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Before being used for insemination, young bulls of Czech Fleckvieh (CF) are tested for growth at performance-test stations. While at stations, the bulls are weighed monthly. Evaluation included 7 448 bulls with 82 676 records of weight measured from 6 to 520 days of life. In the station-year-period (HYS), which can be prolonged up to 3 months, different groups were tested according to the beginning of growth curve and according to test-days of weighing. Weight analyses were used to handle heterogeneous variability based on age. Legendre Polynomials (LP) with 5 parameters described the average growth curve for HYS classes. Deviations from average curves were decomposed into genetic (G), animal's permanent environment (PE) and residual (RES) components. Functions of (G) and (PE) were tested using LP random regression (RR) methodology with 5 or 3 parameters and Linear Spline (SP) function with 5 knots. Variance increases with the age of the animals. From 100 to 400 days, heritability was nearly the same with a mild depression in the middle of the period. The average was h² = 0.31 and ended with h² = 0.36. Results were similar for variance components, heritability, genetic, environmental and phenotype correlations from different models with different LP and SP functions. Higher RES variability occurred only for LP with 3 parameters. For traits like live weight, the RR should have at least 3 parameters and SP function should be used.

Forty female chickens were allocated to four groups of ten birds each. The control group (K) was fed a basal diet without supplementation. The second control group received a basal diet with humic acid (HA) at a dose of 0.5 g per chicken/day. The first experimental group was fed the basal diet with methyl-mercury (MeHg) at a dose of 0.02 mg per chicken/day and the group of chickens MeHg + HA received 0.5 g HA per chicken/day. After slaughter, mercury levels were assessed in liver, kidney, brain and muscle tissue samples. After 10-day treatment of the chickens with MeHg, significantly increased (P < 0.001) Hg concentrations were detected in all examined tissues in comparison with the groups K and HA. The average concentrations in liver, kidneys, brain and muscle tissues were 424, 398, 81.6 and 79.2 µg Hg/kg, respectively. After concurrent treatment with HA and MeHg, Hg concentrations were lower by 20.6%, 23.8%, 23.0% and 18.6% in liver, kidneys, brain and muscle tissues (P < 0.001). Biological accumulation of Hg was 25.5% and 20.4% in MeHg and MeHg + HA groups, respectively.

An outbreak of koi herpesvirus (KHV) infection associated with high mortality of common and koi carp was recorded in the USA and Israel in 1998. At present, this disease is viewed as one of the most significant factors that can adversely affect common and koi carp breeds. The disease has spread worldwide including European countries neighbouring with the Czech Republic (CR), i.e. Germany, Poland, and Austria. To monitor the situation in the CR, samples were collected from a total of 138 common and koi carps in seven and eight locations in CR respectively, and were examined between 2005 and 2006. Locations owned by the major producers of common and koi carp were selected with respect of potential occurrence of the KHV virus. No records of increased mortality and morbidity were noticed there. Preferentially carps with non-specific symptoms of disease were sampled, often with isolated skin erosions. To obtain detailed picture about health condition of examined fish the bacteriological and haematological examinations were accomplished. The next part of the examined samples were carp and koi carp for export from professional breeders, imported koi carp and fish from breeds with increased mortality (45 and 21 fish in 2005 and 2006, respectively) The only virological testing was done in this case. The culture and PCR method, according to Gilad et al. (2002) showed negative results for virus KHV in all years. Retrospective investigation by PCR method according to Bercovier et al. (2005) showed positivity in five locations in 2005. In 2006, KHV virus was not detected in any of the selected locations. The aim of our study was to find out the presence/absence of KHV in selected locations and potential correlation of virological, bacteriological and haematological findings. The results of first testing for presence of koi herpesvirus indicates the necessity of regular KHV monitoring in the Czech Republic in the next period.

The Bohemian-Moravian Upland shows a large-scale decline and dieback of Norway spruce up to the forest altitudinal vegetation zone (FAVZ) 5. This phenomenon has been observed in the last 7 years and its progress is rapid. Healthy, declining and standing dry trees of equal height were mutually compared in nine forest stands (aged 3-73 years). These parameters were measured: increment dynamics, root system architecture, biomass, fine root vitality and mycorrhiza, infestation by biotic and abiotic agents. Analyses were done for 414 trees, soil characteristics and weather course data covered the period 1961-2004. Warming and precipitation deficit are the predisposition factors. Weakened trees are aggressively infested by the honey fungus (Armillaria mellea), and they die from root rots. In this paper we describe the mechanism of damage to and dieback of the spruce trees concerned.

