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Two ruminally cannulated Jersey cows were used to determine in situ ruminal degradability and intestinal digestibility of raw (E0) soybeans and soybeans extruded at 145°C (E145), 155°C (E155) and 165°C (E165). The degradation of dry matter (DM) and crude protein (CP) was estimated using nylon bags suspended in rumen for 2, 4, 8, 12, 16, 24 and 48 h calculating the effective ruminal degradabilities (ERD) for an assumed outflow rate of 0.06/h. Four extra sample bags were incubated for 12 h to determine CP digestibility using the mobile nylon bag method. Cows were fed a ration of 30% concentrate and 70% meadow hay. Soybean extrusion at all temperatures decreased the effective protein degradability significantly (P < 0.05). Soybean processing at the highest heat input (E165) decreased ERD (44.0%) in the rumen significantly while the values for E145 and E155 were similar, 50.8 and 50.3% respectively. Soybean extrusion at all tested temperatures was followed by a significant (P < 0.05) reduction in the proportion of the rapidly degraded DM and CP fractions a, and both the increased proportions and reduced breakdown rate (c) of the fraction b. The intestinal protein digestibility values of the rumen-undegraded protein of extruded soybean were somewhat higher, however the observed differences between treatments were not significant (P < 0.05). Estimated intestinal digestibilities were 87.2, 89.7, 92.0 and 92.6% for E0, E145, E155 and E165, respectively.

Thymbra spicata var. spicata, which grows wildly in the flora of Turkey, is known as thyme. A field trial was conducted to determine suitable harvesting time and cutting height for Thymbra, therefore plants in the trial were harvested at two cutting heights in various stages of development in the course of the growing season (pre-flowering, full-flowering and post-flowering). It was determined that the time of harvesting had a significant effect on herbage yields, oil percentage and oil yield. The highest drug leaf yield (3.107 t/ha) was obtained in the full-flowering stage with 10 cm cutting length, essential oil percentage ranged from 1.58 to 2.33%, the highest essential oil yield (70.7 l/ha) was obtained at the full-flowering stage with 10 cm cutting length. As a result of this study, harvesting in the full-flowering stage with 10 cm cutting height was the best treatment in respect of the yield of dry matter and oil for thyme (Thymbra spicata) cultivation.

The present study brings current information on providing market pigs and sows with the required iodine level up to date. The results were obtained by the determination of the iodine content in leg muscles and by the relationship between those concentrations and the iodine intake by the human population. The iodine content was assessed by the Sandell-Kolthoff method in 108 samples of leg muscles (m. gracilis) of market pigs from 18 herds in 10 districts of the Czech Republic collected during the period April 2004 to August 2004. Average iodine content in leg muscles of market pigs was 25.6 ± 15.54 μg I/kg fresh matter, median 20.2 and coefficient of variation 60.6%. Significantly higher (P < 0.05 to P < 0.001) iodine levels were recorded in the leg muscles was of herds LI2, ZU, BR, FU, BU, ST and some others. Iodine level variations in the samples from respective farms were expressed in the levels range of 8.5 to 66.2 μg I/kg. The detected variations might have been caused by different iodine saturation of the pigs from different herds, their physiological requirement, manifestation of physiological ability of respective animals to utilize the iodine source, potential effect of goitrogens and environmental conditions. It is necessary to consider the iodine content in pork in the balance of the iodine supply in the shopping basket of consumers. Provided that the average annual consumption of pork is 40.9 kg with iodine content of 25.6 μg/kg(8.5 to 66.2 μg/kg), the average annual iodine intake is 1047 μg, which represents 1.4 to 2.4% of the required intake per person per year.

