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We herein report the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings in a brain meningioma in a pet rat (Rattus norvegicus domestica). A 1.5-year-old pet rat was referred for depression, ataxia, tremors and bilateral nystagmus; a brain MRI was elected suspecting an intracranial neoplasia. The study was performed with a 0.25 T scanner. The MRI revealed a well-defined oval mass with a heterogeneous appearance, hyperintense in T1 and T2, and with extra-axial localisation and severe brain compression, the mass appeared strongly and diffusely contrast-enhancing. Euthanasia was elected, with the necropsy confirming the presence of a voluminous extra-axial mass. Histologically, a well-differentiated, benign meningotheliomatous meningioma was diagnosed, with the histochemical stains allowing one to exclude a granular cell tumour. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of MRI investigations on a pet rat intracranial meningioma.

In a time of a constant change, a company with high-quality, talented employees not only has an advantage in the competitive environment but it is also a more attractive proposition for the potential employees. It is also a 'great place to work' for the existing employees. The article therefore focuses on the approaches to implementing the strategic talent management which are taken by the agricultural and forestry companies. The paper investigates the position taken regarding the talent management in theory. It is based on the aims of a primary survey, the purpose of which was to develop a deeper understanding of the supporting theoretical concepts underpinning the company approaches to talent. The objective of the work is to identify the main components of the strategic talent management based on the primary survey of companies operating in agriculture and forestry. This is accomplished by evaluating the data obtained from the primary analysis of the methods and approaches used on 101 farms and other agricultural companies. The data comes from the manager surveys for which a single manager represented the given company. The mono-dimensional and multi-dimensional statistics were used to evaluate the data. The results indicate that in 62% of the companies examined are familiar with the principles of the talent management and that the talent management forms part of the mission of the company (48%). A deeper analysis is used to further examine the differences in the approach of the companies included in the study. The paper contains an in depth discussion of the concept of the strategic talent management, as well as identifying the main processes connected with it. Moreover, the paper presents new research findings by defining and validating the main attributes of the strategic talent management (TM); additionally the gap between the awareness of the top management of the talent management concept and its use in practice is found and discussed.

In most developing countries, the agricultural industry has the potential to alleviate poverty at a faster rate compared to other sectors. As such, many governments have initiated policies and programme to improve agricultural performance. However, some of these projects have not achieved success because the local agricultural markets are often controlled by a small group of stakeholders who tend to hide information in the market despite having huge market power. This paper aimed to determine the issues and impacts of the lack of market information in developing countries and to provide strategies for solving such problems. Results show that the presence of an oligopsonic market system, current information and communication technology (ICTs), the lack of market infrastructure and gender limitations are the main issues related to a lack of information. In turn, lack of information leads to an inefficient agricultural market, causes negative impacts on market participants, and ultimately leads to harmful socio-economic effects. Thus, to solve these problems, it is necessary to improve capacity building, increase access to ICTs and improve market infrastructure.

A continuous long-term field experiment (2008-2018) was conducted in Xinjiang, north-western China, to assess the impact of farmyard manure (FYM) and inorganic fertilisers on the sustainable biomass yield of sweet sorghum cultivar (Xingaoliang No. 3) and soil chemical properties. Seven treatments, associated with nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), FYM, and their different combination, were compared with the control plot (CK). As a result, the treatments NP, PK, NK, NPK and NPKM significantly increased the average biomass yields by 30-48% over CK. The 12 t/ha FYM per year with NPK (NPKM) increased both the yield and total soluble solids (T_SS) by 48% and 7.9%, respectively, while the 18 t/ha/year application rate of FYM had an adverse effect on yield. Stem T_SS, soil available N and K for all treatments decreased while soil organic carbon, soil total salt and the available P for FYM applied treatments increased over the years. The soil pH stabilised at 7.8-8.2 at the end. In conclusion, the 12 t/ha/year of FYM is the most efficient rate for a single application or incorporation with inorganic fertilisers. A more reasonable application rate of N and K fertiliser to increase the yield and irrigation rate to reduce soil salt needs for further investigation.

