Fulltext search in archive

A qualitative assessment of the Eurasian perch Perca fluviatilis semen describing the basic parameters of seminal plasma was completed. The histological methods used in this study showed changes in perch gonads during a spawning and post-spawning period. At the late period of the spawning season, the structure of testes was clearly loosened and spermatozoa did not fill uniformly all the ampullae of the testes, leaving free spaces at their banks and no spermatids were observed. The results confirmed that there was an additional period after spawning in the annual reproductive cycle of the male Eurasian perch. In both years of investigations (2000-2001), an essential decline in sperm motility at the late period of the spawning season was observed, from more than 85% to 56% in 2000. The sperm motility was not influenced by sperm concentrations because throughout the spawning time no changes in the sperm concentration were observed, 32.4 and 32.6 mld/ml at beginning and at the late period of spawning period, respectively. In contrast to sperm concentrations, protein concentrations in seminal plasma increased in the late period of spawning season, from 3.95 to 5.16 g/l in 2001. This study confirmed that protein concentrations in the seminal plasma of most fish are much lower than in the other vertebrates. Among the fish examined, perch is characterized by one of the highest values of protein concentrations in plasma. Our observations confirmed that a high water temperature influenced anatomical and functional parameters of the reproductive system in male perch.

With the aim to examine the effect of season and rearing system on major broiler meat quality traits appropriate experimental investigations were conducted. Trial material included a total of 800 one-day-old broilers of the Hybro line hybrid. The experiment was organized in two replications, as trial I (conducted in the spring season) and trial II (conducted in the summer season). Two broiler fattening methods were employed, the intensive and semi-intensive one (using free-range rearing). The experimental chicks were slaughtered after seven weeks of fattening. Following the fattening period, 60 broilers (30 broilers from each experimental group) were chosen at random and slaughtered, with the aim of examining major broiler meat quality traits. At the slaughter line, determination of meat quantitative traits was done accompanied by sampling for chemical analyses. The rearing systems (intensive and semi-intensive system) affected significantly (P < 0.05) the proportion of class I meat in the broilers reared under the semi-intensive system, whereas in the class II and III meat proportions the rearing system did not exert any statistically significant effect (P > 0.05). The broilers reared under the semi-intensive system had a 1.44% higher proportion of muscular tissue on average than the intensively reared ones (P < 0.01). The bone and skin proportion was 0.82 and 0.67% lower in the broilers reared by the semi-intensive method (P < 0.05). The differences between the results of two trials organised at different seasons were not statistically significant (P > 0.05). The broilers reared semi-intensively had a statistically highly significantly higher protein proportion (P < 0.01) in breasts, drumsticks and thighs compared to the intensively reared broilers. The broilers reared in the summer season had higher breast and drumstick proportions (P < 0.01) as well as a higher thigh proportion (P < 0.05). The effect of both the season and the rearing system on the lipid content in the breasts, thighs and drumsticks was statistically highly significant (P < 0.01). The lipid content in the breasts, thighs and drumsticks was higher in the broilers during the summer season as well as in the intensively reared chicken. Finally, having thoroughly examined the research results, or more precisely, considering the established advantages in terms of the meat quality, the use of the free-range broiler rearing system can be deemed scientifically and professionally justifiable.

An experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of glutamine on growth performance of weanling piglets. Sixty piglets weaned at 21 days of age were randomly assigned to two groups (10 piglets per pen, 3 pens per group). The control group received a maize-soybean meal-based diet. The treatment group received a maize-soybean meal-based diet supplemented with 1.0% free l-glutamine. Piglets were fed the diets for 20 days. Results showed that piglets fed the glutamine diet had lower diarrhoea ratio and shorter diarrhoea duration than those fed the control diet during 20 days after weaning. During the first ten days after weaning, pigs supplemented with glutamine had a 12.05% lower feed:gain ratio than those fed the control diet (P < 0.05). During the second ten days after weaning, they had a 27.75% higher average daily gain than those fed the control diet (P < 0.05); there were no differences in the feed:gain ratio and average daily feed intake. During the first ten days after weaning, the serum urea nitrogen of pigs supplemented with glutamine was reduced by 17.36% (P > 0.05) compared to the control. During the second ten days after weaning, serum urea nitrogen was reduced by 4.27% and serum concentrations of total protein increased by 18.70% in pigs supplemented with glutamine compared to the control (P > 0.05). There were no differences in albumin, T_3, T₄ and growth hormone.

