Different Locations In Slovenia Research Articles

High-resolution spatiotemporal assessment of solar potential from remote sensing data using deep learning

Spatiotemporal assessment of solar potential is one of the most promising solutions to find suitable locations for future photovoltaic systems’ placement. However, accurate assessment of solar potential on large areas can be challenging due to missing data or computational complexity. In this paper, a fully convolutional neural network based method for high-resolution spatiotemporal assessment of solar potential by using remote sensing data is presented. The method is trained and validated on the area of 32 km2 of the Maribor city, Slovenia, and tested on the 6 different locations in Slovenia and Germany. The proposed method was tested against the simulation algorithm, which utilized isotropic Liu Jordan diffuse model or anisotropic Perez model with sky view factor based shading. On average, a normalized root mean square error (NRMSE) of 6.06% and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of 4.29% was achieved in test locations against the simulation based on Liu-Jordan model. When training the fully convolutional neural network models against the ground truth, generated with more advanced Perez diffuse model, the average NRMSE was 8.37% and MAPE of 10.90% was achieved across all test locations. Additionally, it was shown that the proposed method can assess solar potential in high-resolution from the input in lower resolution with higher accuracy than the simulation algorithm, while being up to 1500-times faster.

The Pathogens Spillover and Incidence Correlation in Bumblebees and Honeybees in Slovenia.

Slovenia has a long tradition of beekeeping and a high density of honeybee colonies, but less is known about bumblebees and their pathogens. Therefore, a study was conducted to define the incidence and prevalence of pathogens in bumblebees and to determine whether there are links between infections in bumblebees and honeybees. In 2017 and 2018, clinically healthy workers of bumblebees (Bombus spp.) and honeybees (Apis mellifera) were collected on flowers at four different locations in Slovenia. In addition, bumblebee queens were also collected in 2018. Several pathogens were detected in the bumblebee workers using PCR and RT-PCR methods: 8.8% on acute bee paralysis virus (ABPV), 58.5% on black queen cell virus (BQCV), 6.8% on deformed wing virus (DWV), 24.5% on sacbrood bee virus (SBV), 15.6% on Lake Sinai virus (LSV), 16.3% on Nosema bombi, 8.2% on Nosema ceranae, 15.0% on Apicystis bombi and 17.0% on Crithidia bombi. In bumblebee queens, only the presence of BQCV, A. bombi and C. bombi was detected with 73.3, 26.3 and 33.3% positive samples, respectively. This study confirmed that several pathogens are regularly detected in both bumblebees and honeybees. Further studies on the pathogen transmission routes are required.

Machine Learning Strategy for Soil Nutrients Prediction Using Spectroscopic Method

The research presented in this paper is based on the hypothesis that the machine learning approach improves the accuracy of soil properties prediction. The correlations obtained in this research are important for understanding the overall strategy for soil properties prediction using optical spectroscopy sensors. Several research results have been stated and investigated. A comparison is made between six commonly used techniques: Random Forest, Decision Tree, Naïve Bayes, Support Vector Machine, Least-Square Support Vector Machine and Artificial Neural Network, showing that the best prediction accuracy cannot always be achieved by the most common and complicated method. The influence of the chosen category for nutrient characterization was investigated, indicating better prediction when a multi-component strategy was used. In contrast, the prediction of single-component soil properties was less accurate. In addition, the influence of category levels was not as significant as expected when choosing between 3-level, 5-level or 13-level nutrient characterization for some nutrients, which can be used for a more precise nutrient characterization strategy. A comparative analysis was performed between soil from a local farm with similar texture and soils collected from different locations in Slovenia, which gave a better prediction for a local farm. Finally, the influence of principal component analysis was validated using 5, 10, 20 and 50 first principal components, indicating the better performance of machine learning when using the 50 principal components.

Determination of Genetically Identical Strains of Four Honeybee Viruses in Bumblebee Positive Samples.