In 1986 (1987) research plots were established in a forest stands on the south-western slope of Šerlich Mt., Orlické hory Mts. (Kristina Colloredo-Mansfeld - Forest Administration Opočno), at the altitude of 950 to 970 m, to study deposition, chemistry of precipitation and soil water and development of soil chemistry. The plots were established on a clear-cut area, in a young stand and a mature stand of spruce, in a mature beech stand, and in an advanced growth of spruce and European mountain ash. The content of solutes in creek water was studied at the same time. Since 1993 the concentration of substances in precipitation water intercepted in the summit part of Šerlich Mt. has been measured. Research on water chemistry in the stands terminated in 1997. Soil analyses were done in 1986 (1987), 1993 and 1999. The load of acid air pollutants in these forest ecosystems was high in the eighties. After 1991 the deposition of H⁺, S/SO₄^2-, N/NO₃^- + NH₄⁺, Mn, Zn, Al decreased. Similarly, an increase in pH was observed in soil water, and the concentrations of SO₄^2-, and N, Al compounds decreased. But in 1993 the concentrations of SO₄^2- and Al increased again under the spruce stand for several months. The concentrations of NO₃^-, Mn, Zn and Al in the stream water also gradually decreased in the nineties. On the contrary, the average values of S-ions increased compared to those of 1987 to 1991. Strongly acid soil reaction developed in deeper layers until 1993. In the second half of the nineties the pH/H₂O value somewhat increased again, however the reserve of K, Mg, Ca available cations in the mineral soil constantly decreased. The saturation of sorption complex by basic cations in the lower layer of rhizosphere did not reach even 10% in 1999. The forest ecosystems of Šerlich Mt. were also loaded by a high fall-out of Pb, and increased fall-out of Cu. The lack of balance of N-compound transformations and consumption in the soil and increased leaching of N in the form of nitrates contribute to soil acidification on the investigated plots.

The red turpentine beetle, Dendroctonus valens LeConte (Coleoptera: Scolytidae), was found for the first time in China in Yangcheng and Xinshui counties, Shanxi province in 1998, and in Hebei province in 1999. The beetle mostly attacks the oil pine Pinus tabulaeformis Carriére. By 2003 the beetle was found in 85 counties of three provinces in north China and the area of infested pine forests covered more than 700,000 ha. The elevation above sea level of forests infested is more than 800 m. The beetles most frequently attack trees on hilltops and at the forest edge, fewer attacks occur in the centre of the stand. This correlates with the damage done to the trees by wind or man. Weak and dying trees are more vulnerable to attack than healthy ones. The most attractive breeding sites are fresh stumps. The population density of the beetles is higher in the forests on northern slopes than on southern slopes. Most of the bores in the trunk are less than 0.5 m above ground; the galleries are found also on roots.

The study deals with the problems of regional development in Slovakia, with the emphasis on presentation and critical reflexion of specific features and basic developmental tendencies characterizing the regional development in the transformation period (after 1990). The regional development is presented in broader social contexts of the development of the Slovak society, with the emphasis on its modernization stage, as well as the social-economic and social-spatial changes, characterizing the society development in the transformation period. The social and social-spatial implications and impacts of this development on social segments of the society, territorial and regional units and their social potentials are pointed out. In the conclusion, the dispositions of the regions and the developmental trends of the regional development of Slovakia are confronted with the conditions for the information society development.

The article presents the analysis of regional distribution for the approved and completed projects by 2004 under the SAPARD programme in the Slovak Republic. The distribution of funding strongly favoured powerful (innovative) business subjects which increased their competitiveness and gained the "advantage of technology advance" (which, in time may change into the rent of technology advance) associated with growth in labour productivity and high probability of investment return. The implementation of the SAPARD programme provides a strong impetus to the restructuring of businesses in agrifood industry, it accelerates and improves the selection among the businesses and economical differentiation. The bulk of the approved funding for projects under the individual measures for agriculture and processing industry within the SAPARD programme was distributed among western and southern regions of Slovakia. The implementation of the SAPARD programme, on one hand, has helped to reduce regional disparities in the vertical spatial approach by the diversion of the bulk of funding to the economically less favoured southern areas of Slovakia lagging behind in terms of infrastructure. On the other hand, though, it has increased the regional disparities in the horizontal spatial view with regard to the fact that most of the funding is spent in the developed regions of western Slovakia. Eastern Slovakia thus has become a disadvantaged and minority recipient of the financial assistance under this programme.

The species composition, frequency and abundance of insect pests (Coleoptera) occurring outside a grain store were explored. Wheat bait traps were used for pest monitoring; they were changed every month from April to September. For the first time the outdoor occurrence of primary and secondary stored-product pests was documented in the Czech Republic. Seven species of Coleoptera were found outside the grain store. Pest abundance and frequency were in high correlation. The primary pest Sitophilus granarius was dominant.