Polyphenols are important antioxidant constituents of apples and they contribute positively to human health because they possess an antiradical activity. Fifteen apple varieties were analysed for their total polyphenol content (TP) by two methods - by Folin-Ciocalteau reagent (FC) and by EBC method with carboxylmethylcellulose/sodium ethylendiamintetraacetate (CMC/EDTA) and their antiradical activity (ARA) by DPPH method using stable free radical 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH.). TP and ARA were determined in freshly expressed apple juice and apples and obtained results were statistically evaluated. The differences between varieties were significant. The correlation between TP content determined by FC method determining all free aromatic hydroxyls and EBC method determining mainly ortho-aromatic hydroxyls was found with r = 0.73. The highest differences among analysed varieties were found for ARA values in both, juice and apples and for TP content determined by FC in apples. High polyphenol content was found in Jonagold, Jonalord, Melodie and Melrose varieties both, in apples and juices; on the contrary low TP contents were estimated in Gloster and Rosana varieties. The highest ARA levels were found inRajka,Bohemia andMelrose varieties, compared to low ARA levels found in apple fruits of Šampion and Topaz varieties.

Physical, chemical and microbiological properties of soils were studied in black walnut (Juglans nigra L.) stands and compared with those in stands of natural species composition, in mixed stands of black walnut with linden and in pure oak stands. The objectives were to consider a possibility of black walnut planting at floodplain sites in the alluvial area of Southern Moravia. The first results did not show any worsening of soil properties and soil production potential. A positive amelioration effect of soil- improving species was proved in black walnut stands.

Extensive forest areas were ameliorated by large-scale liming in the last years in order to prevent proceeding acidification and degradation of forest soils. The hitherto knowledge of liming effects on the function of forest soils still appears insufficient for an unambiguous evaluation. Sorption properties of soils and acidity are favourably affected by liming and the favourable effect is usually manifested in the layer of forest floor humus and in mineral soil within ten years. Reduction of soil acidity stimulates development of a bacterial component of microflora, soil edaphon, and good prerequisites are formed for a release of nutrients from soil organic matter. Improvement of some physical parameters of soils and negative effect of liming on the depth of rooting in spruce, availability of nutrients at some sites and in connection with mechanical soil preparation were also described. A key point of liming effect on forest soils is nitrogen dynamics. Mineralization of nitrogen is stimulated at nitrogen-rich sites with C/N < 30. Nitrogen-limited sites show nitrogen mineralization inhibited by liming with signs of pronounced deficiency in spruce nutrition. A positive effect of liming on nutrition with bases is generally accompanied by an adverse influence on N dynamics in acidic soils under spruce monocultures. Therefore it is possible to state that liming induces relatively marked changes in the soil but the actual growth response of woody species cannot be derived only from these changes.

A study of diprionids associated with spruce was done at 31 sites of the eastern part of the Czech Republic in 1988-2003. In total 45 specimens belonging to Gilpinia abieticola (6 specimens), G. hercyniae (3) and G. polytoma (36) were collected using Malaise traps, emergency traps, bark-beetle pheromone baited traps or sweeping. The spruce diprionids were recorded in 30% of the studied sites only. G. polytoma was the most abundant and it is probably bivoltine with adult activity from April to August. The results of emergence trap-monitoring in Paskovský les indicate that this species is in latency.

Changes in radial increment of Norway spruce in 25 stands more than 100 years old were analysed. Stands were growing on sites of different exposure situated at 450-1,200 m above sea level in the Polish Western Beskids Mountains. In the mid-1990s a considerable increase in annual ring width was observed. The greatest increase occurred in trees growing at the highest altitudes. This phenomenon occurred after a long period of increment decrease at the turn of the 1970s. After 1990 as the annual ring width was increasing, the variation and amplitude of ring width also increased. The cause of a long-term increase in radial increment was the improvement of thermal and pluvial conditions during late winter and early spring having a substantial effect on Norway spruce growth. In the 1990s the period of rapid changes in thermal and pluvial conditions of summer began. After moist and cold summers there were hot and dry summers. This resulted in increased variations and amplitude of the growth responses of Norway spruce and contributed to the weakening of trees above 100 years of age. The increasing break-up of Norway spruce stands growing in the lower mountain zone of the Polish Western Beskids Mountains, observed in recent years, is the final effect of this process.