Insect pollination is one of the most important ecosystem services. Pollinator communities are rarely studied across years and crops in the same location. The aim of this study was to investigate the pollinator community structure on five different fruit crops, as well as the activity of different pollinator groups during the day and their temperature preferences. Pollinator activity was observed across two years on apple trees and blueberry, strawberry, blackcurrant and raspberry bushes. Pollinator community structure varied by plant and year. Honeybees were the most numerous pollinators on all plants except blueberry bushes (39-95% of visits). Bumblebee numbers were high on blackcurrant (up to 28%) and blueberry bushes (up to 61%). Solitary bees visited all plants except blueberries. Honeybees, solitary bees, and hoverflies were most active in the middle of the day, while bumblebees became active earlier in the morning and remained active later in the evening. Pollinators also differed greatly in their temperature preferences. This knowledge gained is necessary for less harmful pesticide application management and the development of more sustainable agriculture to maintain pollinator diversity and thus reliable pollination in extreme weather conditions.

The success of forest and agricultural plant establishment program mainly depends on the quality of reproductive material. The study intends to offer engineers and farm owners a solution for small-size seed improvement before sowing. The effect of low-intensity coherent light on the seeds of various crops is theoretically and empirically hypothesized. The seedlots of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) of Russian diploid hybrid RMS-127 were germinated in a controlled environment. The germinants were produced from six seed fractions, previously irradiated with 1.274 W.m^-2 at the 632.8 nm wavelength with 1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 15 min exposure to a standard laser system, plus untreated control. Pine germinants were measured on day 15, beetroot on day 10 after germination. An increase in exposure time reduced Scots pine germination energy and capacity, while for sugar beet the results were not conclusive. On the contrary, increasing the exposure time had a positive effect on both the height and biomass growth of both Scots pine and sugar beet germinants. The 10-min exposure time resulted in maximum values for sugar beet height and biomass and Scots pine height, while the 15-min exposure time produced maximum Scots pine biomass.

Short storage of in vitro cultures under slow-growth conditions is included in the commercial large-scale micropropagation process. It is dictated by the organizational scheme that provides temporary stop multiplication of shoots for some months. To avoid subculturing to fresh media every 4 weeks, which is obligatory for gooseberry, they can be kept in conditions that protect them from ageing, by slowing down their metabolism. To develop a rational schedule of gooseberry micropropagation, two experiments were used to adopt a temperature and length of time for storage. The best results were obtained with storage conditions at 2 °C for two or four months for proliferating cultures. Under these conditions, the percentage of necrotic shoots was low (< 10%), and shoot proliferation in the subsequent passages was at a level similar to proliferation cultures incubated in the growth room and sub-cultured monthly. The rate of shoots > 1 cm was higher than in the control in the growth room. Storage at 4 °C increased the probability of necrotic shoots up to 80% and decreased the number of all shoots and shoots > 1 cm in subsequent passages.

The use of in vitro (fish cell lines) is a cost-effective, very rapid, and informative tool for toxicological assessments. Using the neutral red (NR) assay, we compared the in vitro acute toxicity (20hEC50) of twenty-six chemical substances on a rainbow trout gonad cell line (RTG-2) with their in vivo acute toxicity to Barbados Millions Poecilia reticulata (48hLC50, OECD 203) and crustacean Daphnia magna (48hEC50, OECD 202). The 20hEC50 values obtained by the NR assay were higher in nearly all the cases when compared to the 48hLC50 in P. reticulata and the 48hEC50 in D. magna, indicating that the sensitivity of the RTG-2 cell line was lower compared to P. reticulata and D. magna. A high (r = 0.89) and significant (P < 0.001) correlation was recorded between the 20hEC50 values of the RTG-2 and the 48hEC50 values of D. magna. The correlation between the 20hEC50 values of the RTG-2 and the 48hLC50 values of P. reticulata was lower (r = 0.65; P < 0.001), but also significant. The authors recommend use of the NR assay on the RTG-2 cell lines as a screening protocol to evaluate the toxicity of xenobiotics in aquatic environments to narrow the spectrum of the concentrations for the fish toxicity test.