In recent years, there has been growing evidence that certain types of honeybee viruses could be transmitted between different pollinators. Within a voluntary monitoring programme, 180 honeybee samples (Apis mellifera carnica) were collected from affected apiaries between 2007 and 2018. Also from August 2017 to August 2018, a total 148 samples of healthy bumblebees (Bombus lapidarius, B. pascuorum, B. terrestris, B. lucorum, B. hortorum, B. sylvarum, B. humilis) were collected at four different locations in Slovenia, and all samples were tested by using RT-PCR methods for six honeybee viruses. Direct sequencing of a total 158 positive samples (acute bee paralysis virus (ABPV n = 33), black queen cell virus (BQCV n = 75), sacbrood bee virus (SBV n = 25) and Lake Sinai virus (LSV n = 25)) was performed from obtained RT-PCR products. The genetic comparison of identified positive samples of bumblebees and detected honeybee field strains of ABPV, BQCV, SBV, and LSV demonstrated 98.74% to 100% nucleotide identity between both species. This study not only provides evidence that honeybees and bumblebees are infected with genetically identical or closely related viral strains of four endemically present honeybee viruses but also detected a high diversity of circulating strains in bumblebees, similar as was observed among honeybees. Important new genetic data for endemic strains circulating in honeybees and bumblebees in Slovenia are presented.

Impact of Linseed Variety, Location and Production Year on Seed Yield, Oil Content and Its Composition

Linseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) is a traditional oilseed crop in Europe that represents a valuable alternative for cropping systems because of the high quality of the seed oil, which is being increasingly appreciated by consumers, food, cosmetic and ecomaterials industries. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of linseed variety and year of production in relation to weather conditions on seed yields, oil content and its quality, with a focus on human nutrition value, through a field study carried at four different locations in Slovenia. Six early French linseed varieties were studied: Recital, Niagara, Princess, Altess, Comtess and Duchess. The seed yield was significantly affected by the year of production (413 kg/ha higher in 2012 compared to 2013), the location and the variety. The environmental factors that negatively affect seed yield are high temperatures in summer, water shortage and wet and cold soil in spring. The highest seed yield was reached at mid-heavy soil (1907 kg/ha) in the region with higher precipitation amount, while the lowest on light soil (1052 kg/ha) in the region with a lower precipitation amount. Comtess and Altess varieties, followed by Duchess, would be recommendable for Slovenian environmental conditions. Comtess variety gave the significantly highest oil yield. There were no significant differences in oil content between varieties. The content of α-linolenic acid was highly related to genetic and environmental factors. The ratio of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids was recognized as favorable for human health for all studied varieties. The content of α-linolenic acid in seeds from the Altess, Comtess and Duchess varieties exceeded the averages of 2012 and 2013, at 50.3% and 51.6%, respectively. The omega-3:omega-6 ratio ranged from 3:1 to 4:1 among varieties.

Field testing of different synthetic attractants for mass trapping of common European cockchafer (Melolontha melolontha [L.], Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae) adults

ABSTRACTBetween 2012 and 2014, we tested the efficacy of different synthetic attractants for the purpose of massive trapping of common European cockchafer adults (Melolontha melolontha). The research took place in three different locations in Slovenia (Otlica, Črni Vrh nad Idrijo, Cesta nad Ajdovščino) during flight periods of adult beetles. In the period 2013–2014, we used, on the basis of the preliminary test results (2012), the following chemicals: toluquinone, cis–3–hexen–1-ol, ethyl acetate, toluquinone + cis–3 hexen–1-ol, and ethanol as a control. M. melolontha adults were most abundant in the location Črni Vrh nad Idrijo; the traps in this location caught 18 times more of them than those in the first location and more than six times more than those in the third location. Male insects accounted for 73 to 87% of the trapped specimens. We confirmed the highest efficiency of cis–3–hexen–1-ol in 2013 (43.25 ± 0.08 males/trap), as well as in 2014 (15.00 ± 0.14 males/trap). On the basis of the trapped adult common European cockchafers and the simple economic analysis of applying different synthetic substances for attracting them, we found that independent application of cis-3-hexen-1-ol is the most efficient and cost-effective option for attracting the studied insect pest. Consequently, we recommend it as an attractant in the traps for massive trapping of adult common European cockchafers.

