments showed that the population concentration (number of ciliates in vitro) was positively correlated with chitin doses. Cell extract prepared from the bacteria-free ciliates degraded colloidal chitin releasing 2.0 micromol reducing sugar per mg protein per h. End products of this reaction were chitotriose and N-acetylglucosamine. Incubation of the bacteria-free ciliates with chitin resulted in an increase in the concentration of acetic, propionic and butyric acids in the incubation medium. The production rate of total volatile fatty acids (VFA) by ciliates incubated with and without chitin was 45.0 and 30.5 pmol VFA per protozoan, respectively, the molar proportion of particular acids remaining unchanged.

Phenolic compounds were extracted from Mallotus philippinensis bark using methanol. Six fractions (I-VI) were separated from the extract on a Sephadex LH-20 column using ethanol and acetone-water as the mobile phases and were evaluated for their total antioxidant activity, antiradical activity against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH) and reducing power. The total phenolics and tannin concentrations in the fractions were determined. The concentrations of total phenolics in the fractions ranged from 54 mg/g (fraction I) to 927 mg/g (fraction VI). Condensed tannins were detected in fractions II-VI. Total antioxidant activity (TAA) of phenolic fractions of M. philipinensis bark extract ranged from 0.58 mmol Trolox/g (fraction I) to 6.82 mmol Trolox/g (fraction IV). Fraction IV also showed the strongest antiradical activity against DPPH and reducing power. Several phenolic constituents in the fractions were detected by RP-HPLC using a gradient solvent system with UV-DAD detection.

Coeliac disease is an autoimmune gluten-sensitive entheropathy. The only available treatment for it is the life-long adherence to a gluten-free diet although these products are often poor in proteins, minerals, and vitamins. The current study was designed to investigate the effect of buckwheat flour incorporation to a gluten-free experimental formulation on the size-related parameters, and microelements and proteins contents. Buckwheat flour affected positively the technological quality of bread, like bread specific volume index and loaf size. Increasing concentration of buckwheat flour (10-40%) in bread affected the proportional enrichment in proteins and microelements, especially in copper and manganese.

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), due to their unique properties have been receiving immense attention in recent years. In addition to their antibacterial and antifungal activities, AgNPs also cause apoptosis, mitochondria disfunction, nucleic acid damage and show potent anticancer properties in both multidrug resistance (MDR) and sensitive tumors. The MDR phenomenon, caused by the presence of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) proteins, is responsible for the failure of chemotherapy. Thus, investigating the influence of widely used AgNPs on ABC transporters is crucial. In the present study, we have examined the cytotoxicity of silver nanoparticles of a nominal size of 20 nm (Ag20) on the cell lines of different tissue origins. In addition, we have checked the ATP-binding cassette transporters’ activity and expression under AgNP exposure. The results indicate that Ag20 shows a toxic effect on tested cells, as well as modulating the expression and transport activity of ABC proteins.

This paper introduces the Special Issue (SI) “How evaluation of hydrological models influences results of climate impact assessment.” The main objectives were as follows: (a) to test a comprehensive model calibration/validation procedure, consisting of five steps, for regional-scale hydrological models; (b) to evaluate performance of global-scale hydrological models; and (c) to reveal whether the calibration/validation methods and the model evaluation results influence climate impacts in terms of the magnitude of the change signal and the uncertainty range. Here, we shortly describe the river basins and large regions used as case studies; the hydrological models, data, and climate scenarios used in the studies; and the applied approaches for model evaluation and for analysis of projections for the future. After that, we summarize the main findings. The following general conclusions could be drawn. After successful comprehensive calibration and validation, the regional-scale models are more robust and their projections for the future differ from those of the model versions after the conventional calibration and validation. Therefore, climate impacts based on the former models are more trustworthy than those simulated by the latter models. Regarding the global-scale models, using only models with satisfactory or good performance on historical data and weighting them based on model evaluation results is a more reliable approach for impact assessment compared to the ensemble mean approach that is commonly used. The former method provides impact results with higher credibility and reduced spreads in comparison to the latter approach. The studies for this SI were performed in the framework of the Inter-Sectoral Impact Model Intercomparison Project (ISIMIP).

Rumen ciliate protozoa intensively engulf bacteria. However, their ability to utilize murein which is the main polysaccharide of bacterial cell wall has hardly been recognized. The present study concerns the ability of the rumen protozoa Diploplastron affine to digest and ferment murein. The ciliates were isolated from the rumen fluid and grown in vitro or inoculated into the rumen of defaunated sheep. The results of long-term cultivation of protozoa showed a positive correlation between their number and murein content in the culture medium. It was also found that bacteria-free D. affine ciliates incubated with or without murein produced volatile fatty acids at the rate of 12.3 and 8.7 pmol/h per protozoan, respectively, acetic, butyric and propionic acids being the three main acids released to the medium. Enzyme studies performed with the use of protozoan cell extract prepared from bacteria-free ciliates degraded murein at a rate of 25 U/mg protein per h; two mureinolytic enzymes were identified by zymographic technique in the examined preparation.

A study was conducted to estimate the degree of variability of the airflow resistance in wheat caused by the filling method of grain chambers, compaction of the sample, and airflow direction. Two types of grain chambers were used as follows: a cylindrical column 0.95 m high and 0.196 m in diameter, and a cubical box of 0.35 m side. All factors examined were found to influence considerably the airflow resistance. Gravitational axial filling of the grain column from three heights (0.0, 0.95 and 1.8 m) resulted in the pressure drops of 1.0, 1.3, and 1.5 kPa at the airflow velocity of 0.3 m/s. Consolidation of axially filled samples by vibration resulted in a maximum 2.2 times increase in airflow resistance. The tests with cubical sample showed that in axially filled samples the pressure drop in vertical direction was maximum 1.5 times higher than in horizontal directions. In the case of asymmetrically filled samples, the pressure drop at the airflow velocity of 0.3 m/s in vertical direction Z was found to be 1.3 of that in horizontal direction X and 1.95 times higher than with horizontal direction Y, perpendicular to X. Variations in airflow resistance in values comparable to that found in the present project may be expected in practice.