This paper uses a dynamic, partial equilibrium econometric model to analyze the impact of the 2003 CAP reform and changes of exchange rate on agricultural markets and agricultural incomes in Slovakia. We evaluate three scenarios: (1) baseline scenario with no change in agricultural policies (Single Area Payment Scheme and top-ups are assumed until 2015), (2) CAP reform scenario with full decoupling from 2007 and with modulation from 2013, and (3) exchange rate scenario. In the baseline scenario, production increases. Consumption increases with some exceptions (like pork). Agricultural income rises significantly in the baseline scenario. The full decoupling has a minor impact on agricultural markets relative to the baseline. Weak Euro would lead to higher prices and higher production but lower consumption. Change in the exchange rate causes substitution in consumption of certain commodities due to the relative price changes.

The common denominator of all rather different names and understandings of it (the problem of the "model of man and society development", problem of the "lack of the civilisation concept" etc.) is that there is no clear understanding regarding the question of the perspective approach (or approaches), the relevant basic development trends of humankind in the material as well as non-material sphere, i.e. in the basic question of many philosophers "Who are we, whence and where are we going". We mention only some of the problems, which are at present directly connected to the "problem of the future of man". These are the problems from the sphere of all-human social, ethical, humanitarian and cultural aspects of the human civilisation development, which are today (but need not be already in the near future) in the centre of attention: the problem of social inequality extension, the problem of spreading epidemics and drug abuse, the problem of the uncontrollable migration and city agglomerations growth, the problem of terrorism.

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of foliar urea applications on quality, growth, mineral content and yield of broccoli under field conditions in 2003, 2004 and 2005. Broccoli cultivars AG 3317 and AG 3324 were treated with foliar urea applications at different concentrations (0.0, 0.4, 0.8 and 1.0%). Foliar applications of urea, especially 0.8 and 1.0% resulted in larger heads, weightier heads and plants as well as higher plants. Conversely, the greatest head and leaf dry matter contents were obtained with no fertilizer-nitrogen application. SPAD chlorophyll readings that were measured in the third year increased with elevated urea concentrations. In regard to the nutrient content, it can be interfered that soil nitrogen fertilization and foliar urea applications increased the content of almost all nutrients in leaves and heads of both broccoli cultivars in three experiment years. Generally, the greatest values were obtained from 1.0% urea application for both cultivars. It results from the study that for optimum yields 0.61 and 0.96% concentrations of urea sprays could be successfully used to obtain better growth and yield in broccoli cultivars AG 3317 and AG 3324, respectively.

A pot greenhouse experiment was performed to determine the effect of contamination with nickel interacting with other heavy metals on the microbiological properties of soil. The study was conducted on samples of soils classified under natural conditions as typical Eutric Cambisol developed from heavy loamy sand and typical Eutric Cambisol developed from light silty loam. Soil material was contaminated with nickel in the amount of 50 and 200 mg Ni²⁺/kg. The treatments with 200 mg Ni²⁺/kg were additionally contaminated with other heavy metals (Zn²⁺, Cu²⁺, Pb²⁺, Cd²⁺, Cr⁶⁺), in the amount of 50 mg/kg soil. The following treatments, in which the soil was contaminated with heavy metals applied alone or in combinations, were compared in the study: Ni, Zn, Cu, Pb, Cd, Cr, NiZn, NiCu, NiPb, NiCd, NiCr, NiZnCu, NiZnPb, NiZnCd, NiZnCr, NiZnCuPb, NiZnCuCd, NiZnCuCr, NiZnCuPbCd, NiZnCuPbCr, NiZnCuPbCdCr. The experiment was carried out in four replications. A microbiological analysis was performed on days 28 and 56. The tested crop was oat. It was found that the impact of particular heavy metals on microbiological properties of soils depended on their type, interactions between nickel and zinc, copper, lead, cadmium and chromium (VI), date of analysis and soil species. Soil contamination with heavy metals reduced the population size of Azotobacter spp. The counts of other microbial groups, i.e. copiotrophic bacteria, spore-forming copiotrophic bacteria, oligotrophic bacteria, spore-forming oligotrophic bacteria, ammonifying bacteria, nitrogen immobilizing bacteria, cellulose-decomposing bacteria, Arthrobacter spp., Pseudomonas spp., actinomyces and fungi, showed varied susceptibility to heavy metals.