The use of a new diagram for the analysis of the daily cycles in the air-pollution data

From a temporal viewpoint, air pollution has significant daily patterns/cycles of behaviour. These cycles are conditioned by anthropogenic and natural phenomena. In both cases, a detailed observation and an understanding of the daily cycles rules or daily patterns of air pollution can be significant and at the same time can contribute to more effective measures to reduce the harmful impact of air pollution on human health. In this paper the new sunflower diagram is presented. The key advantage of the sunflower diagram is the ease of understanding the result and the ability to present information in the form of a graphic pattern, allowing the user to quickly understand the content. Using the sunflower diagram, we will present an analysis of the meteorological parameters that are important for understanding air pollution and air-pollution data for different locations in Slovenia.

The use of a new diagram for the analysis of the daily cycles in the air-pollution data

From a temporal viewpoint, air pollution has significant daily patterns/cycles of behaviour. These cycles are conditioned by anthropogenic and natural phenomena. In both cases, a detailed observation and an understanding of the daily cycles rules or daily patterns of air pollution can be significant and at the same time can contribute to more effective measures to reduce the harmful impact of air pollution on human health. In this paper the new sunflower diagram is presented. The key advantage of the sunflower diagram is the ease of understanding the result and the ability to present information in the form of a graphic pattern, allowing the user to quickly understand the content. Using the sunflower diagram, we will present an analysis of the meteorological parameters that are important for understanding air pollution and air-pollution data for different locations in Slovenia.

Tropospheric mercury vertical profiles between 500 and 10 000 m in central Europe

Abstract. The knowledge of the vertical distribution of atmospheric mercury (Hg) plays an important role in determining the transport and cycling of mercury. However, measurements of the vertical distribution are rare, because airborne measurements are expensive and labour intensive. Consequently, only a few vertical Hg profile measurements have been reported since the 1970s. Besides the Civil Aircraft for the Regular Investigation of the atmosphere Based on an Instrument Container (CARIBIC) observations, the latest vertical profile over Europe was measured in 1996. Within the Global Mercury Observation System (GMOS) project, four vertical profiles were taken on board research aircraft (CASA-212) in August 2013 in background air over different locations in Slovenia and Germany. Each vertical profile consists of at least seven 5 min horizontal flight sections from 500 m above ground to 3000 m a.s.l. Gaseous elemental mercury (GEM) and total gaseous mercury (TGM) were measured with Tekran 2537X and Tekran 2537B analysers. In addition to the mercury measurements, SO2, CO, O3, NO, and NO2, basic meteorological parameters (pressure, temperature, relative humidity) have been measured. Additional ground-based mercury measurements at the GMOS master site in Waldhof, Germany and measurements onboard the CARIBIC passenger aircraft were used to extend the profile to the ground and upper troposphere respectively. No vertical gradient was found inside the well-mixed boundary layer (variation of less than 0.1 ng m−3) at different sites, with GEM varying from location to location between 1.4 and 1.6 ng m−3 (standard temperature and pressure, STP: T = 273.15 K, p = 1013.25 hPa). At all locations GEM dropped to 1.3 ng m−3 (STP) when entering the free troposphere and remained constant at higher altitudes. The combination of the vertical profile, measured on 21 August 2013 over Leipzig, Germany, with the CARIBIC measurements during ascent and descent to Frankfurt Airport, Germany, taken at approximately the same time, provide a unique central European vertical profile from inside the boundary layer (550 m a.s.l) to the upper free troposphere (10 500 m a.s.l.) and show a fairly constant free-tropospheric TGM concentration of 1.3 ng m−3 (STP).

Examination of cellulose textile fibres in historical objects by micro-Raman spectroscopy

The investigation and characterisation of historical objects can be an exacting piece of work because of the small quantity of material that can be investigated and the degradation of the material and its value, which sometimes demands only non-destructive methods. In this study, as one such method, Raman spectroscopy was used to investigate the cellulose fibres of painting canvases and linings. Historical samples of fabrics were taken from different paintings and their linings from different locations in Slovenia. Raman spectra were recorded on the fibres of these historical samples. Additionally, a database of the Raman spectra of modern cellulose fibres was created and compared with the literature data. Differences in the Raman spectra of different cellulose fibres were observed, and on this basis fibres of different types were discriminated. The recorded Raman spectra of historical samples were compared with the database spectra of modern cellulose fibres. Strong luminescence effects because of the changes caused by ageing, degradation products and surface contamination caused difficulties in interpreting the Raman spectra of historical fibres. The luminescence effects were partly overcome by prolonged exposition times and previous “signal quenching” with the laser. The Raman spectra of historical cotton showed no luminescence effects, and only slight differences to the reference spectra of modern cotton fibres appeared, whereas the Raman spectra of historical flax fibres were overwhelmed with luminescence and showed changes in spectra through degradation. The research showed that by using Raman spectroscopy the identification and differentiation of different cellulose fibres and materials that accompany cellulose in the fibres are possible and that degraded and aged material can be differentiated.