The aim of the experiment was to compare the carcass composition of 20 Montbeliarde bulls (M) and 20 Czech Pied bulls (C). The carcass weight of the animals in one group varied minimally and was about 380 kg. The Montbeliarde bulls showed a higher growth rate, expressed by a significantly lower (P < 0.01) age at slaughter (562.6 vs. 626 days) while the live weight (682.9 vs. 690.6 kg) and carcass weight (380.4 vs. 382.6 kg) were comparable, which resulted in a significantly higher (P < 0.01) daily weight gain (1.142 vs. 1.045 kg) and net weight gain (0.676 vs. 0.615 kg). The Montbeliarde bulls showed a greater (P < 0.05) height at rump (144.0 vs. 140.2 cm), worse carcass conformation according to SEUROP (3.24 vs. 2.84), lower proportion of forequarter (44.7 vs. 45.7%) and higher proportion of hindquarter (55.3 vs. 54.3%). As for the carcass composition, no significant inter-breed differences were found in weights and proportions of shanks, meat trimmings, separable fat, bones, round, loin, filet, flank with rib, flank, shoulder and chuck. The Montbeliarde bulls had a significantly lower (P < 0.05) weight and proportion of neck (10.1 vs. 11.1 kg and 5.4 vs. 5.9%) and weight of brisket and rib (17.6 vs. 18.7 kg) and proportion of brisket and rib (9.4 vs. 9.9%, P < 0.01).

In this research, leaf area prediction models were developed for some leaf-used medicinal plants namely Calamintha nepeta, Datura stromonium, Melissa officinalis, Mentha piperita, Nerium oleander, Origanum onites and Urtica dioica growing wild in Black Sea region of Turkey. Lamina width, length and leaf area were measured non-destructively to develop the models. The actual leaf areas of the plants were measured by PLACOM Digital Planimeter, and multiple regression analysis with Excel 7.0 computer package program was performed for the plants separately. The produced leaf area prediction models in the present study were formulized as LA = (a) + (b₁ × L) + [(b₂ × (L × W)] + (b₃ × L²) + (b₄ × W²) + [b₅ × (L × W²)] + [b₆ × (L² × W)] + [b₇ × (L² × W²)] where LA is leaf area, W is leaf width, L is leaf length and a, b₁, b₂, b₃, b₄, b₅, b₆, and b₇ are coefficients. R² values for medicinal plants tested varied with species from 0.82 in Origanum onites to 0.98 in Urtica dioica. All R² values and standard errors were found to be significant at the P < 0.001 level.

Avian tuberculosis was diagnosed histopathologically and microbiologically in two pheasants (Phasianus colchicus) and two peafowl (Pavo cristatus) kept in the same aviary. The incidence of avian tuberculosis in the aviary was 6%. Non-mineralized caseogranulomas were present in the liver (3 cases), spleen (3 cases), intestine (2 cases), lung (2 cases), and cloaca (1 case). Granulomas in the lung were present only in peafowl. The presence of granulomas in the lung of both infected peafowl suggests that peafowl were exposed to the agent via the respiratory route rather than the alimentary route. Histopathologic findings were typical of avian tuberculosis, including acid fast bacilli and centrally located caseo-necrosis surrounded by epitheloid macrophages, lymphocytes, and multinucleated giant cells. Mycobacterium avium subsp. avium was isolated from tissue samples of all infected birds.

We evaluated the growth of Norway spruce (Picea abies [L.] Karst.) seedlings on peat and bark substrates, on their mixes and on their mixes with agroperlite. We examined the basic quantitative traits (seedling diameters and heights), the number of produced seedlings per unit area, main root lengths, number of axial shoots and dry weight of shoots and roots. Besides the study of substrate influence on the biometrical characteristics of seedlings applied standard fertilisation an experiment was established as the second variant where the effect of biostimulants was tested; they were supplied by the Jaminex Company. The experiment was established with three replications by standard technologies used in forest operations. A conclusion can be drawn that in our experiments peat was found to be the most suitable substrate for production of Norway spruce seedlings. Positive effects of biostimulants were highly significant on almost all tested substrate mixes.