In the present study, the effects of fungicide Aliette WG 800 [80% fosetyl-Al (aluminium tris-o-ethyl phosphonate)], widely used against Phytophtora infestans on tomatoes grown in greenhouse in Turkey, were studied on the morphology and viability of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) pollens. The fungicide was applied to tomatoes grown in greenhouse at recommended dosage (200 g/100 l water) and at double the recommended dosage (400 g/100 l water). The fungicide caused changes in the morphological structures of tomato pollens. Some pollen morphological structures that are not observed in the control group were encountered in the pollens in equatorial view and in polar view at 200 g/100 l treated groups. On the other hand, pollen viability level decreased as the dosage increased. Especially, non-viable pollen types such as wrinkled pollen or pollen with abnormal shape were encountered in the fungicide groups. It was expected that the pollen fertility as well as yield would decrease in future.

The role of the water movement and retention during extreme runoff formation was demonstrated in the Modrý Důl catchment (Krkonoše Mts., Czech Republic). A cyclone, which moved from Hungary to Poland, caused an extreme rainfall (120 mm) and subsequent extreme runoff in August, 2002. The precipitation, discharge, air and soil temperatures, tensiometric pressure, and soil moisture were recorded. The maximum retention capacity of the catchment was evaluated (70 mm). Depending on the actual retention capacity and the precipitation amount, two situations were recorded: (1) the precipitation amount lower than the actual retention capacity where the precipitation was fully absorbed in the catchment and the discharge in to the stream was not influenced by rain, (2) the precipitation amount higher than the actual retention capacity where the precipitation caused a saturation excess of the soil profile, generating extreme outflow into the stream. Neither the soil cover in the catchment or fluvial deposits along the Modrý potok stream were able to retain the extreme rain and inhibit the catastrophic flood.

Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) is the most important crop in the group of leafy vegetables. It is characterized by considerable morphological and genetic variation. The crop comprises seven main groups of cultivars (including oilseed lettuce) differing phenotypically; they are usually described as morphotypes. Lettuce breeding is primarilly focused on various morphological features and resistance against diseases and pests. The accurate description of lettuce germplasm provides basic information useful for lettuce breeders. The construction of a lettuce descriptor list has been stimulated by the international genebank community. This list consists of 55 descriptors with 15 elucidated by figures. It provides a tool for detailed characterization of and discrimination within the intraspecific variation of L. sativa, verification of old varieties, and identification of putative duplicates and gaps in germplasm collections. These descriptors, along with descriptors of wild Lactuca species, provide an efficient analytical tool for studying the complex morphological variability of this genus and relationships among the species.

Spirocerca lupi is accepted in Veterinary Medicine as the cause of true malignancies in dogs. Aortic lesions and esophageal nodular granulomas are pathological lesions of spirocercosis that are considered to be pathognomic for this disease. Post mortem and histopathological studies of 105 stray dogs both male and female of different age groups from various residential areas were performed and their esophagus were examined for any lesions and helminthic parasites. Twenty dogs (19.04%) were infected with S. lupi. The infection rate was significantly higher in dogs greater than one year old (23.5%) and in western areas (36.4%) with similar prevalence rate in males and females. At histopathologic level, two isolate but closely related fibrosarcoma masses were situated at the distal portion of the thoracic esophagus of one dog and in the site of junction of esophagus and stomach of another one. Metastasis were observed in the lung and mediastinal lymph nodes of one of the dogs. Despite presence of large population of stray dogs little information is available about S. lupi in this country, so this study was undertaken to obtain an overall picture of this infection in stray dogs of Shiraz area, southern Iran.

Forests have been subject to human intervention since the inception of human civilization. With enhanced knowledge, understanding and capacity humans exert an increasing pressure and influence on forests. Forests in general have undergone different ownership patterns. The requirements for forests have changed over time. The objectives of forest management are shifting from timber production to biodiversity conservation and nature protection. On the other hand, in many places the forests are dwindling due to the anthropic pressure. The management paradigms are changing in response to these triggering mechanisms. In this paper an attempt has been made to summarize the evolution of forest management practices and discuss some recent trends in forest management.

