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In the present study the most outstanding anatomical findings of the heart of a giraffe are described. Two papillary muscles were found in the right ventricle, namely magnus and subarterial. There were no papillary parvi muscles. The supraventricular crest gave insertion to various tendinous chords. These chords fixed the angular cusp of the right atrioventricular valve. The pectinate muscles were better developed in the left auricle than in the right one. Within the left ventricle two big papillary muscles were found as well as a notorious septomarginal trabecula. The left coronary artery irrigated the majority of the heart's territory. It gave origin to the interventricular paraconal branch and to the circumflex branch. The latter gave off the branch of the left ventricular border and the interventricular subsinosal branch.

D-alanine (DAL) has been successfully used as a marker of bacterial nitrogen (N) in the small intestine of cows. This study compares DAL contents of intestinal bacteria in digesta of cows and pigs with respect to diet and sampling site. In isolated ileal bacteria of pigs a DAL/N ratio (41.72 ± 3.19 mg/g, n = 18) was found, which was not different from that in rumen bacteria (40.11 ± 1.95 mg/g, n = 18) but higher than in duodenal bacteria of cows (38.09 ± 2.09 mg/g, n = 18, P < 0.001). The DAL/N ratio in ileal bacteria of pigs was independent of the diet (P = 0.38) but it tended to be affected by the animal (P = 0.095). In bacterial preparations derived from cows, the DAL/N ratio depended on the diet (P = 0.04) and the site of sampling (P = 0.004). Our findings indicate that a general value for DAL/N ratio in pig or cow intestinal contents to calculate bacterial N should not be used.

Six adult male meat-type guinea pigs were subjected to three subsequent digestibility trials with 100% alfalfa, 50% alfalfa and 50% sugar cane and 50% alfalfa and 50% concentrate. For each animal in each period, feed intakes were recorded and all faeces were collected and stored at -20°C until analysis. Feeds and faeces were analysed for dry matter, crude ash, crude protein, ether-extract, crude fibre and acid-insoluble ash. Coefficients of apparent digestibility were calculated according to both the total collection method and the marker method with acid-insoluble ash as internal marker. The present study suggests that acid-insoluble ash is not valid as an internal marker when looking at differences between individuals, but might be useful to demonstrate differences between diets, albeit with lack of accuracy for estimating the absolute digestibility coefficients obtained through the total collection method. Sugar cane was slightly less digestible than alfalfa in meat-type guinea-pigs.

The aim of this study was to determine if the activity of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) in the synovial fluid (SF) and serum can be used as a marker for diagnosing the early stages of osteoarthritis (OA). We also wished to determine if identifiable differences in the concentrations of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (TIMP-2) could be detected in SF between normal joints and OA joints for the diagnosis of early OA. Ten skeletally mature beagle dogs underwent a unilateral surgical transection of the cranial cruciate ligament and medial meniscectomy. Five sham-operated beagle dogs were used as controls. The synovial fluid was collected in 1, 2 and 3 months and examined by western blotting for MMP-2 and ELISA for TIMP-2. The activity of TRAP in the SF and serum was measured using a spectrophotometer. In addition, the presence of TRAP positive cells in the synovium was identified by enzyme histochemistry. The level of the activity of TRAP and MMP-2 in the SF from the induced OA dogs was significantly higher than that of the control over a three-month period (P < 0.05). The TIMP-2 level in the SF was significantly lower in the induced OA dogs than in the control. However, there was no difference in TRAP activity in the serum. Histochemistry revealed a higher number of TRAP positive cells in the synovium from the induced OA dogs. Based on these data, we conclude that the activity of TRAP, MMP-2 and TIMP-2 in SF can be used as a biomarker to diagnose and monitor the early stages of OA.

