Water management in agriculture is crucial in the face of decreasing water resources. In this study, a field experiment was conducted in a mountainous area used for pastoral and meadow-based agriculture. The region supports the cultivation of root crops and cereals, alongside a grassland farming system with sown grasses to improve pasture quality. The experiment was carried out on established plots in this meadow-managed mountainous area, testing various treatment combinations. Gypsum was applied to the plots at rates of 2 t/ha, 4 t/ha, and 6 t/ha. The control plot consisted of uncultivated fallow land, including a fallow plot with added gypsum. In the next season, physiological parameters were examined in selected grass species to assess their responses to environmental stress (such as salt and oxidative stress) under these conditions. Lysimeter studies were conducted to evaluate water balance and determine water retention in the soil profile. The application of gypsum at doses of 2-4 t/ha optimized both soil water retention and biomass productivity while reducing water losses after mowing. Combination 3 (4 t/ha) offered the best compromise between productivity and water resource protection. Although the 6 t/ha dose was also effective, its higher total leaching may indicate saturation effects or reduced economic efficiency. The presence of vegetation significantly reduced water leaching (compared to fallow), confirming its role in regulating the water balance. At the same time, the physiological responses of plants-particularly elevated levels of proline and carotenoids-may reflect adaptation to periodic water stress. These findings suggest that moderate gypsum doses can serve as an effective agricultural practice supporting both productivity and water retention in meadow ecosystems. The results may inform water resource control strategies on grasslands and meadows. Such practices align with agricultural policies focused on proper water management within European Union frameworks.
IntroductionAcute anxiety is common across psychiatric disorders and may interfere with treatment engagement. Although physical activity is known to improve long-term mental health outcomes, less is known about its immediate associations with anxiety reduction in real-world psychiatric settings. This study examined whether participation in therapeutic exercise sessions is associated with short-term changes in self-reported anxiety and whether greater program participation is related to larger reductions.Materials and methodsWe analyzed data from 179 adult psychiatric patients participating in a structured therapeutic exercise program including (i) 30–45-minute walking sessions, (ii) stretching/yoga-like sessions, and (iii) 5–10-minute diaphragmatic breathing exercises. Self-reported anxiety was assessed using the GAD-7 questionnaire administered immediately before and immediately after exercise sessions. Non-parametric tests evaluated pre–post changes, and Spearman correlations assessed associations between session counts and anxiety change.ResultsSelf-reported anxiety scores were significantly lower after exercise sessions (median pre = 3; median post = 2; Wilcoxon P < 0.001). Improvement was observed in 81% of patients. Anxiety reductions did not differ significantly by sex, diagnosis, or age. Greater participation in walking, stretching/yoga, and breathing sessions was associated with larger decreases in anxiety (Spearman ρ = −0.63 to −0.66, all P < 0.001). Because exercise modalities were highly intercorrelated, these findings likely reflect overall program engagement rather than modality-specific effects.DiscussionIn this observational clinical sample, participation in exercise sessions was consistently associated with large, rapid short-term reductions in self-reported anxiety across diagnostic categories. The observed dose–response associations suggest that greater engagement may be linked to larger improvements. However, the absence of a control group and the use of a symptom questionnaire in a session-based format limit causal inference. Controlled trials are needed to determine the extent to which exercise itself, expectancy effects, or contextual factors contribute to these improvements.