The spreading of bulldozer-formed windrows represents a second stage of the site restoration with bulldozers utilization in the Ore Mts. In the first period, bulldozers were used to create windrows for mechanized reforestation of immission-declined stands, causing profound devastation of forest sites, because removed surface humus was the only source of nutrients and environment for tree species roots. Preparatory stands have been established, and have to undergo re-construction in the coming years. Nowadays, the windrows are spread by the bulldozers again, covering 1/3 f the whole area between windrows by the rest of holorganic matter. This substratum is impoverished by the extensive mineralization and connected nutrient (especially N) losses, representing differently suitable space for tree rooting. Presented paper documents the effects of fertilization by different types of the SILVAMIX fertilizer on the growth and prosperity of new spruce plantations. Effects of fertilization are visible very soon and they are significantly beneficial for the new forest plantations.

The reflection of soil properties in the health condition of forest stands is connected with synergy of stressors that influence the forest existence. In the Krušné hory Mts. (Czech Republic, Europe) methods of full-area site mechanized preparation before reforestation were applied on existing ecotopes of the air polluted clear-cut area and the uniform relief of windrows was established. The hypothesis whether the soil in the windrows could be directly used for local cultivations as a substrate suitable for forest tree species growth was examined. The influence of three machines (digger, bulldozer and cultivator) used for the windrow cultivation was monitored in relation to soil properties. The state of the properties of prepared sites was compared with retained windrows and control plots with scarification. The effects of mechanized soil preparation before reforestation were different according to the concrete ecological factors of the given sites. The influences of individual means of mechanization on concrete soil properties were determined as locally differentiated. The windrow cultivation led to an increase in cation exchange capacity (CEC) especially due to an increase in Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ content. Locally it led to the stabilization of N-NH₄ content. The optimization of soil physical properties was connected with the state of C_ox. The mechanized windrow cultivation did not optimize either C/N ratio or maximum capillary capacity (Θ_MCC) or porosity (p). The mechanized windrow cultivation in the conditions of decreased air pollution load generally appears as a good technology for revitalization of degraded sites because it provided more optimal trophic conditions for the forest tree species growth than windrows or sites with completed scarification.

In 2002 a study focused on the evaluation of height and density of expanding natural regeneration of Fraxinus excelsior L. (FE) was carried out on Velká hora Hill, a locality in the Bohemian Karst (Český kras). The examined area is located in Karlštejn National Nature Reserve and takes up around 31 ha. The parent rock is limestone. The expansion depends on soil and exposition conditions and relates to the water balance gradient. FE reached the highest densities (up to 6,000 individuals/400 m²) on Velká hora's peak plateau on medium-deep, heavy-textured decarbonized soils. The lowest expansion (508 individuals/400 m²) was found on slopes fully exposed to south (S) with water retention capacity lower than 20 mm. In total, the average density was 1,190 individuals/400 m². FE natural regeneration reached the highest average heights (around 210 cm) on Fageto-Quercetum illimerosum mesotrophicum, the smallest heights on Carpineto-Aceretum saxatile. Average height in the locality was 47 cm. No relation was found between FE natural regeneration height or density and the distance of a fertile specimen. The distance exceeded 70 m only in 3.4%. FE seeds could be detected almost everywhere at the area. FE is capable to establish itself on any location of the studied locality except ecologically extreme parts of rock steppe without forest and Fagus sylvatica L. stands occupying S slopes. On less favourable sites it is capable to use the protection of other tree species and as a low growing tree it can eventually dominate the site. In more favourable conditions it expands on the whole area, where it can dominate the undergrowth already at 1-m height. If the forest sites are left to natural development, a distinctive change in the tree species composition could take place in a short time period. Such a change could have an essential impact on light conditions, energy flux and species composition of plant and animal communities.

Long-term fertilization effects were evaluated including NPK, Ca and N applications at the lower altitudes. The studied localities are in the territory of Training Forest Enterprise in Kostelec nad Černými lesy, at an altitude of 300-500 m a.s.l., sites of beech-oak-fir types. Fertilizers were used in 1965-1967, the evaluation of soil condition was done in 1967 (before fertilization) and 2002. After 25-35 years, only low effects of fertilization are detectable in the humus forms and complex soil profile - surface humus accumulation, soil chemistry, as well as nutrient contents. Complex fertilization was reflected in higher site fertility in general, N-fertilization only in the progress of acidification. During the period 1967-2002, a strong general trend of acidification is obvious caused by both acid deposition and Norway spruce monoculture-based forestry.