A two-years-old, intact female, Shih-Tzu dog weighing 5 kg was presented to the Chonbuk Animal Medical Centre, College of Veterinary Medicine, Chonbuk National University, with the history of bone ingestion before two days. The survey radiographs of the thorax revealed a bone at the caudal thoracic oesophagus. An oesophagram was performed which did not reveal any oesophageal leakage or perforation. The left caudolateral thoracotomy was performed and the caudal oesophagus was found partially necrosed, friable and inflamed. The necrosed, friable part was removed and the oesophageal defect was reconstructed using a full-thickness muscle flap collected from the diaphragm. A part of the omentum was mobilized from the abdomen and sutured over the reconstructed site of the oesophagus to aid healing. Oesophagoscopy after nine days postoperatively showed a good adhesion of the diaphragm flap. The patient showed normal activity after 12 days and no complications were observed during a one-year follow up period. The pedicle flap collected from the left hemidiaphragm in addition to the omentum flap can be successfully used to reconstruct the circumferential oesophageal defect.

The objective of this study was to determine the wildlife hosts of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) in the Czech Republic. A total of 8 796 wildlife animals were examined by culture of faecal or tissue samples during the years 2002-2007. MAP was isolated from 12 (0.5%) out of 2 296 red deer (Cervus elaphus), two (0.2%) out of 835 roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), 78 (5.7%) out of 1 381 fallow deer (Dama dama), 28 (3.2%)out of 866 mouflons (Ovis musimon), four (2.5%) out of 162 chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra) and from one (0.1%) out of 805 wild boar (Sus scrofa). MAP was not cultured from 82 badgers (Meles meles), 55 martens (Martes foina), one pine marten (Martes martes), 25 brown hares (Lepus europaeus), five rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus), nine European polecats (Mustela putorius), two steppe polecats (Mustela eversmannii), two American minks (Mustela vison), four raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides) and four Eurasian otters (Lutra lutra). MAP was isolated from three (2.0%) out of 149 small terrestrial mammals: one (5.9%) out of 17 brown rats (Rattus norvegicus), one (1.7%) out of 59 common voles (Microtus arvalis) and one (2.6%) out of 39 lesser white-toothed shrews (Crocidura suaveolens). Culture examinations of 34 house mice (Mus musculus) and 2 113 pigeons (Columba livia f. domestica) were negative. All 123 in vitro growing MAP isolates from wild ruminants were of IS900 RFLP type B-C1. One mouflon infected with a MAP strain which did not grow on the tested media was after IS1311-PRA-PCR assessed as being infected with a "sheep" strain. The RFLP type of the MAP isolate from the wild boar was of the RFLP type A-C10. Although the detection of MAP in wildlife in the Czech Republic was not very high, their role as a potential risk factor for cattle should be considered.

A mixed infection with Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) and Mycobacterium avium subsp. hominissuis (MAH) in one naturally infected red deer stag from a game park is described. The animal was euthanized because of symptoms of poor condition, weight loss and chronic diarrhoea. In spite of that, pathological lesions were observed only in the mesenteric lymph nodes, which were five to ten times enlarged with confluent caseous granulomas of 1 to 10 mm in size. Mycobacteria were isolated from all studied samples: a mixed infection of MAP and MAH was confirmed by multiplex PCR for the detection of IS 900, IS9011, IS1245 and dnaJ. MAP of the identical IS900 BstEII RFLP type C1 was isolated from all tissue samples and faeces. MAH isolates were detected in six examined tissue samples, including three mesenteric lymph nodes with caseous granulomas. Only minor differences in the band numbers and position of four different IS1245 PvuII RFLP patterns of MAH isolates were found. It follows from these results that red deer may potentially be infected with MAH, when a MAP infection is under way.

: A 3-year-old Doberman Pinscher was referred to the Clinic for Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, Veterinary Faculty of Ljubljana for cardiologic examination due to lethargy, inappetence and lateral abdominal wall oedema. The dog had been treated at the primary veterinary practice for tooth granuloma two days before the presentation. During the course of the disease a presumptive diagnosis necrotizing fasciitis was ascertained and Serratia marcescens organism was isolated from the ventral body wall tissue, from the wound in the oral cavity and other organs in the body. Systemic signs developed concomitantly with the progression of the local disease. Due to grave prognosis the dog was euthanised. This is the first report of a necrotizing fasciitis in a dog caused by S. marcescens and also the first one suspected to occur after the dental procedure.