The simulation of phenological development in dynamic crop model: The Bayesian comparison of different methods

The main objective of our study was to use Bayesian methods to quantify the uncertainties related to phenological development of maize ( Zea mays L.) under various climate conditions. For this purpose, five different phenological methods were implemented in the dynamic crop growth model, which was subsequently optimized, using the data acquired at three different locations in Slovenia. The sensitivity analysis of the crop model was performed in order to find the set of most influential physiological parameters. Subsequent Bayesian model comparison was used in order to quantify the impact of phenological method selection on the final maize yield. The results revealed the importance of using an appropriate phenological method in order to correctly estimate the duration of the growing season and yield, when used within dynamic crop model. The limitations of the phenological methods used in this study are discussed. The selection of phenological method itself did not have a significant influence on the yield estimation, except in years with high temperatures and limiting water conditions. This raises the concern that inaccurate simulation of phenological development may increase the uncertainties of impact assessment on crop yield where crop models are fed with future climate projections.

Determination of macronutrients and some essential elements in the slovene military diet

The energy and nutrient values for military nutrition are defined in the nutritional recommendations of the Slovene Armed Forces. In this study 35 daily military diets sampled in the years 2002 and 2005 by the double basket method were analysed, for energy, total fat, protein, dietary fibre and the elements Ca, Mg, Na, P, K, Fe, Zn, Cu, I and Se. The daily diets were collected at different locations in Slovenia. The aim was to establish whether energy value, content of fat, protein, dietary fibre and selected essential elements are in compliance with the nutritional recommendations of the Slovene Armed Forces. The results indicate that daily intake of essential elements from military meals was sufficient, with the exception of Ca and Zn in diets sampled in 2005. The study was the first in Slovenia analysing daily intakes of essential elements in an adult population aged 19–27 years.

Identification of SARS-like coronaviruses in horseshoe bats (Rhinolophus hipposideros) in Slovenia

Bats have been identified as a natural reservoir for an increasing number of emerging zoonotic viruses, such as Hendra virus, Nipah virus, Ebola virus, Marburg virus, rabies and other lyssaviruses. Recently, a large number of viruses closely related to members of the genus Coronavirus have been associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and detected in bat species. In this study, samples were collected from 106 live bats of seven different bat species from 27 different locations in Slovenia. Coronaviruses were detected by RT-PCR in 14 out of 36 horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus hipposideros) fecal samples, with 38.8% virus prevalence. Sequence analysis of a 405-nucleotide region of the highly conserved RNA polymerase gene (pol) showed that all coronaviruses detected in this study are genetically closely related, with 99.5–100% nucleotide identity, and belong to group 2 of the coronaviruses. The most closely related virus sequence in GenBank was SARS bat isolate Rp3/2004 (DQ071615) within the SARS-like CoV cluster, sharing 85% nucleotide identity and 95.6% amino acid identity. The potential risk of a new group of bat coronaviruses as a reservoir for human infections is highly suspected, and further molecular epidemiologic studies of these bat coronaviruses are needed.