ESFY phytoplasma (European stone fruit yellows phytoplasma) is nowadays one of the most important plant diseases, especially on apricots and peaches, and it belongs to the list of organisms for which quarantine is required in the Czech Republic. The aim of this study was to determine the best period for tissue extraction and the best technique for ESFY detection. It was also to investigate the possibility of isolating DNA for use in ESFY detection from the leaf-stalks of randomly chosen symptomatic and asymptomatic apricot trees. Results of the amplification of DNA extracted from leaf-stalk and phloem sampled from 2-year old woody shoots during the years 2003 and 2004 were statistically analysed and compared, and visible disease symptoms were simultaneously evaluated and compared to the results of molecular detection. DNA isolation from leaf-stalks can be considered as less significant and reliable than isolation from phloem sampled from 2-year old woody shoots.

The structure of C. parasitica populations was evaluated in Štiavnicko-krupinská subpopulation in Slovakia. A total of four vegetative-compatibility (vc) types were detected among the sample of 215 isolates, which respond to following European vc types: EU-12, EU-2, EU-13, and EU-8. Number of vc types on single sites varied between one and four. One vc type (EU-12) was the dominant in Štiavnicko-krupinská subpopulation. This vc type (EU-12) comprised 93% of all isolates and was found on each site. Two vc types were represented by only one or two isolates. The observed vc type frequencies were compared with expected vc type frequencies. The χ² test showed that the observed vc type frequencies differed significantly from the frequencies expected under random mating.

Labile Al forms can be dangerous in acid soils due to their potential toxicity to plants. This paper deals with the distribution of exchangeable, weakly organically bound, and total organically bound Al forms in soils on 98 sites of the Jizera Mountains region. For the extraction of these Al forms, 0.5M KCl (Al_KCl), 0.3M CuCl₂ (Al_CuCl2), and 0.05M Na₄P₂O₇ (Al_Na4P2O7) solutions were used, respectively. Aluminium concentrations in all extracts were determined by means of ICP-OES. Following mean concentrations of Al forms were found in the O and B horizons (mg/kg): Al_KCl - 1236 and 832, Al_CuCl2 - 4268 and 1945, and Al_Na4P2O7 - 5043 and 8420. Basic soil characteristics were determined by commonly used methods. Their influence on Al forms distribution was assessed. Factor analysis showed that the most important soil factors controlling Al forms distribution were soil reaction and the total content of Ca (or Ca and Mg in the B horizon).

The interaction of manganese with cadmium (Cd) toxicity was studied on maize plants grown in hydroponics. Manganese supplied as MnSO₄clearly alleviated the toxic effect of cadmium on the root growth of maize seedlings. The magnitude of alleviation was dose dependant and total abolition of 10µM Cd toxicity on root growth was observed at Mn/Cd ratio of 20:1. The 12 h pre-treatment with 10μM Cd was generally toxic for nitrate uptake and reduction (both determined in Cd-free media). The beneficial effect of 100μM Mn on this toxicity was confirmed for the low-affinity nitrate uptake system, but on the other hand, Mn alone seems to be slightly toxic for high affinity nitrate uptake system and on the nitrate reductase activity.

Skin scuffing is a problem of washing of the individual potato varieties, which is particularly important at harvests of physiologically immature tubers. Washing of such tubers cannot be recommended. Discoloration of scuffed tuber parts is another problem, which is exhibited by gray, brown to black color. Greening of washed tubers is mostly influenced by storage manner that also affects tuber sprouting. Mechanical damage, occurrence of several diseases, abiotic injuries, pest damages is also a problem. Various responses of potato varieties were found to tuber washing. Varieties with rough, netted skin, physiologically immature tubers, infected with diseases, mechanically damaged, susceptible to soft rot, expressing abiotic changes are not suitable for the washing. Tubers of varieties with smooth and bright skin, without scuffing, with later greening in the light, free of disease and abiotic injury presence and non-damaged by pests are suitable for washing. From this view the best results of tuber washing were obtained with varieties and hybrids: Adéla,Astoria, Belladonna, Dali, Ditta, Flavia, Futura, Katka, Kordoba, Kornelie, Lady Christl, Laura, Milva, Princess, Redstar, Rosara, Samantana, Satina, Secura, Velox,Vera,Victoria, KE 524-11, KE 12-83.