This case report describes congenital ichthyosis in a Maltese dog, a condition, which has not previously been reported in this breed. The dog presented with several dry, tightly adhering scales showing a multi-focal appearance. The histology revealed severe orthokeratotic hyperkeratosis and hyperplasia with an irregular granular layer without epidermolysis. Non-epidermolytic ichthyosis (NI) has strong breed predilection in dogs, and its morphological features vary by breed while the microscopic changes are similar. It is likely to be the first reported case of congenital ichthyosis in a Maltese dog showing a different morphological appearance compared to other breeds with a higher prevalence of NI.

Because of the Greek economic crisis, almost all businesses are facing difficult times with severe consequences for employment and the whole economy. Responding to the economic crisis, the companies cut off investments, wages and reduced personnel. However, the companies have to adapt their business strategies to cope with the crisis. This paper conducts a strategic assessment of the Greek agricultural cooperatives during the first half of 2013 using in-depth interviews with cooperative executives in order to illustrate how they have responded to the crisis and also to investigate their strategic options for the upcoming period. The results of the analysis show that agricultural cooperatives have chosen the retrenchment and cost-cutting strategies by restraining their activities while they appear eager to export their production. In addition, the cash shortage forced them to count exclusively on their members to finance any new economic activity. According to the cooperatives' executives, their adaption strategies exclude abandoning the activities and selling the equipment and their real estate properties, while they involve exports, the experienced personnel and marketing investments. These results could provide helpful directions not only for the agricultural cooperatives' management boards but also for the food industry businesses operating under a severe economic situation such as the present Greek economic crisis.

Atrazine is still widely used in China. Atrazine residue (1.86-1 100 mg/kg) in the soil has exceeded the allowable limit (1.0 mg/kg), affecting soil structure and soil aggregate composition. To understand the long-term application of atrazine on soil aggregates and the binding agent, four treatments were established in cornfield planted since 1998, including without atrazine applied (AT₀), atrazine applied (28% atrazine, 1 200-1 350 mL/ha/year) once a year from 2012 to 2018 (AT₆, 167 mg/kg), from 2008 to 2018 (AT₁₀, 127.64 mg/kg) as well as from 2002 to 2018 (AT₁₆, 102 mg/kg) with three replications. Along with the increase of atrazine application time, the mass fraction of soil aggregates > 5 mm and 2-5 mm decreased significantly while the mass fraction of soil aggregates 0.5-2 mm and < 0.5 mm increased gradually, and the change of aggregate binding agents contents were the same as that of aggregates. The contents of soil organic carbon (SOC) and glomalin-related soil protein (GRSP) in the aggregates > 5 mm and 2-5 mm were significantly negatively correlated with the years of atrazine application. Our results show that although atrazine residue in the soil does not increase with the increased yearly application, its concentration is still markedly higher than the permitted limit value and seriously affected the content of SOC and GRSP of aggregates > 2 mm, which can lead to a decrease of soil aggregate stability and soil quality.

Immobilisation of lead (Pb) and toxic elements in contaminated soils is of importance due to their persistence in the environment. Herein, we investigated the effects of sugarcane filter cake biochar (SFCB) and sugarcane bagasse ash (SBA) on the extractability of Pb and some toxic and potentially toxic elements (As, Cd, Cu, and Zn) in polluted mine soil samples from Lower Klity Creek, Thailand. The soil was equilibrated with the SFCB and SBA at the respective rates of 0, 1, and 5% (w/w) for 120 days at field capacity. The results revealed that both SFCB and SBA materials significantly (P < 0.05) decreased Pb extractability in the studied soil, and it stabilised after 56 days of incubation. At 120 days, the SFCB and SBA application at the rates of 5% SFCB, 5% SBA, 1% SFCB, and 1% SBA decreased the extractable Pb contents by 50.35, 40.81, 29.42, and 19.27%, respectively, compared to unamended soil. The SFCB and SBA materials also improved soil chemical properties by increasing the soil pH, available phosphorus, and extractable sulfur. At 5%, SFCB decreased As extractability and increased organic carbon in the studied soil. The Zn availability in the studied soil was also improved by SFCB and SBA addition. This study highlights the potential use of biochar and ash from the sugarcane industry to stabilise Pb and As in contaminated soils.