The present study provides a review of the Holarctic genus Arpedium Erichson, 1839 (Omaliinae: Anthophagini) with new taxonomic, diagnostic and bionomic data. The genus Arpedium is redescribed and illustrated, a checklist, distributional maps, and a key to species for the genus are provided, and relations with similar taxa are briefly discussed. The previously established synonymy of Eucnecosum Reitter, 1909 with Arpedium is confirmed. Three species groups of Arpedium are established for 14 species: Quadrum group containing the Holarctic A. quadrum (Gravenhorst, 1806), the Nearctic A. angulare Fauvel, 1878 (revalidated species, not synonym of A. cribratum Fauvel, 1878), A. assingisp. nov. (China: Gansu), the Nearctic A. cribratum, A. ryvkini sp. nov. (Far Eastern Russia (Jewish Autonomous Region, Amur and Sakhalin (Kunashir Island) areas, Khabarovsk Territory and Maritime Province of Russia), Japan (Hokkaido, Honshu)) and A. schuelkeisp. nov. (China: Sichuan); Brachypterum group containing Holarctic A. brachypterum (Gravenhorst, 1802), A. brunnescens J. Sahlberg, 1871 and A. tenue (LeConte, 1863), the Palaearctic A. puncticolle J. Sahlberg, 1880, and Middle Asian A. ludgeri Assing, 2007 and A. tianshanicumsp. nov. (both from Kyrgyzstan); Schwarzi group containing A. schwarzi Fauvel, 1878 (Canada, USA) and A. thayeraesp. nov. (USA). All new species, and A. angulare, A. cribratum, and A. puncticolle are redescribed and illustrated. The aedeagus of A. puncticolle is illustrated for the first time. Arpedium columbiense Hatch, 1957 is a junior synonym of A. angulare, not synonym of A. cribratum. A new synonymy is proposed: A. brachypterum= Micralymma laticollis Motschulsky, 1860 syn. n. Lectotypes are designated for A. brunnescens and A. puncticolle. Several species are recorded for the first time: A angulare from Alberta (Canada), A. brachypterum from Karachay-Cherkessia, Kabardino-Balkaria, Tver, Perm and Amur areas, Bashkortostan, Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Region, Evenkia, Altai Republic, Tuva and Khabarovsk Territory (Russia), Kazakhstan, and Alberta (Canada), A. brunnescens from Evenkia, Altai Republic, Buryatia, Yakutia and Khabarovsk Territory (Russia), A. puncticolle from Yamalo-Nenets, Khanty-Mansi and Taimyr autonomous regions, Evenkia and Altai Republic (Russia), and Kazakhstan, A. quadrum from Bryansk, Kursk, Novgorod, Kaluga, Chelyabinsk and Orenburg areas, Adygea, North Ossetia-Alania, Evenkia, Khanty-Mansi and Taimyr autonomous regions (Russia), and Türkiye and Kazakhstan, A. schwarzi from South Dakota, Nebraska and West Virginia (USA), and A. tenue from Komi, Yamalo-Nenets and Khanty-Mansi autonomous regions, Evenkia, Tuva, Irkutsk and Chita areas, Buryatia and Khabarovsk Territory (Russia), and Idaho and Montana (USA).
Taxonomic and faunistic data for nine species of the genus Paraphloeostiba Steel, 1960 of the Oriental and Palaearctic regions are presented. Two new species from the one locality in Bogani Nani Wartabone National Park (Sulawesi, Indonesia) are described and illustrated: P. bicolorasp. nov. and P. carnariasp. nov. First records are provided for the following five species: P. gayndahensis (MacLeay, 1873) from Turkey, Sri Lanka, Laos, Vietnam and Sulawesi (Indonesia), P. impressa (Cameron, 1928) and P. rhopalocera (Cameron, 1928) from Sulawesi (Indonesia), and P. latissima Shavrin, 2024 and P. zingiberiphila Shavrin, 2024 from Indonesia.
Plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) are considered an effective eco-friendly biostimulator. However, relatively few studies have examined how PGPB affect the native bacterial community of major crops. Thus, this study investigates the impact of a PGPB consortium, comprising Pseudomonas sp. G31 and Azotobacter sp. PBC2 (P1A), on the soil bacterial community of wheat under field conditions. As a result of PGPB application, we observed a significant increase in seed yield, as well as in nitrate content (1st and 3rd time points) and available phosphorus (2nd time point) in the rhizosphere compared to control. For the metataxonomic study, Next-Generation Sequencing was performed using the Illumina NovaSeq 6000 system. The consortium used did not have a significant impact on the diversity of native soil bacteria and slightly affected the taxonomic composition of bacteria with no significant changes in bacterial dominants at the phylum and genus level. Nevertheless, 3 weeks after application, P1A increased the relative abundance of Nitrospira which could have influenced the increase in nitrates in the rhizosphere, and also decreased Bdellovibrio. The results indicate that the P1A consortium, due to its ability to promote plant growth without detrimental alternations in the bacterial community of the soil, may be a potential candidate for commercialization.