High-biomass tree species holds promise for a clean up of metal contaminated soils. Root and fungal activities modify soil characteristics that are important factors for the phytoextraction process (metal availability and toxicity). In a rhizobox experiment, two clones of Salix × rubens derived from contaminated and non-contaminated sites were tested for growth performance and metal (Cd, Pb and Zn) accumulation on a polluted Calcaric Cambisol. The largest metal concentrations in leaves were 66.7 mg Cd/kg, 12.8 mg Pb/kg and 1090 mg Zn/kg. The results indicate that metal tolerance and accumulation of S. × rubens may be a constitutive rather than an adaptive property. Soil pH did not differ among rhizobox compartments. However, acid neutralization capacity was decreased in rhizosphere. DOC in rhizosphere was increased by 37% and seemed to enhance labile fraction of Pb and Zn, whereas Cd was not affected. The replenishment of labile metals from less labile soil fractions was efficient enough to almost compensate the plant uptake. S. × rubens can effectively induce chemical changes in the rhizosphere is very promising for a clean up of metal-polluted soils.

The recommended maximum contents of the substances from the group of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in sludge for the application on agricultural soils were proposed. The list of the substances follows Czech legislative norms for soil protection (Directive of the Ministry of Environment No. 13/1994 Sb.). The list includes the groups of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (MAHs), the amount of six congeners of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB₆), DDT and residues, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofuranes (PCDDs/Fs). Recommended maximum contents were proposed on the basis of the determination of background values of POPs in the set of 45 sludge samples from the wastewater factories in the territory of the Czech Republic. The results of vegetation experiments focused on the POPs in soil and plants after sludge application were used and the proposal of EU legislation Working Document on Sludge was investigated.

The uptake of As, Cd, Pb, and Zn and potential phytoremediation efficiency of five high biomass producing crops, white sweetclover (Melilotus alba L.), red clover (Trifolium pratense L.), curled mallow (Malva verticillata L.), safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) and hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) commonly used as grazing and/or energy crops was evaluated in both pot and field experiments at soils with different level of element contamination. In pot experiment the highest phytoremediation efficiency was demonstrated by C. tinctorius where 4.8% of Cd and 1.1% of Zn were removed from the moderately contaminated soil in one vegetation period when repeated harvest of aboveground biomass was performed. The removal of As and Pb was negligible for all the investigated plant species. At the highest element content in soil inhibition of plant growth due to the element phytotoxicity to plants was reported in most of cases. In the precise field experiment lower phytoremediation efficiency (biennial phytoremediation factors did not exceed 0.2% for Pb and Zn and 0.3% for Cd for C. tinctorius) was determined but yield suppress was not observed. Thus, free space for manipulation with element mobility in soil to increase element uptake by plants remains for further research.

The reed canary grass as a source of energy was tested in field experiments on small plots at three different sites in 1996-2003. The effects of soil and weather conditions, different times of harvest (July, November, March) and different doses of nitrogen fertilization (0, 30, 60 kg/ha) on yields of phytomass were investigated. The effects of the harvest time on the water content in harvested phytomass, loss of phytomass in different harvest period and the content of basic nutrients and heavy metals in plants were all specified. The influence of the year, site and N fertilization on yields of phytomass of the reed canary grass was highly significant. The reed canary grass responded positively to increasing doses of nitrogen by the increase of yields of phytomass. On the averages of years and sites, the N application dose of 30 kg/ha increased dry phytomass yields of the reed canary grass harvested in November by 14.6% (1.08 t/ha). The higher dosage of N 60 kg/ha increased yields of phytomass of the reed canary grass at all sites by 32.8% (2.08 t/ha) on average in contrast with variants without fertilization. By the dose of N 60 kg/ha, the dry above-ground phytomass harvested in autumn was 10.04 t/ha in Ruzyně, 8.27 t/ha in Lukavec and 6.94 t/hain Chomutov on average over the whole period. The later times of harvest resulted in a decrease of the average yield of phytomass (8.41 t/ha in July, 8.00 t/ha in November and 6.04 t/ha in March) and the average water content (64.3% - 45.2% - 21.5%); on the contrary, energy value of phytomass increased (16.93 GJ/t - 17.02 GJ/t - 17.19 GJ/t). The average content of ash in plants varied from 6.5% in Lukavec to 9.31% in Chomutov. The content of heavy metals in plants never exceeded the highest permissible values set in the Czech Republic for food and feed purposes.