Currently, it is difficult to identify correct data on wood sources and their consumption in the Czech Republic. Official statistics of wood production are relatively limited to obtaining data that accurately captures the objective wood production, which would enable the observation of the direction or consumption of particular tree species or products. This uncertainty is then transferred to the wood flow for industrial and energy processing, and it is not possible to compose a detailed picture of how much wood and which sources enter into the wood processing and how large the total material flow is. The aim of this paper is to present an option for how to determine this lack of valid information that enables clear outcomes necessary for decision making by means of the recalculation of wood sources consumed in the Czech Republic, using the data of processing capacities and foreign trade. The reverse model better expressed a conversion value of roundwood into the products and allowed optimal approximation in the wood sources assessment.

Air pollution is beyond an environmental or health issue. The impact of air pollution on farmers' decisions on agricultural mechanisation has always been overlooked and debate persists over subjective and objective pollution. Adopting data set from the China Labour Force Dynamics Survey, we investigate the influence of air pollution perceptions on farmers' mechanised farming. The endogeneity problem is addressed through the instrumental variable method. The consequences reveal that air pollution perceptions strengthen farm mechanisation, and reduced farming time is the key intrinsic mechanism through which perceived air pollution affects farmers' decisions on agricultural machinery. Additionally, this impact is more pronounced in male household heads and farmers in the plains. These findings render valuable policy implications for farmers chronically exposed to air pollution and for agricultural modernisation in China, including the necessity of improving air conditions and encouraging agricultural machinery services.

Agroecosystems provide a number of ecosystem services that are essential to human well-being.  The valuation of these services by stakeholders offers important information that can be used to manage them more efficiently. In agroecosystems, individual stakeholder preferences can be heterogeneous and even opposing. This paper puts forward a novel analytical framework based on game theory to integrate the valuation of ecosystem services by different stakeholders into agroecosystem management. To illustrate it, the agricultural region of Los Vélez (south-eastern Spain) is used and three game modalities are applied (prisoner’s dilemma, common-pool resource game and battle of the sexes). Results indicate that the use of game theory contributes to more effective conflict resolution between stakeholders with different interests and priorities, making it easier to reach consensus on optimal management strategies. This approach can guide policymakers in the design and implementation of socially accepted agroecosystem management policies.

A 2-day-old calf was presented with a bilateral mass in the medial canthus of the upper eyelid. The masses were removed surgically. The morphological diagnosis was a bilateral hamartoma characterised by an abnormal mixture of tissue indigenous to that area including blood vessels, striated muscle bundles, adipose tissue, isolated cartilage and nerve bundles. No recurrence developed in the 6 months following the surgical removal. Overall, although this congenital defect is relatively rare, it should be differentiated from eyelid tumours such as haemangiomas, squamous cell carcinomas, Meibomian gland tumours, dermoid cysts and teratomas in cattle.

Potential of Trichoderma harzianum IS005-12 (TH-IS005-12) to promote seed germination and seedling growth of Italian ryegrass (IRG) forage was evaluated in vitro. Non-desiccated seeds and those pre-harvestly desiccated with total herbicide were treated 25 days (freshly harvested) and 178 days after harvest (mature) with TH-IS005-12 spore suspensions at 0 (T0), 1.8 × 10⁷ (T1) and 1.2 × 10⁹ (T2) spore/mL. TH-IS005-12 promoted the early and final germination and seedling growth in all non-desiccated and desiccated, freshly harvested as well as mature IRG seeds. It was more effective in pre-harvestly desiccated freshly harvested seeds where T2 treatment increased final germination rate for 24%, root number per seedling 1.6-fold and seedling vigour 1.9-fold compared to the untreated control. Moreover, TH-IS005-12 showed an inhibitory activity against seedborne fungi Alternaria alternata and A. ventricosa suppressing their growth in vitro by 82% and 77%, respectively.

