The isothermal Boltzmann-Gibbs entropy reduction affects survival of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster.

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first experimental evidence of the effect of isothermal changes in entropy on a living organism. In greater detail, the effect of the reduction of the total Boltzmann-Gibbs entropy (S) of the aquatic environment on the survival rate and body mass of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster was investigated. The tests were carried out in standard thermodynamic states at room temperature of 296.15 K and ambient atmospheric pressure of 1 bar. Two variants of entropy reduction (ΔS) were tested for ΔS = 28.49 and 51.14 J K-1 mol-1 compared to the blind and control samples. The entropy level was experimentally changed, using the quantum system for isothermal entropy reduction. This system is based on quantum bound entanglement of phonons and the phenomenon of phonon resonance (interference of phonon modes) in condensed matter (Silicon dioxide (SiO2) and single crystals of Silicon (Si0), Aluminum (Al0) plates ("chips"), glass, and water). All studied organisms were of the same age (1 day). Mortality was observed daily until the natural death of the organisms. The investigations showed that changes in the Boltzmann-Gibbs entropy affected the survival and body mass of the fruit flies. On the one hand, the reduction in entropy under isothermal conditions in the aquatic environment for ΔS = 28.49 J K-1 mol-1 resulted in an extension of the lifespan and an increase in the body mass of female fruit flies. On the other hand, the almost twofold reduction in this entropy for ΔS = 51.14 J K-1 mol-1 shortened the lives of the males. Thus, the lifespan and body mass of flies turned out to be a specific reaction of metabolism related to changes in the entropy of the aquatic environment.

Arsenic toxicity to earthworms in soils of historical As mining sites: an assessment based on various endpoints and chemical extractions.

Eisenia fetida is an earthworm species often used to assess the toxicity of contaminants in soils. Several studies indicated that its response can be unpredictable because it depends both on total concentrations of contaminants and also on their forms that differ in susceptibility to be released from soil solid phase. The issue is complex because two various uptake routes are concurrently involved, dermal and ingestion in guts, where the bioavailability of contaminants can considerably change. The aim of this study was to analyze the toxicity of arsenic (As) in various strongly contaminated meadow and forest soils, representative for former As mining and processing area, to earthworms E. fetida and its accumulation in their bodies. An attempt was made to find relationships between the response of earthworms and chemical extractability of As. In the bioassay, carried out according to the standard ISO protocol, different endpoints were applied: earthworm survival, fecundity measured by the numbers of juveniles and cocoons, earthworm weight and As accumulation in the bodies. The results proved that E. fetida can tolerate extremely high total As concentrations in soils, such as 8000 mg/kg, however, the individual endpoints were not correlated and showed different patterns. The most sensitive one was the number of juveniles. No particular soil factor was identified that would indicate an exceptionally high As susceptibility to the release from one of soils, however, we have demonstrated that the sum of non-specifically and specifically bound As (i.e. fractions F1 + F2 in sequential extraction according to Wenzel) could be a good chemical indicator of arsenic toxicity to soil invertebrates.

The impact of restoration methods for Solidago-invaded land on soil invertebrates.

The belowground community structure of soil biota depends on plant composition and may be affected by invasive plant species. We hypothesized that the type of land restoration method applied affects the abundance and composition of soil invertebrates. Our field experiment centred on Solidago species control using different seed mixtures and methods of seed introduction (sowing mixtures: grasses, grasses with legumes, seeds from a seminatural meadow, and application of fresh hay) and different frequencies of mowing (one, two, or three times per year). Soil invertebrates were identified to the taxa, using light microscopes. Richness and diversity indices were calculated, and a redundancy analysis was conducted. Generally, mowing intensity negatively influenced soil organisms, although increased mowing frequency positively affected the abundance of some taxa (Symphyla, Hemiptera). Mowing twice per year decreased the abundance of soil invertebrates, but not their diversity. Soil invertebrate taxa had the greatest abundance in the plots sown with a seed mixture containing grasses with legumes. Among the restoration methods studied, mowing once a year and introducing grasses with legumes represented the least harmful strategy with regard to soil invertebrate abundance. Further studies are needed to investigate the dynamics of soil mesofauna exposed to long-term mowing and changes in vegetation characteristics.