Alder decline along watercourses is one of the marked manifestations of tree decline in the Czech Republic. Local decline of alder trees is documented in the Czech Republic for about 15 years. The aim of this paper is to evaluate causes of alder decline and assess health conditions of other species of riparian stands at 2 localities on the medium reach of the Lužnice River. Effects were studied of abiotic and biotic stressors on the health condition of tree species. No fungal pathogen was found in tissues of declining alders which would be present in all trees and which could be considered to be the main causal agent of the decline. Even an occurrence of the causal agent of alder decline named alder-Phytophthora has not been proved. Tree-ring analyses demonstrated decreasing trends of an increment in alders; however, an abiotic or biotic factor showing direct effects on the fluctuation of tree ring dimensions has not been positively determined. A marked role in the alder decline is demonstrated particularly by abiotic factors accompanied by the secondary activation of some pathogens. Generally, the phenomenon can be named as polyetiologic decline.

After the accession to the EU, there is a necessity to develop the land market in Slovakia. The achievement of the following conditions is necessary: settlement of estates in lands and unification of the law of real property in the areas of ownership, utilization, change of the land type, soil conservation, land use planning and building multiple-function agriculture with the legislation of the market economy countries as well as its harmonization with the EU legal regulations. It is also necessary to develop an official network to follow transactions on the land market, a regular update of data and their evaluation.

The paper deals with the very actual sphere of using new tool within the frame of entire supply chain from manufacturer towards consumer. The common idea is a management of the flow of goods by the method which should be enable more effective identification, control, tracking and many follow-ups processes in the distribution channel. Even in retail store, the final consumer could use this instrument for his/her increased satisfactory and comfort during his/her shopping. Presumption for realisation of this goal becomes the implementation of a new phenomenon RFID (radio frequency identification) into current operations performed throughout the all levels of value chain with using modern information technology.

Chrysopogon gryllus and Festuca vallesiaca are components of a number of meadow-pasture communities in Serbia. We performed the analyses of phenolics that influence quality and digestibility of grasses to a great extent. Total phenolics were measured spectrophotometrically and phenolic acids by HPLC analysis. The aboveground parts of C. gryllus contained 10.6 mg/g whereas F. vallesiaca of 21.6 mg/g total phenolics. Bound phenolics dominated over free ones in both species. The content of both free and bound p-coumaric, ferulic, p-hydroxybenzoic and syringic acid was higher in C. gryllus (6.34 mg/g) than in F. vallesiaca (3.96 mg/g). Derivatives of cinnamic acid prevailed in both species compared to the benzoic acid derivatives. Low quality of C. gryllus is connected with its high tissue phenolic acids and mediocre quality of F. vallesiaca with the high content of total phenolics that act unfavourably on digestibility of such grasses.

Enterococci (58) from faeces of rabbits of various age (from 2 months to 3 years) and 5 different rabbit farms were isolated and tested for survival in the presence of oxgall, lactic acid production, urease activity, resistance to low pH as well as their binding ability was tested. Fifty percent of enterococcal isolates were identified as Enterococcus faecium, 19% as E. faecalis. All strains showed good survival in the presence of 5% oxgall. The urease activity of isolates was in the range from 0.013 to 17.13 nkat/ml, only E. faecalis EE229 strain did not produce any urease. The survival of strains was tested at pH 3.0 and the percentage of their survival ranged between 62.0% and 90.0%. E. faecium EF1819 strain was found to show the best survival ability at low pH. Particle agglutination assay values of selected enterococci expressed only negative (0) or weakly positive (1) binding of heparin, bovine fibrinogen, porcine fibronectin and lactoferrin. Based on the results, most of the selected enterococci could be promising probiotic feed additives.

The first outbreaks of a disease connected with high mortality of common carp and koi carp caused by koi herpesvirus (KHV) were reported in 1998 in Israel and in the United States. Since then, several cases have been confirmed all over the world. At present, this viral disease is considered to be one of the most risky factors affecting populations of common carp and koi carp. Affected fish become disoriented and swim erratically with high breathing frequency, swollen gills and partially local skin lesions. The virus was isolated from the tissues of fish showing signs of the disease and subsequently cultured on koi fin (KF-1) cells. Electron microscopic examinations revealed morphological signs identical with viruses of the family Herpesviridae. Analysis of virion polypeptides and gene DNA showed the differences between KHV and the well-known herpesvirus of cyprinids, Herpesvirus cyprini (CHV), and Channel catfish virus (CCV). Water temperature is a factor influencing the onset and severity of disease. Fish seem most susceptible at water temperatures of 18-28°C, no morbidities occur at 13°C and 30°C. At present, diagnosis of KHV is mainly based on detection of viral DNA by PCR method.