A three-year experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of Z'Fix on soil physical properties and crop status. Z'Fix is an agent recommended as an addition to animal bedding to prolong its function and to lower ammonia emissions in stables. Concurrently, a positive effect on organic matter transformation in resulting manure is claimed. The experiment involved control, farmyard manure (FYM), and farmyard manure with Z'Fix (FYM_ZF) as variants. In-field sampling was conducted for cone index, water infiltration and implement a unit draft, where the latter two showed significant differences in favour of FYM_ZF. Also, concerning crop yields, FYM_ZF consistently attained the highest values, followed by FYM throughout all three seasons. Furthermore, remotely sensed data were analysed to describe crop status via normalised difference vegetation index where significant differences were found across all variants. Based on the study, FYM_ZF demonstrated positive effects both on soil properties and crop conditions.

Spring barley varieties Tolar and Marthe were grown under the standard conditions and stress conditions with a combined effect of high temperature and drought in three experiments conducted in the greenhouse of phytotron type. The results showed that growing under the stress conditions led to reduced yield, grain quality and malt quality. This effect was observed both in the individual years and on average for the entire study period. Average yield of grain declined by ca 53% and retention above 2.5 mm screen decreased by ca 28% (P = 0.001). Further, average content of proteins rose by 3.7% while starch content decreased by 5.1% (P = 0.01). In malt samples, average extract and friability were reduced by 5.8% and 15%, respectively, and average protein content increased by 3.8% (P = 0.01). The growing conditions were a dominant factor in the conducted experiments.

This research optimised the application of a hexane-methanol mixture as a binary solvent for the concurrent oil-resin extraction and separation from Calophyllum seeds on a pilot scale, in a direct stage. The optimum oil and resin yields were determined by optimising the extraction conditions using response surface methodology and a second order polynomial model. The extraction conditions affected the oil and resin yields, with the extraction time as the biggest influencing factor. Optimum oil (65%) and resin (16%) yields were predicted to be obtained at 5.2 h and 433 rpm. The model validation with these extraction conditions showed that the predicted results and actual oil (62%) and resin (15%) yields were in passable agreement. The oil was composed of 75.4% triglycerides with a density of 0.874 g.cm^-3, a viscosity of 26.4 mPa.s^-1, an acid value of 46.4 mg KOH.g^-1, an iodine value of 98.0 g iodine.100 g^-1, trace water and sediment contents, and zero ash content. The resin had a viscosity of 4 694.8 mPa.s^-1, a total phenolic content of a 4.51% gallic acid equivalent, an antioxidant activity of an 8.82 mg ascorbic acid equivalent.g^-1, and an acid value of 126.2 mg KOH.g^-1.

Electrokinetic remediation (EKR) is a powerful technique aimed at pollutant removal in soil, sludge, mine tailings, and so on. In the current work, we performed a bibliometric analysis of the research on EKR for the period of 1900-2018 on the basis of the core database of the Science Citation Index Expanded. In addition to a basic analysis of the research characteristics, keywords were analysed for four major participants: USA, China, Spain, and South Korea. The periods of 1990-2001, 2002-2008, and 2009-2018 were studied using the keyword analysis method to gain insights into the development of EKR and predict its future trends. The results revealed that the related research field in the USA was broad during the study periods. Meanwhile, China was interested in fluorine pollution and contamination in red soil. Spain paid close attention to pollution due to agricultural contamination. South Korea focused on radioactive element pollution. The number of papers published over a period of 28 years increased steadily and continued to rise after 2008. The combined techniques of EKR + phytoremediation and EKR + bioremediation were successively utilised by scholars over time, and the latter is expected to demonstrate vitality in the future.