Detection of Anaplasma phagocytophilum in wild boar in Slovenia

Human granulocytic anaplasmosis (HGA) comprises a group of emerging tick-borne infectious diseases and it is caused by the intracellular bacteria, Anaplasma phagocytophilum. Infections with Anaplasma spp. have been described in humans and animals. Many studies have been performed to elucidate the natural cycle of A. phagocytophilum, but a competent reservoir host has not been clearly established in Europe [1]. Roe and red deer represent a very important host for the adult tick I. ricinus, a vector of A. phagocytophilum, and could therefore also serve as a natural reservoir for A. phagocytophilum in enzootic transmission of this bacterium [1]. Two genetic lineages of groESL operon were described among isolates of A. phagocytophilum from deer in Slovenia. However, both genetic lineages differed from a single variant, found in all Slovenian HGA patients [2]. PCR screening of different wild animals from Austria and the Czech Republic showed that wild boar (Sus scrofa) were infected with A. phagocytophilum [3]. Nucleotide sequences of groESL operon of A. phagocytophilum obtained from these infected animals were identical to the sequences from Slovenian patients [3]. Interestingly, a German horse with equine granulocytic ehrlichiosis was also infected with an identical variant of A. phagocytophilum to that detected in Slovenian patients [4]. In the years 2002 and 2007, 248 wild boars (Sus scrofa) from different locations in Slovenia were shot by professional hunters. Blood and spleen samples collected by hunters were analysed for infection with Anaplasma species in our laboratory. DNA was extracted from 135 spleen (year 2002) and 113 blood (year 2007) samples as described previously [1]. For the initial screening of all samples a segment of the 16S rDNA of A. phagocytophilum was used [1]. All positive samples were additionally amplified with a nested PCR targeting groESL operon of variants of A. phagocytophilum [1]. The gene for 16S rDNA is very conservative, therefore only the amplicons of the groESL operon were further analysed by sequencing. To obtain the genetic variation of A. phagocytophilum, all amplicons of groESL operon were further sequenced on both strands and analysed by using TREECON software. A phylogenetic tree was constructed with the neighbour-joining method. Support for the tree nodes was calculated with 1000 bootstrap replicates. Of 135 spleen samples (2002) and 113 blood (2007) samples, six (4.4%) and four (3.5%) tested positive for the presence of Anaplasmae spp. DNA, respectively. The groESL gene was subsequently amplified from all positive samples. The homology search and the alignment of groESL sequences showed 100% identity with A. phagocytophilum from a human patient (acc. no. AF033101) and from the Ixodes ricinus tick (acc. no. EU246961) from Slovenia (Fig. 1). Genetic sequences from wild boar were also 100% identical among each other. Our study confirms that wild boar is naturally infected with A. phagocytophilum. The Anaplasmae spp. DNA was detected in 10 of 248 (4.0%) samples, collected from different locations in Slovenia in two different years. Anaplasma phagocytophilum was previously detected in wild boar samples. Interestingly, the wild boar were hunted in a different geographical area (Czech Republic) but the results were in accordance with our findings [3]. Scandinavian groESL sequences from dogs and horses differ from Slovenian in six nucleotides, but are identical among each other. These differences might suggest geographical variability of A. phagocytophilum and contribute Corresponding author and reprint requests: Tatjana Avsic Županc, Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Zaloska 4, SI–1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia E-mail: tatjana.avsic@mf.uni-lj.si

Diversity of groESL sequences of Anaplasma phagocytophilum among dogs in Slovenia