Effect of Ingestion Exposure of Selected Insecticides on Coccinella septempunctata and Harmonia axyridis (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae).

The sensitivity to thiacloprid and lambda-cyhalothrin ingested from prey organisms was studied in Coccinella septempunctata and Harmonia axyridis, since the effect of ingestion exposure to these insecticides is unknown in these species. All developmental stages of the ladybirds were fed on Acyrthosiphon pisum treated with half or full field rate of the insecticides. Almost all instars were killed within 3 h of the start of ingestion of lambda-cyhalotrin-treated prey. The action of thiacloprid was more extended in time in both coccinellids and more variable between their instars. Reducing the field rate of lambda-cyhalothrin seems to have no practical value for the survival of either of the coccinellid species. Contrastingly, using half instead of the full field rate of thiacloprid may enhance the chances of survival in L1, L2, and L4 larvae of both species. Of all developmental stages tested, the survival dynamics of the adults of either species are closest to one another, whereas the apparent difference in the species response to the dose rate of thiacloprid was found in the L4 stage.

Sarracenia alata (Alph.Wood) Alph.Wood Microcuttings as a Source of Volatiles Potentially Responsible for Insects' Respond.

Rare carnivorous plants representing the genus Sarracenia are perceived as very interesting to scientists involved in various fields of botany, ethnobotany, entomology, phytochemistry and others. Such high interest is caused mainly by the unique capacity of Sarracenia spp. to attract insects. Therefore, an attempt to develop a protocol for micropropagation of the Sarracenia alata (Alph.Wood) Alph.Wood, commonly named yellow trumpets, and to identify the specific chemical composition of volatile compounds of this plant in vitro and ex vivo was undertaken. Thus, the chemical volatile compounds excreted by the studied plant to attract insects were recognized with the application of the headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) coupled with the GC-MS technique. As the major volatile compounds (Z)-3-hexen-1-ol (16.48% ± 0.31), (E)-3-hexen-1-ol acetate (19.99% ± 0.01) and ß-caryophyllene (11.30% ± 0.27) were identified. Further, both the chemical assumed to be responsible for attracting insects, i.e., pyridine (3.10% ± 0.07), and whole plants were used in in vivo bioassays with two insect species, namely Drosophila hydei and Acyrthosiphon pisum. The obtained results bring a new perspective on the possibilities of cultivating rare carnivorous plants in vitro since they are regarded as a valuable source of bioactive volatile compounds, as including ones with repellent or attractant activity.

Qualitative and Quantitative Assessment of Buckwheat Husks as a Material for Use in Therapeutic Mattresses.

Buckwheat husks are used in many therapeutic products such as pillows, mattresses, seats, etc. This material is proposed by producers for example for discopathy, back pain and head vasomotor disorders. Our studies evaluated the impact of using cotton mattresses with buckwheat husk fillings on people's health condition. The main research was carried out on the group of 60 people divided into 3 groups (1-people with skeletal system problems, 2-people spending a lot of time lying with the probability of pressure ulcer formation and 3-healthy people). In addition, different tests have been carried out on the possibility of colonization of mattresses by fungi, bacteria and arthropod pests, and rheological, chemical and flammability tests. The research material in the form of buckwheat husks was tested in a diverse way. All tests indicate high usefulness of husks for therapeutic activity. This material was contaminated with fungi, bacteria and pests at a very low level, related to the natural colonization of buckwheat nuts during harvest and storage. The quality of the husks was also confirmed in rheological, chemical and flammability studies. Finally, this has also been confirmed in surveys conducted on people with health problems. The analyses show that the buckwheat husk is an excellent material that can be used to fill prophylactic mattresses. This has been confirmed by the results of laboratory tests and opinions of respondents using mattresses filled with buckwheat husk.