The collection and sale of asparagus (Asparagus racemosus Willd.) is a major source of income for Praja and Tamang castes around the Royal Chitwan National Park (RCNP) in Nepal. However, the forests where asparagus is harvested are becoming depleted threatening the livelihood of collectors. To address this issue, at sustainable harvesting practices, the research reported here applied the contingent valuation method (bidding game) and estimated the average willingness to pay (WTP) of collectors to two asparagus collection scenarios. In the first scenario, if forests under the Department of Forests jurisdiction were managed for sustainable harvesting at 1995 rates, the average WTP of collectors was 4.4 NR/kg. In the second scenario, if the forest in the RCNP is managed in such a way that both the current harvesting rate of asparagus is sustained and they are legally allowed to collect asparagus at the present rate, the average WTP of collectors was 8.35 NR/kg. Consequently, there is a good chance of earning revenue for the government and sustaining the livelihood of asparagus dependents by the sustainable management of the Department's and the National Park's forests and giving legal permissions to collect asparagus from the National Park, which would have happened anyway but with financial and legal risks to collectors.

The degree of the beech bark necrotic disease was evaluated in three selected localities in southern Poland, in different orographic complexes, Beskid Sądecki, Beskid Niski, and Bieszczady. The degree is expressed by means of the stem necrotising index (I_SN ), crowns necrotising index (I_CN ), and whole tree necrotising index (I_NWT ). The values of the indices laid in the following limits: I_SN 0.73-0.84%, I_CN 0.12%-0.51%, and I_NWT 0.84%-0.90%. The current status of the beech necrotic disease in Southern Poland can be considered as favourable. The values of I_SN recorded in Southern Poland were lower by 30% than the average I_SN for whole Slovakia. We also recorded the frequency of selected insect pests (Bucculatrix ulmella Zeller, Cryptococcus fagi Bärensp., and Ectoedemia liebwerdella Zimm.), which act in the beech stands as vectors of the necrotic disease. With C. fagi, we recorded a high frequency reaching even 100%. In contrast, we did not at all observe the occurrence of B. ulmella and E. liebwerdella, which are common in the beech stands in Slovakia, as well as in Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria. In the localities studied, we recorded the occurrence of two species of parasitic fungi of the genus Nectria (Fr.) Fr. causing the beech bark necrotic disease, viz. Nectria cosmariospora Ces et De Not. and N. galligena Bres. ex Strasser.

The paper deals with the current trends in development of communication infrastructure which is, above all, represented by high-speed Internet connection (broadband). It is focused on conditions of the Czech Republic; or more precisely, on its rural areas, including possibilities of further development in the following period in context of trends in the world, in the OECD and the EU countries.

This paper deals with the problems of destination management. It focuses on describing the crucial principles of destination management and consecutively on proving the functionality of these principles in practice in an area with a high potential for tourism development. In the selected South-Moravian region (JMK), we have explored whether an existing organization of destination management can be found in this region (DMC Destination Management Company) and to which extent it participates in the management and efficient development of tourism. To reach the set targets, we have used a secondary analysis of current data, a depth interview with a destination agency manager and an orientation questionnaire survey among business subjects. The results have shown that the level of cooperation between the destination agency in the JMK and the subjects of tourism is not on such a level and not as intensive as proclaimed by the South-Moravian Tourist Authority (CCRJM - the organization established with the aim of destination management in the JMK). For example, 50% of the addressed subjects have not been aware of the existence of this organization and only 10% of the companies have been addressed to cooperate with the CCRJM. The insufficient cooperation of public and private sectors appears to be the weakest segment. This causes an inconsistent presentation and isolation in preparing projects for the region development. It is the task for destination management, a new organization of tourism, to find the way how to cope with these difficulties and how to make the JMK a unified and quality destinations that would be attractive for tourists.