Transformation of Czech agriculture led to significant changes, which were mirrored in the crystallisation of rather large territorial differences. Clear regional disproportions are a fundamental problem for the state as a whole, therefore, it is important to provide aid for the regions that lag behind in economic development by introducing sensible regional policies. This situation is still more complicated in agriculture, as this transformation to free market economy results in the unequal regional development in relation to natural environment, regional traditions and the level of rural settlement in addition to the phenomena such as price liberalisation and the flow of goods, capital and population, among other. At the moment, the principal aims of regional agricultural policies are the preservation of regional productivity, the settlement of problematic and endangered regions and the support of a balanced regional development. The primary goal of this article is to indicate some of the largest regional differentiations in the agriculture of the Czech Republic. The purpose is to give an increased consideration to the restructuring of agricultural production, the environment and the social and general economic milieu in which it is located

Web technology is a major element of the Internet. The various and inexpensive possibilities to use this technology allow for the minimisation of differences between rural and urban areas. This article focuses on the use of www technology for creating web sites. It outlines theoretical starting points for planning web sites, as well as practical methods, which are utilised for setting up the web presentation of a farm.

Environmental risks connected with the release of genetically modified peas into the environment were studied in simulated field experiments. They included (1) an assessment of pollen transfer and the rate of natural outcrossing between commercial peas (Pisum sativum), (2) the incidence and behaviour of insects visiting pea flowers and their role as potential pollinators, and (3) the inventory of other insect taxa in pea crop (not related directly to pea reproduction organs). Field trials were established (2001-2003) with two non-GM pea cultivars differing in flower colour, seed coat colour and whole plant habit that were grown in close proximity. Cv. Zekon with recessive traits served as a trap variety, cv. Arvika with dominant traits as a pollen donor. The seeds of the trap variety were completely harvested and sown each successive year (2002, 2003) to monitor the incidence of dominant traits in F₁ generation. In the case of outcrossing, dominant traits would occur already in F₁ generation. However, the occurrence of plants with dominant traits in the progeny of the trap variety was not recorded in any case during the whole experimentation period (ca 40 thousand F1 plants screened each year). Based on the obtained data we assume that the probability of outcrossing in recent commercial peas is extremely low (zero in our experiments). Among the species visiting regularly pea flower buds/flowers (pests, pollinators) the most frequent were pea weevil (Bruchus pisorum), pea aphid (Acyrthosiphon pisum), pea thrips (Kakothrips robustus), honey-bee (Apis mellifera), bumble-bees (Bombus sp.). Bruchus pisorum is a possible candidate for pollen transfer in unopened pea flowers. A list of insect taxa occurring in pea fields was created on the basis of the four-year monitoring (2001-2004).

Carp pituitary proteins and glycoproteins were separated by the combination of immobilized metal affinity chromatography (IMAC) and affinity chromatography on Con A-Sepharose. The protein fractions were analysed by SDS-PAGE. Luteinizing hormone (in the α₁β and α₂β forms), growth hormone, free α₁ subunit and β subunit of thyroid-stimulating hormone were identified by N-terminal amino acid sequencing. N-linked oligosaccharide chains of thyroid-stimulating hormone (β TSH) were separated after fluorescent labelling on a GlycoSep N column and treated by exoglycosidases. Among the saccharide components, complex and hybrid structures terminating SO₄-GalNAc-GlcNAc-Man-, and high mannose structures, with 1 to 8 mannose units attached to the oligosaccharide core (GlcNAc)₂(Man)₃, were found.

The main aim of the present study was to assess the mercury contamination of the Elbe River and its tributary the Vltava River. Mercury concentrations in fresh fish muscles were used for the contamination assessment. The samples were collected in 1999, 2002 and 2003 at 7, 2 and 1 collection sites from the Elbe River, Vltava River and Blanice River (tributary of the Vltava River), respectively. Samples of bream (Abramis brama L.), perch (Perca fluviatilis L.) and chub (Leuciscus cephalus L.) muscle were collected at the monitored sites. A single-purpose mercury analyser AMA 254 was used to determine the total mercury content in the muscle tissue of fish. Average concentrations of mercury in the muscle of bream, perch and chub were in the range 0.172-0.852 mg/kg, 0.077-1.07 mg/kgand 0.141-1.631 mg/kg,respectively. The highest values of total mercury content were found in fish from the localities Obříství and Lysá nad Labem (P < 0.05; P < 0.01, respectively) in the river section from 120^th to 160^th river kilometre. The highest value of total mercury content (2.56 mg/kg) in the fresh muscle of chub was in the Obříství vicinity. It poses a high risk for consumers, considering the average consumption of 10 kg fish per capita/year (hazard index 3.0). On the other hand, total mercury contamination decreased in the localities Děčín and Hřensko (15^th-5^th r. km) in the period 1999-2003. The findings in 2003 indicated that the disastrous floods in 2002 did not significantly influence the mercury contamination of fish.