The ecological risk assessment of soil contamination with Ti and Fe at military sites in Ukraine: avoidance and reproduction tests with Folsomia candida.

The aim of this research was to assess the effect of soil contamination with titanium (Ti) and iron (Fe) at military sites in Ukraine using the avoidance and reproduction tests with Folsomia candida (springtail). The soil used for the tests was sampled in 2017 from Dolyna, Ivano-Frankivsk region, Ukraine from two plots, namely a contaminated and a control site. The sample site is a former military site previously used for tank training. At the control site mainly the concentrations of Ti and Fe were exceeded. The control soil was free from contamination. The avoidance test and reproduction test were conducted with the use of springtail species F. candida. The following nine levels of contamination with heavy metals were established: 1%, 1.5%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100%. The duration of the avoidance test was 7 days, and that of the reproduction test was 28 days. Overall, the results show that the avoidance and reproduction tests with collembolans have the potential to be used as screening tools in an ecological risk assessment of heavy metals. In the avoidance test, the concentrations from 1.5 to 100% significantly decreased the number of F. candida in the contamination site in comparison to the control site. At the same time, avoidance was not observed in the first concentration (1%). According to the reproduction test, the negative effect on the number of F. candida juveniles was observed beginning at the 10% dose. The half maximal effective concentration (EC50) for the avoidance test was 50.12%, while that for the reproduction test was 22.39%. The contamination with heavy metals at the military areas indicated the short- and long-term toxicity risk on the springtail F. candida.

The Effects of Locality and Host Plant on the Body Size of Aeolothrips intermedius (Thysanoptera: Aeolothripidae) in the Southwest of Poland.

Aeolothrips intermedius is a thrips predator often found in phytocoenoses worldwide. Both the adults and larvae of this species prey on small invertebrates, including phytophagous species from Thysanoptera group. The aim of this study was to determine the morphological variability of the A. intermedius relative to the locality and, indirectly, to the species of host plant. Insects were collected from five localities in southwest Poland and five different host plants. For each of the sexes, six morphometric features were assessed: body length, length of antennae, wing length, head length, head width and length of pronotum. Additionally, the body mass for each individual was estimated. The findings revealed that in females, both the locality and host plant had a significant impact on almost all of these features. In males, the morphometric features under study correlated strongly with locality and only moderately with the host plant. Certain differences were observed between males and females, mainly in terms of antennae length. The results show that A. intermedius exhibits significant variability in this respect, which is indicative of the species' phenotypic plasticity. The body length was the trait with the most distinct response to the locality and host plant.

Risk assessment of low-temperature biochar used as soil amendment on soil mesofauna.

Biochar as a carbon-rich highly porous substance has been proposed for use in agriculture and horticulture as a soil amendment. One of the main concerns of this application of biochar is its potential contamination with heavy metals (HMs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The aim of this research was to access the environmental risk of biochar used as a soil amendment on soil mesofauna (mites and springtails). We conducted both field and laboratory experiments with the use of wood-chip biochar from low-temperature (300 °C) flash pyrolysis. Biochar was free from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), and the concentration of all tested toxic compounds was very low or even under the level of detection. Both the results of field and laboratory studies show no toxic effects on soil mesofauna. In the field studies, the biochar application of 50 t/ha in maize and oilseed rape crops significantly increased the mean number of mesofauna. This change probably resulted from improved soil chemical properties (in particular organic carbon content and cation exchange capacity) upon biochar addition. The results of the avoidance test with the use of springtail species Folsomia candida showed the possible short-term toxicity risk from a dose of 5%. The results of the reproduction test indicate the negative response of F. candida from the rate of 25% (higher than the field dose, which corresponds to 10% in laboratory tests). The reason for the short-term toxicity might be the considerable increase in soil pH after biochar addition. To our knowledge, this is the first study that has looked so widely into the effect of biochar on soil mesofauna. We encourage further studies into the risk assessment of biochar on soil organisms in both a controlled laboratory environment and in the open field.