Electron microscopy was used to detect the presence of virus particles or inclusions in growth tips and parenchymatic cells of leaves of plum, apricot and peach trees artificially infected with Plum pox virus (PPV). Typical pinwheels were found in ultrathin sections of leaves of PPV infected plums, apricots and peaches. Filamentous particles or their aggregates approximately 750 nm long were found in ultrathin sections of growth tips of plum, apricot, and peach shoots with a diameter of 0.5 mm. Pinwheels were never present in embryonic cells. No virus particles were found in ultrathin sections of growth tips of PPV infected plum, apricot and peach shoots of 0.2 mm in diameter. Embryonic cells of growth tips up to 0.2 mm in diameter are PPV free. PPV particles are present in growth tips at a distance 0.2-0.5 mm from the top; the virus is probably multiplied in this part of the growth tips.

Formerly arable luvic chernozem set aside for ten years (1997-2006) with different herbaceous cover (grass, legumes and their mixtures) and agronomical practices (mulching and cut/harvesting) was studied. The experimental plot was maintained as black, spontaneous and controlled fallows from 1997 until July 2003 (BD period). In July 2003 the plots were desiccated by glyphosate herbicide and were run as a black fallow until August 2004 (AD). The last period (AG) was characterized by monoculture of Italian ryegrass cut/harvested twice a year until October 2006. The experimental soils were characterized with 18 parameters. Mulched plots in all periods (BD, AD and AG) were evaluated as highly microbial active plots. The black fallow (BD) permanently maintained by glyphosate herbicide was the lowest in biological parameters. The desiccation caused a highly significant increase (P < 0.01) of nitrates in topsoil, but in following period (AG) their significant decrease was detected. Desiccation enhanced carbon immobilization into microbial cells especially on mulched and cut/harvested sites (BD, AD). Due to mulching accumulation of soil organic matter highly significantly increased (P < 0.01). This induced a highly significant (P < 0.01) increase in the basal respiration (AD, AG) as the soil organic matter accumulated in the period BD was intensively mineralized.

The disease caused by Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) belongs to the most destructive diseases of tomato all over the world. Therefore, tomato has been subjected to many breeding efforts, including the incorporation of resistance to the virus. Recently emerged approaches, ideas and technologies could affect the future direction of the virus resistance breeding. In particular molecular techniques have provided opportunities in the form of linked molecular markers to speed up and simplify the selection of host resistance genes. Transformation of an inbred tomato line with the TSWV nucleoprotein gene cassette resulted in high levels of resistance to TSWV that have been retained in the hybrids derived from the parental tomato line. These and other techniques offer great opportunities for improving the virus resistance and, therefore, it is time to reconsider the future direction of resistance breeding in tomato. The effort has been made to review available sources of resistance, conventional breeding methods, marker-assisted selection, pathogen-derived resistance and transgenic resistance approaches in this paper.

We tested the germicide activity of 1% Chloramin BM, 1% Incidin Plus, 1% Lysoformin 3000, 0.2% Mikasept KP, and 2% Sekusept Forte against viruses in suspension (suspension test) and dried onto a surface (carrier test). The agents of the porcine encephalomyelitis (Porcine teschovirus, strains CAPM V-86, CAPM V-37), Aujeszky's disease (strains CAPM V-166, CAPM V-327) and vesicular stomatitis (strains CAPM V-499, CAPM V-331) were used as model viruses. After 30 min contact time in both the suspension and carrier tests, the Porcine teschovirus was 4 lg inactivated only by Mikasept, which was thus the only disinfectant to meet the standard. The other disinfectants decreased the viral titre insufficiently. Under the same conditions, Aujeszky's disease virus was inactivated by at least 4 lg by all the tested disinfectants except for Chloramin BM which decreased the titre of CAPM V-166 only by 3.75 lg in the carrier test. For the inactivation of Vesicular stomatitis virus Chloramin BM and Mikasept KP were tested. Both the disinfectants reliably decreased the viral titre in both the suspension and carrier tests. Our results show that the inactivation of a surface-bound virus is more difficult than its inactivation in suspension. We confirm the high resistance of non-enveloped viruses (Porcine teschovirus) to chemical inactivation.

The Pinus mugo complex (P. mugo Turra sensu lato, and/or species aggregate or group - P. mugo agg., including its internal as well as external aggregate hybrids) is an important fragment of European dendroflora. For its high variability this complicated group has not been solved in taxonomical terms satisfactorily yet. Most problems are mainly caused by a large amount of taxa of uncertain value described in the past, which often more or less overlap or are based on insufficiently researched and unsuitably interpreted characters. Such facts coincidently cause further problems in applied disciplines. Specialized European literature already contains a large amount of information referring to individual taxa of this complex. Much information is listed under various, often commonly not known or not used scientific names. In order to make the information available and useful, it was necessary to collect the most frequent names used in the past and to assort them in a tabular manner into a convenient synoptic schedule respecting the present concepts of the complex and assign them with the present most commonly used names.