Restoration of forest soil character after the change of agricultural land use has not been studied yet despite the large areas reforested since the late 40ies of the last century. This process takes place throughout Europe to an increasing extent at present. The reformation of forest soils was studied in the area of Český Rudolec town: Natural Forest Area 16 - Czech-Moravian Uplands, altitude 600-630 m a.s.l., bedrock is built of granites and gneisses, soil type is Cambisol, forest site type 5K1. The process of restoration of a new humus form was analysed in plantations of American red oak (Quercus rubra), Swedish birch (Betula pendula), European larch (Larix europea) and Norway spruce (Picea abies), the site was homogeneous. The particular tree species accumulated 12.81, 13.81, 46.57 and 44.76 t/ha of surface organic matter during the last 30-40 years, these values are typical of forest sites at lower and middle altitudes and corresponding tree species composition. The effect of broadleaved species and conifers was markedly different, in the first case pH in KCl ranged 3.8-3.9 (mineral soil) and 3.5-5.2 (holorganic horizons), being 3.5-3.8 (mineral soil) and 3.1-5.1 (holorganic layers) for the conifers. Visible effects of the particular tree species were also evident in the soil adsorption complex and in the contents of plant available and total nutrients. The results can be summarised and generalised: - the forest soil character is reformed at lower and middle altitudes in a relatively short time from the aspect of surface humus accumulation and basic soil chemistry (30-40 years), - birch exhibited the best revitalisation effect among the studied species, - American red oak and Norway spruce humus accumulation potentials were different although the soil chemistry was comparable, - Norway spruce did not show a remarkable degradation effect until now, - on the contrary, European larch appeared as a site degrading species.

Humus forms dynamics and characteristics of different forest sites were studied in the area of Smrčina Mt. in the Šumava National Park territory. The study was performed in vital Norway spruce forest, dead Norway spruce forest (bark beetle Ips typographus infestation) and on a clear-cut area (site conditions were comparable for all three plots). The amount of surface organic matter was not affected by forest decline or by clear-cut (95.5 t/ha, 73.1 t/ha and 100.2 t/ha, respectively), pH being comparable (between 2.3 and 3.2 pH KCl). A slight favourable effect of grass litter on pH increase was obvious; higher leaching of bases occurred in lower horizons. Nitrogen losses were detected from the L + F horizons, falling from 1.93-1.83% (living stand) to 1.73-1.83% (clear-cut area). Higher ammonia production was documented in substrates (F and H horizons) from the living stand (from 263 and 103 mg/kg before incubation to 610 and 248 mg/kg after incubation - nitrogen content in ammonia form), and higher nitrification rates (nitrogen content in nitrate form) were recorded on the clear-cut area (103 and 80 mg/kg to 153 and 87 mg/kg) and especially in the dead stand (160 and 93 mg/kg to 216 and 139 mg/kg). Respective values for the living stand increased from 52 and 61 mg/kg to 119 and 84 mg/kg. Respiration activity, both potential and basic, was more balanced, indicating more intensive dynamics in the case of dead stand and clear-cut area.

The paper deals with a proposal for a thinning model for the growth simulator SIBYLA. The model is based on an analytical-causal modeling approach. Some partial theorems are tested on experimental data from thinning sample plots. The model is composed of the following components: the model of bio-sociological tree status, the model for score of existence, the model for type of selection, the model for amount of thinning, and the aggregated model of the thinning concept. The appropriate combination of type and amount of thinning allows the user to perform the following thinning concepts: thinning from below, thinning from above, neutral thinning, crop tree thinning, target diameter thinning, target frequency (equilibrium) curve thinning, clear cutting, and thinning by list (interactive thinning). A software solution of the algorithms, and an example of different thinning concepts for selected forest stands is presented at the end of the paper along with a discussion about the advantages and disadvantages of the thinning model compared to the SILVA 2.2 model.