Anaplasma phagocytophilum, the agent of granulocytic anaplasmosis, has been detected in different hosts (humans, dogs, horses, deer, cattle, sheep, etc.) and ixodid tick vectors [1]. Human anaplasmosis is a mild self-limiting disease [2]. Fatal human cases due to infection with A. phagocytophilum have not been reported in Europe. In contrast, canine granulocytic anaplasmosis may be a more serious disease, taking the form of a chronic infection, and fatal cases have also been described [3]. A vast number of reports describe the genetic diversity of A. phagocytophilum in animals, but only a few refer to domestic dogs. Differences in the nucleotide sequences of the 16S rRNA gene of A. phagocytophilum from dogs in western Washington State were recently described [4]. As the 16S rRNA gene is a conserved gene, the operon groESL might be a better candidate with which to determine the genetic variability. This gene analysis has already been used to delineate genetic variants of A. phagocytophilum among roe and red deer in Slovenia [5]. The focus of the present study is to examine the genetic variability of the groESL gene of A. phagocytophilum in domestic dogs in Slovenia. From 2000 to 2007, 2577 blood samples from dogs with clinical signs of canine anaplasmosis from different locations in Slovenia were tested for the presence of anaplasmal DNA. For the initial screening of samples, amplification of a part of the 16S rRNA of A. phagocytophilum was used [5]. Positive samples were additionally tested with a nested PCR targeting a 1256-bp segment of the groESL operon [5]. To determine the genetic variation of A. phagocytophilum, all amplicons of the groESL operon were further sequenced on both strands and analysed by using TREECON software. A phylogenetic tree was constructed with the neighbour-joining method. Support for the tree nodes was calculated with 1000 bootstrap replicates. Of 2577 samples tested, 103 (4.0%) were positive for the presence of A. phagocytophilum 16S rRNA. The GroESL gene was subsequently amplified from all positive samples. The homology search and the alignment of groESL sequences from 103 dogs revealed two clusters of sequences differing in three nucleotides (99.8% identity). However, translated amino acid sequences were identical, thus indicating silent mutations. One cluster of groESL sequences from dogs (accession no. EU381150) representing 58 of 103 positive dogs (56.3%) showed 100% identity with A. phagocytophilum from a human patient (accession no. AF033101) and from an Ixodes ricinus tick (accession no. EU246961) from Slovenia. Another group of sequences (accession no. EU381151) representing 45 of 103 dogs (43.7%) clustered together with a variant found in German and Slovenian I. ricinus ticks (accession no. AY281847 and EU381152), respectively (Fig. 1). Human and canine anaplasmoses are present in Slovenia. Whereas human cases are rare and present mostly as a mild disease [2], infection with A. phagocytophilum in dogs is a serious disease that is more frequently observed. Interestingly, human A. phagocytophilum shows no genetic variability in groESL sequences, but in this study, two variants of A. phagocytophilum were identified in dogs from Slovenia by PCR and sequence analysis of a part of the groESL operon. A more prevalent variant (accession no. EU381150) demonstrated 100% identity with a variant detected in human cases of anaplasmosis in Slovenia. Given the same genetic variant and different clinical disease in humans and dogs, this could implicate the involvement of specific host factors in granulocytic anaplasmosis. Stuen et al. [6] speculated that certain strains of A. phagocytophilum might induce different severities of the Corresponding author and reprint requests to: T. Avsic Zupanc, Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Zaloska 4, SI – 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia E-mail: tatjana.avsic@mf.uni-lj.si

First record of Aphidius ervi Haliday in Slovenia

In 2008, a lucerne aphid parasitoid Aphidius ervi Haliday was first recorded in Slovenia. This oligophagous parasitoid is used as biological control agent against bigger aphid species. By sampling aphid mummies on different locations in Slovenia in 2008, we found parasitoid Aphidius ervi on nine host plants (corn, pea, alfalfa, red clover, winter wheat, oat, onion, potato and winter barley). Among 1812 primary parasitoids found in Slovenia in 2008, there were 46 individuals of Aphidius ervi; 21 male and 25 female parasitoids. In the present paper description of the species, its geographic distribution and host plant-aphid-parasitoid associations are given.

The first record of Aphidius ervi Haliday in Slovenia

In 2008, a lucerne aphid parasitoid Aphidius ervi Haliday was first recorded in Slovenia. This oligophagous parasitoid is used as biological control agent against bigger aphid species. By sampling aphid mummies on different locations in Slovenia in 2008, we found parasitoid Aphidius ervi on nine host plants (corn, pea, alfalfa, red clover, winter wheat, oat, onion, potato and winter barley). Among 1812 primary parasitoids found in Slovenia in 2008, there were 46 individuals of Aphidius ervi; 21 male and 25 female parasitoids. In the present paper description of the species, its geographic distribution and host plant-aphid-parasitoid associations are given.

Nucleoplasmatic index in meristematic cells of maize (Zea mays L.) as a tool in environmental bioindication

Test plants of maize (Zea mays L.) were exposed in pot experiments to air pollution at different locations in Slovenia for one vegetation period. Root tips were collected from the field after the period of four months. Digital image analysis was made, and a nucleoplasmatic index was calculated from the meristematic root tip cells of different test plants. Statistical evaluation of data demonstrated changes in the nucleoplasmatic index, in the cell area and in the area of nuclei of the maize plants. Therefore, we conclude that the nucleoplasmatic index can be affected by air pollution, and it can be used as a tool in environmental bioindication.