CGMS (Crop Growth Monitoring System) developed by JRC is an integrated system to monitor crop behaviour and quantitative crop yield forecast that operates on a European scale. To simulate water balance in the root zone the simulation model CGMS-WOFOST (SUPIT & VAN DER GOOT 2003) is used that is based on water storage routing. This study was performed to assess a possible impact of simplifications of the water storage routing based model on simulated water regime in the soil profile. Results of CGMS-WOFOST are compared with results of a more precise Richards' equation based model HYDRUS-1D (ŠIMŮNEK et al. 2005). 16 scenarios are simulated using HYDRUS-1D. Each scenario represents a single soil profile presented in the selected cell of GRID50 in the Czech Republic. Geometry of the soil profiles, material (texture) definition, root distributions, measured daily rainfall, calculated daily evaporation from the bare soil surface and transpiration of crop canopy were defined similarly to CGMS-WOFOST inputs according to the data stored in the SGDBE40 database. The soil hydraulic properties corresponding to each soil layer were defined using the class transfer rules (WÖSTEN et al. 1999). The bottom boundary conditions were defined either similarly to CGMS-WOFOST bottom boundary condition as a free drainage or as a constant water level 250 cm below the soil surface to demonstrate a ground water impact on the soil profile water balance. The relative soil moisture (RSM) in the root zone during the vegetation period was calculated to be compared with the similar output from CGMS. The RSM values obtained using HYDRUS-1D are higher than those obtained using CGMS-WOFOST mostly due to higher retention ability of HYDRUS-1D. The reasonably higher RSM values were obtained at the end of simulated period using the HYDRUS-1D for the constant water level 250 cm below the soil surface.

Bovine tuberculosis was last detected in cattle and pigs in the CzechRepublicin 1995. Since March, 31, 2004(Commission Decision No. 2004/320/EC) the Czech Republichas been included amongst states free from bovine tuberculosis within the European Union. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate results of intravital and post-mortem diagnosis of mycobacterial infections in slaughtered cattle and pigs from 2000 to 2004. When bovine tuberculosis in cattle was investigated, a tuberculin skin test with bovine tuberculin was performed every year and a skin test with avian tuberculin was simultaneously conducted in the animals with a positive response. A total of 2 419 889 animals were examined with a positive response being found in 123 (0.005%) of them. After slaughter, bovine tuberculosis was not detected in any of these animals by gross and/or laboratory examinations. With avian tuberculin, 40 349 animals were tested and positive responses were detected in 43 (0.1%) of them; the incidence was similar in all the years monitored. Tuberculous lesions were detected in 209 (0.01%) of 1 967 211 slaughtered cattle. Mycobacteria were present in 40 (21.3%) of 188 animals examined by laboratory methods: 26 isolates of Mycobacterium avium subsp. avium (18 isolates of serotype 2 and 8 isolates not typeable), 11 isolates of M. a. hominissuis (1 isolate of serotype 8 and 10 isolates not typeable), and 3 isolates of atypical mycobacteria. Tuberculous lesions were detected in 49 312 (0.22%) of 22 312 580 slaughtered pigs by veterinary-meat inspection. During the 5-year-period monitored, the incidence of tuberculous lesions decreased from 0.37% in 2000 to 0.10% in 2004. The following mycobacteria were isolated from 757 (33.5%) of 2 261 animals whose organs were examined by culture: 203 isolates of M. a. avium (180 isolates of serotype 2, 3 isolates of serotype 2/8, and 20 isolates not typeable), 442 isolates of M. a. hominissuis (1 isolate of serotype 1, 262 isolates of serotype 8, 35 isolates of serotype 9, 1 isolates of mixed serotypes 8/9, and 143 isolates not typeable), and atypical mycobacteria (n = 112). In both animal species, M. avium complex members prevailed: M. a. avium was the most prevalent subspecies in cattle, M. a. hominissuis in pigs. The main sources of M. a. avium and M. a. hominissuis are free living birds and contaminated external and stable environments (i.e. drinking water, feeds, and feed supplements), respectively. During the entire period monitored, miliary or generalized tuberculosis was not detected in any of the animals. The decreased incidence of tuberculous lesions in pigs was particularly a result of preventive measures adopted to control the occurrence of atypical mycobacteria.