The study focuses on selected forest site units on water uninfluenced sites on limestone in Bohemian Karst. The species composition of phytocoenoses, their potential production and soil properties were assessed. Studied forest site complexes are correctly determined and they provide important information from the aspect of planning and practical nature conservation management. It is necessary to specify the criteria of categoria calcaria in detail, since it is often difficult to distinguish it from categoria mesotrophica. Water retention capacity of soils, a criterion often neglected so far, presents a useful view of forest site water budget and it is a suitable criterion in forest site classification.

This paper deals with the recent sissoo (Dalbergia sissoo Roxb.) decline in the plain land (locally called as terai) of Nepal. This study has made an attempt to find the possible causal factor of this decline. The study has made some initiative in this aspect and has made a comparative study of 30 different sissoo forest (both natural and plantation) stands. The symptoms of the sissoo decline were found to be varied. But in most of cases, the top dying of crown was found to be the most prevalent. The top dying starts from the top of the tree and progressively proceeds downwards to the stem. The leaves become yellow. Until now, it has been assumed that only the plantation forests have been affected but this study observed the sissoo decline also in natural forest sites. We analysed various components of physical soil characteristics and we did not find any correlation between the physical soil factors and the sissoo decline. We concluded from this study that the soil is not the sole responsible factor involved in the sissoo decline Furthermore, this paper discusses various aspects of the sissoo decline and possible causal factors concerned. Finally, future management strategies regarding the sissoo management are suggested.

Heavy metal contamination affects large areas of Europe and worldwide. Hot spots of pollution are located close to industrial sites, around large cities and in the vicinity of mining and smelting plants. Agriculture in these areas faces major problems due to heavy metal transfer into crops and subsequently into the food chain. This paper gives an overview on simple but effective countermeasures to reduce the transfer of heavy metals to edible parts of crops. Since crop species and varieties largely differ in their heavy metal uptake, choosing plants with low transfer factors (e.g., legumes, cereals) may reduce metal concentration in edible parts significantly. Cultivating crops with higher heavy metal uptake capacity, e.g., spinach or lettuce should be avoided. The application of soil amendments is another very effective measure to reduce the concentration of heavy metals in crops. Both organic (e.g., farmyard manure) and inorganic amendments (e.g., lime, zeolites, and iron oxides) were found to decrease the metal accumulation. Further effective methods to reduce metal transfer into food chain include crop rotation and cultivation of industrial or bio-energy crops. It is concluded that the methods presented here comprise several tools, which are easy to apply, and are effective to allow safe agriculture on moderately contaminated soils.

The Problem of soil and plant pollution by heavy metals in Slovakia is evaluated in this study. The measured data on the main risk elements have been obtained from a soil-monitoring grid in Slovakia, which consists of 318 agricultural sites. Analytical procedures of Cd, Pb, Cr, Ni, Zn, Cu (extracted by 2 mol/l HNO₃ and by 0.05 mol/l EDTA) as well as the total content of the described elements including Hg have been used for soil samples. Also the plants collected at the same sampling sites were analysed for their Cd, Pb, Cr and Hg contents. On the basis of the obtained results it may be concluded that significant pollution was determined only on 0.4% of the total soil cover in Slovakia. The significant correlation was determined between the soil available heavy metal content (extracted by 0.05 mol/l EDTA) and plant content. Potentially toxic elements were accumulated in the plant biomass only on heavily polluted soils

Two tillage systems for maize (Zea mays) after soybean (Glycine max), no-till (NT) and conventional till (CT), which consisted of double disking in the spring, were included in the experiment on two sites in Indiana, USA. Each tillage plot had three winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cover crop levels: no cover crop (N), early desiccation (E), 3-4 weeks prior to planting the maize, and regular desiccation (R), within the maize planting week. Due to the mulching effect, both E and R for both tillage systems increased soil moisture, except in the case of spring drought, when E proved dominant. Soil temperature for both tillage systems showed N > E > R order. Young maize plants tended to grow taller and have greater shoot biomass in NT than in CT. Both E and R improved early maize growth. In the case of drought, the E proved significantly better for maize on both tillage treatments, due to the better soil water conservation, therefore the winter wheat cover crop should be desiccated early in given climate conditions.