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.

A decline of macromycetes, especially of ectomycorrhizal species, has been described in the last decade in various parts of Europe. These changes are attributed to direct or indirect effects of air pollution. In Central Europe these changes correlate with visual damage of forest. Many ectomycorrhizal fungi seem to be very suitable bioindicators of the disturbance of forest ectotrophic stability. Stages of this disturbance can be linked directly to particular phases of impoverishment of ectomycorrhizal mycocoenoses. These conclusions have been obtained from long-term research on permanent plots (1,000-2,500 m²) in spruce and oak forests in the Czech Republic, but it seems that they are valid generally. For the quantification and study of mycorrhizal activity a special method has been developed and applied. The analyses of mycorrhizas from the same plots in the period 2000-2002 indicate large mycorrhizal dynamics. These data correlate with data obtained from a fruiting bodies survey. Both the percentage of ectomycorrhizal species and the ratio of active mycorrhizas are highly sensitive to outer impacts (air pollution, acidification, fertilization). Their decrease is in correlation with the strong defoliation of trees and can be used for the prediction of further development in comparable stands.

The article deals with characteristics of local communities and rural regions. Local communities are defined both according to the standards of population density and the number of inhabitants. In the article, there are treated especially the indicators of population development (balance of migration), economic activities of the inhabitants, unemployment rates, structures of the population according to the sector of national economy and the indicators of education. These indicators have been calculated on the basis of data of the Census 2001, municipal and regional statistics and the Department of Employment data concerning the unemployment rate.

The presented research was done in two different regions in Slovakia, characterized by different soil and natural conditions and also production and economic results. The micro-economic analysis was aiming not only at private farmers but also at other legal entities using land for production of agricultural products. The first monitored group consisted of 412 private farmers, farming in average 43.2 ha of agricultural land. The second group consisted of 150 businesses, having 1 866 ha of agricultural land in average. The paper also shows different problems of restructuring land markets in some countries of Central and Eastern Europe.

A total of 60 random samples of fresh chicken burger, fillet, and luncheon (20 of each) were collected from markets at Tanta city. The average total yeast counts (cfu/g) in burger, fillet, and luncheon samples were 2.7 × 10⁶ ± 1.1 × 10⁶, 2.1 × 10⁵ ± 0.9 × 10⁵, and 1.4 × 10⁷ ± 0.7 × 10⁷, respectively. A total of 158 yeast isolates of 23 species were isolated and identified. Candida, Cryptococcus, Debaromyces, Issatchenkia, Pichia, Rhodotorula, Saccharomyces, Trichosporon and Yarrowia species were recovered from the examined samples of fresh chicken meat products in varying percentages ranging from 5% to 50%. The tested plant extracts of cinnamon, clove and thyme revealed a potent anti-yeast activity against C. albicans, D. hansenii and S. cerevisiae at 20% concentration, and a moderate inhibitory activity against these yeast strains at 10% concentration, while garlic extract had a lesser inhibitory effect on the yeast strains tested at the same concentration. Moreover, thyme, cinnamon and clove extracts had a complete inhibitory effect on chicken fillet inoculated with Candida albicans when incubated at 5°C and 25°C.

Fusarium head blight (FHB) is a barley disease, which occurs every year in various areas of barley cultivation all over the world and the increasing incidence has been confirmed in the Czech Republic also during the last years. We aimed to emply AFLP (Amplified fragment length polymorphism) and SSR (Single sequence repeats) markers to describe diversity among breeding lines with a sufficient level of resistance towards FHB and to find marker(s) associated with the analysed traits. The number of eight accessions including five expected resistance donors and three sensitive lines were tested in the field and laboratory. The field values and the amount of deoxynivalenol were positively correlated (r = 0.92). The laboratory test and content DON manifested also a high correlation (r = 0.73). Several DH lines developed from androgenetic barley progenies of the F1 hybrids between the susceptible line PI 383933 and resistant line PEC 210 or the susceptible line PI 383933 and resistant cultivar Chevron were found resistant towards Fusarium infection in both the field and laboratory tests. Low infestation was found at line DH 37 from combination Chevron × PI 383933 and lines DH48, DH49, DH50 and DH55 from the combination PEC 210 × PI 383933. Cluster analyses based on 68 AFLP and 18 SSR markers demonstrate a genetic relationship among parental genotypes and DH lines.Some DH lines combined a sufficient degree of resistance against FHB and extract content (basic parameters malting quality). Statistically significant differences in malt-extract values were observed between groups of the DH lines possessing and not possessing the AFLP marker CAA/AGC 341bp. The markers will be further evaluated and optionally used for MAS.