During a five year period (2000-2004), the incidence of bovine and human tuberculosis in cattle and other animals from six Central European countries was evaluated: Croatia (HRV), the Czech Republic (CZE), Hungary (HUN), Poland (POL), Slovakia (SVK), and Slovenia (SVN). These countries, lying between the Baltic and the Adriatic seas, cover an area of 610 402 km² and had more than 68 million inhabitants and 9 330 264 cattle in 2003. Successful national control programmes against bovine tuberculosis in cattle were carried out up until 1980: HRV (1953-1966), CZE (1959-1968), HUN (1962-1980), POL (1959-1975) SVK (1959-1968), and SVN (1962-1973). During the entire monitored period skin testing with bovine tuberculin in all cattle older than two years was carried out regularly either once a year or every second year. Five of these countries (CZE, HUN, POL, SVK, and SVN) joined the EC on May 1^st, 2004. CZE and SVK were officially declared free of bovine tuberculosis in cattle on March 31^st, 2004 (Commission Decision No. 2004/320/EC) and March 4^th, 2005 (Commission Decision No. 2005/179/EC), respectively. Bovine tuberculosis was diagnosed in a total of 188 cattle herds in the study area: 145 (77.1%) outbreaks in small herds (< 10 cows) and 43 (22.9%) outbreaks in large herds (≥ 10 cows). The last cases of bovine tuberculosis in cattle in SVK and in the CZE were diagnosed in 1993 and 1995, respectively. During the monitored period, bovine tuberculosis was diagnosed in animal species other than cattle found in zoological gardens: in two Bactrian camels (Camelus ferus) in the CZK, in one Siberian tiger (Panthera tigris f. altaica) in HUN, in one bison (Bison bison) and one eland (Taurotragus oryx) in POL, and in one dromedary camel (Camelus dromedarius) and two bison in SVN. In wild animals, bovine tuberculosis was diagnosed in wild boar (Sus scrofa) in HUN (n = 14) and HRV (n = 1), in six red deer (Cervus elaphus) in HUN, in 14 European bison (Bison bonasus f. bonasus) and two roe deer (Capreolus capreolus f. capreolus) in POL. Infections caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis were also diagnosed in four cattle and two pigs in POL, in one cattle in SVN, in one dog (Canis lupus f. familiaris) in the CZE and in one dog in HUN. M. africanum was diagnosed in one hyrax (Procaria habessinica) in a zoological garden in HRV.

Fifty one products of dried milk baby food purchased from 10 producers from seven countries available on the Czech market have been tested. IS900, the specific fragments for Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) have been detected using PCR in 25 samples (49.0 %) and fragment f57 by real time PCR in 18 samples (35.3%). These results correspond to the epidemiological situation in Europe and are not unexpected. Paratuberculosis in cattle was almost unknown in the Czech Republic until 1990. An increase in the number of cows with paratuberculosis found in slaughterhouses and the incidence of Crohn's disease in the last decade is evident. The possible risk of MAP dead cells or bacterial structures in food is discussed in respect to autoimmune Crohn's disease. The national programmes of paratuberculosis control and certification of paratuberculosis-free herds should be strongly supported to decrease the risk for children and other people under higher risk. Producers should use MAP free milk for baby food production on a voluntary basis.

The present study was designed to determine the effects of dietary heavy metal intake on malondialdehyde levels (MDA, product of cellular lipid peroxidation) in the tissues of gastrointestinal tract, kidneys and liver of sheep. The experiment was carried out on twelve female sheep of mixed breed, weighing from 30 to 35 kg, one year old. The first group of sheep was bred in the conditions of laboratory farm. They had free access to hay and 300 g of barley per sheep was added daily. The second group grazed on a natural pasture in the environs of a factory processing copper ore. The second group of sheep had significantly higher concentrations of copper and cadmium in the tissues of rumen wall, duodenum, colon wall, liver and kidneys. The concentration of lead was significantly higher in the rumen wall, colon, liver and kidneys, but no differences were found in duodenum. The concentration of mercury was significantly higher only in the kidney tissue, but no differences were found in rumen wall, duodenum, colon wall and liver. The concentration of malondialdehyde was found significantly higher in reticulum epithelium, omasum, duodenum and colon. The significantly higher concentration of MDA was measured in colon wall and kidney medulla. The highest concentration of MDA was found in liver. Our results confirm that lipid peroxidation is one of the molecular mechanisms of cell injury in chronic heavy metal poisoning. The epithelium of the gastrointestinal tract of sheep is more sensitive to the oxidative damage induced by dietary heavy metal intake.

Contents of total mercury and mercury species (methylmercury - MeHg, inorganic mercury - Hg²⁺) were determined in four Moravian rivers - Jihlava, Becva, Loucka and Dyje (Czech Republic). Five tissues (muscle, gills, liver, kidney and skin) of chub (Leuciscus cephalus), zoobenthos, sediments and water samples were analyzed. Time stability of samples was also tested. The highest levels of total mercury were determined in muscle tissues of all tested fish. Relative contents of MeHg in muscle tissues of fish ranged from 83.6% to 92.0% of the total mercury contents. The relative contents of MeHg in sediments and in zoobenthos samples correlate very closely (correlation coefficient -0.83). A considerably lower content of MeHg (1.3-11.4%) was found in river sediments compared with lakes. A comparison of observed sampling sites (Vladislav, Hrubsice) proved the adverse effect of industrial contamination on the water ecosystem ofJihlavaRiver and incomplete removal of mercury species in a sewage station