This study was designed to evaluate basic tree characteristics of Quercus dalechampii Ten. and Quercus polycarpa Schur and to find out differences between them. Total height, height of crown base and diameter at breast height were measured before tree felling. Cut stems were visually checked for heart rot on their basal parts. Diameters were measured on each stem in 1 meter long sections from the base to the point of life crown setting. Average values for both species were compared by t-test. The total height was proved to be statistically different; the height of crown base and diameter at breast height were quite similar for both species. Q. dalechampii Ten. was proved to be of larger stem diameter from the tree foot to the 3^rd height meter; the diameter of Q. polycarpa Schur was superior from that height upwards. However, the most significant interspecies difference was found in a number of stems affected by wood-rot fungi as Q. polycarpa Schur turned out to be less resistant than Q. dalechampii Ten.

On the 1^st of January 2009, the Slovak Republic should implement the Euro currency and enter the European Monetary Union. The implementation of the Euro currency is in currently the most important theme in our country. Business companies will benefit most, but they will also bear most of the single-shot costs. Up to 80% of the costs are constituted by the adaptation of information systems (IS). At the end of the year 2007, only 14% of Slovak companies were prepared in the terms of the Euro adaptation in IS. This condition of the business sector is very important and also alarming. Accelerated preparations of the changes in IS are needful, but this project is highly complicated, primarily in big business organizations. The quality of the realized project and the continuous transmission of IS will be a critical point of the firm success on the Slovak and European markets.

Several fusarioid microorganisms were isolated as potential pathogens of hop (Humulus lupulus L.) but their virulence was not proved in inoculation trials in field conditions. Molecular search for other possible pathogens was then performed. Using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (TRFLP), Gibberella pulicaris (anamorph: Fusarium sambucinum) was identified as a probable cause of the hop wilting. The primary cause of the disease is wounding of hop crowns by feeding of rosy rustic moth (Hydraecia micacea) caterpillars or by defect pruning and other unfavourable circumstances. The specific primer HLf1 was designed that can be used to detect the pathogen in soil and in damaged plant tissues.

The frequent presence of rye translocation 1B/1R in common wheat is well known as well as its unfavourable effect on bread-making quality. These translocated materials make up more than one tenth of all wheat varieties registered in the Czech Republic and due to their lower technological value they are predominately used for livestock feeding in spite of the lack of information about their desirability for monogastric animals. Our study was aimed at a general effect of 1B/1R translocation, including other grain characteristics in model feeding tests with laboratory rats. Triennial evaluation of selected chemical and technological characteristics of winter wheat grain, including feeding characteristics in the model set of 18 DH lines with/without 1B/1R translocation, confirmed a highly significant effect of year on evaluated parameters. Wheat lines with the presence of 1B/1R translocation showed a significantly higher value of relative viscosity, crude protein content and higher proportion of the albumin + globulin fraction. This was manifested negatively in the technological characteristics of the gluten index (GI) and the Zeleny sedimentation test of these wheat lines. Detected values of relative viscosity, grain hardness (PSI) and albumin-globulin fraction were significantly influenced by the genotype of the wheat line. The relationships of evaluated grain characteristics to the results of feeding test were not unequivocal. The presence of 1B/1R translocation significantly decreased the values of balance in these characters: net protein utilization (NPU) and biological value of proteins (BV), however the effect of the 1B/1R translocation on protein efficiency ratio (PER) was not confirmed. Correlation analyses showed low mutual relationships among the parameters of balance and growth tests. A lower but significant positive correlation of the albumin + globulin fraction and a negative correlation of storage proteins with growth parameter PER were also observed. It is possible to summarize that individual relation between albumins + globulins and gluten protein composition of grains influenced the values of PER more significantly than the presence of 1B/1R translocation.