An in sacco technique was used to measure NDF degradability and release of Mg, Ca, Zn, Cu, Fe from six forages - lucerne hay from the 1^st cut (LH₁), from the 2^nd cut (LH₂), orchard grass (G), grass silage (GS), red clover silage treated with Feedtech (CS_FT) and/or with Kofasil (CS_KO). The forages differed in the content of NDF and minerals. There were large differences (P < 0.01) in element release in the rumen between experimental forages and the particular elements. The rate of release of elements was higher from LH_1, LH_2, CS_FT,CS_KO than from G and GS. The release of individual elements and NDF over all incubation times is very well expressed by cubic polynomials (R²> 0.9). Overall, across forages the release of mineral elements ranked as follows: Mg > Fe > Cu > Ca > Zn. The minimum and maximum disappeared portions of individual minerals from forages are as follows: Mg 74.7% from G and > 91.5% from LH₁, Fe 29.7% from G and 99.9% from LH₁ and LH_2, Cu 64.3% from G and 99.8% from LH₁ and LH₂, Ca 28.4% from G and 75.4% from CS_FT, Zn 12.0% from G and 38.2% from LH₁, respectively. Calcium and zinc need a longer time for their maximum release. It can be concluded from the results of multiple regression analyses that only the Mg and Ca release is associated depending on NDF and time of observations, with a highly significant influence of forage on Zn and Cu.

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.

Six field strains of Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale isolated from chickens in Elazig province located in the East of Turkey were typed by serotyping and random amplified polymorphic DNA assay using a random primer (OPG-11). Using the AGP test used for serotyping, serotype A was found to be the predominant serotype, only one strain was serotyped as serotype B. By RAPD assay, the tested ORT strains were found to have different RAPD profiles. In addition, the RAPD assay showed almost similar DNA profiles among the tested strains of the serotypes A, B, D and E. The strain of serotype C did give a different RAPD profile. Within strains of the same serotype (A), different profiles were found but the strain of serotype (B) had an identical profile as strains of serotype A. This study suggests that more genotypes of ORT strains are present within the same serotype and thus that no relationship exists between the RAPD pattern of ORT and their serotype.

The paper summarises main ideas concerning the structure of natural forest ecosystems at middle altitudes and documents the changes of humus forms and their chemistry in the natural forest of Žákova hora National Nature Reserve, in typical selected parts with different tree species composition: European beech - Norway spruce. The species composition, age and spatial structure are discussed and analysis of the uppermost soil layer is done in particular parts of the natural forest regeneration cycle, of different stages respectively. We compared the amount and layer composition of surface humus and basic pedochemical characteristics of holorganic and upper mineral horizons. The results document changes in the character of humus forms as a consequence of the tree species change. On the contrary, a high portion of uncertainty as for the species, age and spatial structure follows from discussion about the structure of natural forests at middle altitudes.

The contribution deals with the key issues of contemporary food economy development as a system and its economic implication in regard to changing position of agricultural enterprises. It explicates why globalisation and integration processes have changed the structure and the interrelationships along the food commodity chains and have created completely the new economic environment for production agriculture. Based upon the economic theory outcomes the essential topics related to the problems why agriculture is largely influenced by the final stages of agri-food commodity chains are explained there. The active response on the demand structural changes include is perceived as a needful precondition of competitiveness of agricultural enterprises for future in general.

This paper has a theoretical and analytical character and it searches for the possibilities to activate the rural population by means of its social and territorial identifications. The objective of the paper is to point at some connections relating to social and territorial identity of the rural population, outlined by classic quantitative marks based upon the population up to 5 000. We base the above on the results of the representative sociological survey allowing us to analyze some of the selected problems of the social and territorial identity of the rural population, in particular its relation to residence, residential stability and autochthony, development prospects of residences, quality of social and civil relation in the rural area.