In the years 1995-1997 the effect of ecological growing on the yield and selected parameters of quality of consumer potatoes (in comparison with conventional way) were investigated. The ecological way of growing differed in the lack of chemical protection against diseases and pests and industrial fertilizers. Field trials were realised with seven varieties (Impala, Karin, Agria, Korela, Rosella, Santé and Ornella) on two sites (Uhříněves and Valečov). The ecological way of growing had markedly negative effect on the yield (decrease by 36%). In qualitative parameters the ecological way increased inconclusively polyphenol content (by 10.2%), decreased inconclusively nitrate content (by 11.0%) and reducing sugars (by 22%). It did not affect dry matter content, resistance of tubers to mechanical damage, table value and glycoalkaloid content. Variety Santé achieved the best results from the point of view of the yield and majority of qualitative parameters among varieties. Qualitative parameters of ecologically cultivated potatoes were significantly affected by the year of cultivation.

The spectra of non-structural phenolics in herbage were used to study genetic affinity in polyploid complex of Dactylis L., next in complex of octoploid brome species, and in red fescue cultivar collection. The diploid (2n = 14) subspecies of Dactylis revealed distinct differences from the tetraploid (2n = 28) ones as a clearly specialized group. In the genus Bromus the affinity bounds of the species inside the section (e.g. Ceratochloa) were not very tight in comparison to those between the species from various sections. Also remarkable differences in affinity bonds among red fescue cultivars were determined. Although the conclusions are only based on the results from one year and two sites, they bring significant information on exploitation of phenolic compounds. They demonstrate that phenolic profiles could be used in chemical taxonomy of grasses also at low taxonomic levels as a useful marker. As they are environmentally not as stable as the markers of primary metabolism, plant material for analyses should be standardized as to growing condition, growth stages of plants etc.

The effect of soil contamination with nickel applied in the doses of 100, 200, 300 and 400 mg Ni/kg of soil on the activity of dehydrogenases, urease and acid and alkaline phosphatase was studied in a pot experiment. Heavy loamy sand and silty light loam were used in the experiment that comprised of two series: with spring barley cultivation and without plant cultivation. The enzyme activity was determined on day 14, 28, 42 and 56 of the experiment. Based on the study, it was found that soil contamination with nickel applied as NiCl₂.6 H₂O decreased the activity of dehydrogenases, urease and acid and alkaline phosphatase. This decrease was determined by the applied dose of this metal. Nickel exhibited a stronger effect on the soil with spring barley cultivation than on the unsown soil. In the heavy loamy sand sown with spring barley, more than 50% inhibition of the activity of dehydrogenases was caused by 300 and 400 mg Ni contamination, and in the case of urease by 200, 300 and 400 mg Ni/kg of soil. In the silty light loam sown with spring barley, more than 50% decrease in the activity of dehydrogenases and alkaline phosphatase was observed under 400 mg Ni contamination. The inhibition of the other enzyme activities did not exceed 50%. Urease and alkaline phosphatase exhibited a higher activity in the heavier soil, whereas dehydrogenases and acid phosphatase exhibited a higher activity in the lighter soil. In the nickel-free soil, spring barley cultivation had a positive effect on the enzyme activity and a positive correlation between the spring barley yield and the activity of dehydrogenases, urease and acid and alkaline phosphatase was observed.

An important discovery in the last couple of years is that humans are not the only natural hosts with which C. pneumoniae is the primary cause for the disease. Successively, the C. pneumoniae strain was isolated from horses, koala bears affected by ocular and genital infection, Australian and African frogs, from a Tanzanian chameleon, a green sea turtle living in the Cayman Islands, an iguana, puff adders and a Burmese python. All of the animals in which the C. pneumoniae was confirmed, were suffering from some form of illness that is also typical in humans when affected by this chlamydial species. All strains also showed a high similarity with the human C. pneumoniae strain (up to 100%).