The appearance of fruits and vegetables has a major influence on the perceived quality. Therefore, colour is one of the most important quality parameters in consumers' preferences. Fruits differently exposed to the sun differ in colour, frequently looking unripe and reach full maturity just on handling or transport, some still green and appearing unripe. Oranges, carrot, red beet, and parsley were used for the study of the quality estimation. Different nets used for the packing of fruits were tested. The measurements of lightness and chromaticity parameters were performed according to L*a*b* system. The red net used for the packing of oranges caused a decrease of the lightness parameter L* for all stages of fruits maturity. However, some unripe and bright oranges, through the use of a red net, looked more mature. The chromaticity parameter a* is the most influential factor affecting the human perception of the fruit colour. The red net improves this parameter significantly, thus unripe yellow oranges become more saturated, changing the perception of colour to the predicted range. The colour is insignificant for the net, however, it is important for the classification and quality assessment by humans.

Out of the total number of 434 horses that underwent colic surgery, small intestine was operated in 195 (44.9%) patients, caecum in 10 (2.3%) horses, large colon surgery was performed in 196 (45.2%) cases and small colon surgery in 14 (3.2%) horses. In 12 patients (2.8%) two different parts of the gastrointestinal tract were affected simultaneously, one horse suffered from peritonitis, torsion of the uterus developed in two mares and three animals had negative surgical findings. Of 434 horses, 371 (85.5%) survived. After small intestinal surgery, 159 patients (81.5%) recovered from anaesthesia and were discharged home as well as seven horses (70%) after caecal surgery, 175 horses (89.3%) after large colon surgery and 14 horses (100%) following small colon surgery. 75 out of 103 horses (72.8%) were discharged home after the small intestinal resection and 89 of 98 horses (90.8%) with small intestinal problems where no resection was needed. In total, 43 of the patients that underwent one surgery did not survive the immediate postoperative period. The most frequent lethal complications in horses following the small intestinal surgery included peritonitis (five horses) and paralytic ileus (four horses) and in horses with large colon problems it was typhlocolitis (six cases). Relaparotomy was indicated in 41 of 434 horses (9.4%) that recovered from colic surgery. 21 out of the 41 (51.2%) relaparotomised colic patients were released from the clinic. All successfully repeated surgeries were carried out to overcome primary small intestine ileus problems, and in 14 of these cases (66.7%) resection and anastomosis were performed. The most common finding, diagnosed in 9 of 21 reoperated horses, was paralytic ileus. Of 20 relaparotomised horses that did not survive, three animals were lost after the introduction of anaesthesia, nine horses were euthanised after the abdominal cavity revision, one horse did not recover after the surgical procedure and seven horses did not survive the postoperative period. In 15 of 20 dead horses, the cause of the first surgical intervention was small intestinal ileus, in other four horses there was a large colon problem and in the last patient, it was a stomach disease. In 13 of 15 (86.7%) horses with small intestinal problems and in three of four (75%) patients with large colon disease, either resection or bypass was performed. In the remaining four non-surviving horses of 20 relaparotomised ones, peritonitis and/or adhesion formation was diagnosed at the second surgery, in three horses anastomosis complications were the main problem. Peritonitis or paralytic ileus led to death or euthanasia in four of seven horses that recovered after relaparotomy.

Broadleaved-Korean pine (Pinus koraiensis) mixed forest is a dominant native vegetation type in the eastern Eurasian Continent. We intended to examine the implications of high-intensity timber harvesting (ca 70% of stand volume) for the sustainable management of a mixed forest ecosystem. We measured trees at three sites: control without cutting, older-cut site cut in 1987 and newer-cut site (cutting in 1997). There were significant differences in structure and composition between these three sites in 2003. There were 4,441 trees of 14 species with basal area 56 m² at control plot, 6,314 trees of 16 species with basal area 9 m² at newer-cut site and 8,438 trees of 21 species with basal area 31 m² at older-cut site (all on the area of 1 ha). The high-intensity timber harvesting system helped promote natural regeneration and the growth of small trees but it also allowed light-demanding tree species to invade into the forest. Dominant position and suitable diameter distribution of economically important species (Pinus koraiensis and Tilia amurensis) were maintained across the three sites. The existing timber harvesting appears to consider short-term economic values to a larger extent than long-term ecological values. To manage the broadleaved-Korean pine mixed forest for both timber production and biodiversity conservation, timber-harvesting intensity must be lowered.