Between 1996 and 2004, tissue samples from 3 630 slaughtered pigs were examined by gross examination, microscopy after the Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) staining of homogenised tissues for the detection of acid-fast rods (AFR) and by culture for the presence of mycobacteria and Rhodococcus equi: 1 781 head lymph nodes (ln), 1 123 mesenteric ln, 54 pulmonary ln, 32 inguinal ln, 562 non-identified ln and 78 samples of tissues from parenchymatous organs (liver, spleen and kidneys). Tuberculous/tuberculoid lesions were not detected in 249 (6.9%) animals slaughtered due to a positive response to avian tuberculin. Various gross lesions were detected in 3 381 (93.1%) animals as follows: adenopathy in 150 (4.1%), tuberculous lesions with caseation in 2 026 (55.8%) and tuberculous lesions with calcification in 1 205 (33.2%) of them. AFR were found in tissues from 2 047 (56.4%) animals: in 36 (14.5%) animals free from gross lesions, in 28 (18.7%) animals with adenopathy, in 801 (39.5%) animals with caseation and in 913 (75.8%) animals with calcified tuberculous lesions. Mycobacteria were isolated from the tissues of 289 (15.8%) of 1 852 animals without detected AFR and from the tissues of 1 290 (72.5%) of the 1 778 animals with detected AFR of various intensities. Of 1 579 mycobacterial isolates 1 493 (94.6%) were classified as M. avium complex (MAC) members: 469 (29.7%) M. a. avium (IS901+, serotypes 1, 2, and 3) and 891 (56.4%) M. a. hominissuis (IS901-) isolates of serotypes 4 (n = 1), 8 (n = 643), 9 (n = 74) and non-typed (n = 173). The other 52 (3.3%) isolates were members of other mycobacterial species: M. chelonae (n = 35), M. smegmatis (n = 4), M. xenopi (n = 3), M. terrae (n = 7), M. aurum (n = 1), M. scrofulaceum (n = 1), M. fortuitum (n = 1) and biochemically non-identified mycobacteria (n = 34). By examination of ZN stained homogenised tissues, AFR were detected significantly more frequently (P < 0.01) in samples from animals with caseated and/or calcified tuberculous lesions than in tissues from animals without tuberculous lesions. The detection rate of isolates from tissues with tuberculous lesions was likewise significantly higher (P < 0.01) than from tissues without tuberculous lesions.

While data and/or information based education was built on pedagogic, psychology, philosophy of science and didactic disciplines, the new dimension of knowledge based education will involve new disciplines such as Knowledge Management, Epistemology, Systems Theory, Artificial Knowledge Management Systems, Value Theory and Theory of Measurement. It is often assumed that data, information and knowledge are depicted as a pyramid. The data, the most plentiful type, are at the bottom, information, produced from data, is above it and knowledge, produced from information through the hard work of refining or mining, above it. This schema satisfies specific needs of an organisation of warehouse data systems but it does not explain the role of these objects in the educational process. In education, the distinctions among data, information and knowledge need to be distinguished from the complex pedagogical point of view. Knowledge is the engine asking for more information and more data. Knowledge life cycle produces more information, more information asks for more data - that is: there is "just information". Data, information and knowledge can be considered as object oriented measures assigned to real objects (entities). The following measures can be assigned to the objects: Measure of the zero order - name. Measure of the first order - data. Measure of the second order - information. Metrics of the third order - knowledge. Knowledge based curriculum involves knowledge into study plans and it considers knowledge as a distinctive part of study. Knowledge becomes the engine starting cycle of new information acquisition, reproduction and integration. The following problems have to be solved in building of knowledge based curriculum: Methodology and organisation of educational process. Technical support for knowledge based education. Evaluation and assessment of the process.

This work presents results of a qualitative empirical study on practices of farmers participating in the Czech system of organic agriculture (ecological agriculture). Growth of this sector has been seen almost solely in positive terms, without questioning its content. However, Czech organic agriculture does not stem from the organic movement as is the case in Western Europe and therefore it is necessary to ask what it draws on and to discover, with regard to its nature, whether it can meet the expectations stated in official policies. This paper briefly describes the development of organic farming in other countries and the current problem of its conventionalization. The research study then shows evidence that organic farming is not adopted only because of state's subsidies, but also due to the specific value orientation of farmers, despite the history and the lack of tradition of these specific practices in the Czech Republic.