The effects of the changeover from conventional parlour to an automatic milking system (AMS) on behaviour and physiological parameters in dairy cows with and without previous experience in AMS milking were investigated. Heart rate increase was higher in unexperienced cows (UC) than in experienced cows (EC) during the first AMS visit (31 ± 2 and 12 ± 2 beats per min, respectively, P < 0.05). EC entered the automatic milking stall voluntarily without any intervention by the staff. In contrast, in UC the rate of voluntary visits was 4, 26, 40, 49, 63, 72, 76, 89, 91 and 94% during the first 10 d of AMS milking, respectively. Faecal cortisol metabolites were not affected by the changeover. In UC milk ejection was disturbed during the first visits, i. e. mean milk yield at the first milking in the AMS was significantly lower as compared to that in the parlour (67 ± 7%, P < 0.05), whereas milk ejection in EC was not disturbed. The total milk yield of the first 15 milkings differed significantly in UC (87.3 ± 2.4%) and EC (108.8 ± 3.3%) as compared to previous parlour yields (P < 0.05). In conclusion, cows with previous experience to AMS milking did not need a new adaptation period in the AMS after a transient period of parlour milking. In contrast, UC do need an intensive adaptation to the AMS in order to minimise production loss. Data clearly demonstrate that an adequate adaptation is crucial for successful milk production in AMS.

We studied the ultrastructure of the epithelium of terminal bronchioles in rabbits exposed for 96 hours to hypoxia (10% O₂) in isobaric hypoxic chamber. Rabbits of the first control group (treated controls) were exposed for the same time in the same hypoxic chamber with atmosphere regulated at 21% O₂. In both groups, the temperature in the chamber was 23°C and humidity 100% during the whole experiment. The second control group (untreated controls) was kept under standard conditions. The target cells for the effect of high temperature, humidity and normobaric hypoxia were the secretory elements. Both in hypoxic animals and treated controls, isolated Clara cells revealed signs of pathological alteration. More degenerative changes of Clara cells and marks of their compensatory proliferation were ascertained after exposure to hypoxia. Electron dense secretory granules were observed in most Clara cells. This finding reflected the initial stage of their secretory product formation. The secretory granules were usually stored in cytoplasm; morphological signs of their evacuation were found only exceptionally. The ciliated cells were less damaged than the secretory ones. On their apical surfaces, formation of cytoplasmic protrusions, which sometimes led to degeneration of free cilia, was ascertained. The damage of the epithelium and mild secretory stimulation of its secretory elements could play a role in the lung injury caused by the subacute normobaric hypoxia.

Local expression of haptoglobin (Hp) mRNA in tissue homogenates from different sites of the bovine mammary gland has recently been established. Besides alveolar and stromal tissue, blood cells are one potential cellular location of Hp expression. The aim of this study was to investigate whether bovine leukocytes might contribute to the Hp mRNA transcripts found in the mammary gland after their migration into this organ. For this purpose RT-PCR was carried out with total RNA extracted from leukocytes in blood and from somatic cells in milk of three dairy cows. In comparison, human leukocytes of four donors were examined. Both bovine blood and milk somatic cells showed distinct signals for Hp mRNA in all samples in contrast to human leukocytes where Hp mRNA was detected in only two out of four donors after reamplification. In conclusion, the presence of Hp mRNA in blood derived leukocytes indicates that these cells contribute to the Hp mRNA transcripts found in the bovine mammary gland. It remains to be clarified whether other cells within the mammary gland are also capable of Hp mRNA synthesis.

Sustainable development in regarded as the issue and method of solution of a number of global problems, which origined namely in relation to dynamic industrial development and the prominent growth of world population. Sustainable development is, above all, the concept closely related to human attitudes and values. The contribution presents the definition of sustainable development, its modern concept, sustainable development dimensions.

The paper analyzes the development and the prospects of organic farming in the Czech Republic with particular emphasis on organic beef farming. The background information on organic farming in the Czech Republic regarding the structure of land use, legislation and support payments as well as a short description of the market for organic beef is provided. An analysis of the economic performance and of the impact of payments on the economic situation of organic beef farms follows. Grazing livestock farms, mostly cow-calf systems, are the most widespread farm type in the Czech Republic. Five typical farm models were set up with the aim of giving an overview of the diversity of organic beef production systems. The results indicate that organic beef farming is in most cases economically viable. Nevertheless, organic farming payments, as well as other payments, account for a high share of economic success, so that it can be stated that organic grazing livestock farms are highly dependent on support payments.