Stomach contents of 331 specimens of Perccottus glenii (Perciformes: Odontobutidae) were analysed. Chironomids and ephemeropterans dominated the diet of all size classes of fish; however, the frequency of crustaceans was also high. Micro-crustaceans (ostracods, copepods and cladocerans) dominated in lower size classes (20-39 mm); macro-crustaceans (Isopoda, Amphipoda) dominated in higher size classes (up to 79 mm). The proportion of crustaceans decreased from the size class 80-89 mm. With the increasing size of fish the frequency of molluscs (Gastropoda) increased, the maximum was in size class 70-79 mm. Cannibalism occurred from 60 mm, and it was significant from 80 mm. The highly mobile invertebrates (Coleoptera, Heteroptera) were found in the largest size classes. In middle size classes (40-59 mm), the widest spectrum of prey units was documented; the food variability of small (90 mm) individuals was poor. Differences in the diet composition of small individuals were negligible; the diet of the largest ones differed significantly. According to diet, two feeding size class groups were recognised: the first

One hundred and eighty (180) day-old broiler chickens were used to investigate the effects of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) on growth performance, carcass composition, and the serum concentrations of several lipid metabolic hormones and metabolic parameters (indicators). The broilers received the same basal diets, with DHEA added at 0 (control), 5 and 20 mg/kg feed. During the experimental period, broilers fed DHEA exhibited lower levels of triglycerides (TG), total serum cholesterol (TC), high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) and non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) as compared to the control animals, but a marked increase in lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activity. Adding DHEA to the diet significantly decreased serum concentrations of thyroxine (T₄), serum free triiodothyronine (FT₃), and serum free thyroxine (FT₄), but significantly increased the serum leptin (LEP) and glucogon (GLU) levels in male broiler chickens. However, female broiler chickens showed pronounced differences in LEP, FT₃ and FT₄ only, while there were no differences in the other three metabolic hormones (T₃, T₄ and GLU). Overall, these results indicate that DHEA improves lipid metabolism through the regulation of metabolic hormones and metabolic parameters, while not adversely affecting growth performance in broiler chickens.

The influence of different fertilizer forms and rates on nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium contents, nitrate accumulation and yield in red head chicory (Cichorium intybus var. foliosum L.) was investigated. Field fertilization trials were set up at two localities inNorthwest Croatia in 1999 and 2000. Trials were laid out according to the Latin square scheme in five fertilization treatments: manure 5 kg/m2, three rates of complex mineral fertilizer NPK (5:20:30) - 50, 100 and 150 g/m2, and an unfertilized control variant. The results of investigations indicate that there were no significant differences between treatments in the plant nitrogen and phosphorus contents. Significant fluctuations of the chicory potassium content (3.27-4.75% K) depending on the fertilization variant were recorded only in 1999 while in 2000 all values (4.13-5.12% K) were uniform. Plant nitrate levels were influenced by weather conditions more significantly than by the form and rates of fertilizers. All the recorded values are within the limits tolerated for leafy vegetables. Comparing the trial years, yields were generally higher in 1999 (1.58-4.95 kg/m2) than in 2000 (0.40-2.70 kg/m2). No significant differences in yield were recorded between the application of stable manure and the lowest mineral fertilizer rate.

The Cd and Zn accumulation and phytoextraction potential of seven willow clones was investigated in a pot experiment for two vegetation periods. Heavily polluted Fluvisol-Litavka, moderately contaminated Cambisol-Pribram, and unpolluted control Chernozem-Suchdol were used. Significant differences were found in Cd and Zn accumulation between the willow clones. Cd and Zn were transferred from roots to aboveground tissues and all tested clones confirmed higher Cd and Zn accumulation in leaves than in twigs. Cd and Zn amounts removed by willow leaves were the highest from the most polluted soil (up to 83% Cd and 71% Zn of total removal). Therefore the harvest of leaves is necessary if willows are planted for heavy metal phytoextraction. Although the extremely high Zn contamination of Fluvisol-Litavka significantly reduced biomass production, willows planted in this soil showed the highest Zn removal because of extremely high Zn accumulation (max. 5061 ppm in leaves). Clones planted in moderately contaminated soil achieved the highest Cd removal. Clones showed different abilities to remove Cd and Zn, which was dependent on soil type and contamination level. Remediation factors were determined less than 1% for Zn in the heavily polluted soil and also unsatisfactory for Cd. However, it was shown that willows were suitable phytoextractors of moderately contaminated soil. About 20% of Cd and 4% of Zn were removed by harvested biomass from the total content of soil after two vegetation periods.

A method to obtain an oligopeptide with high Fischer ratio is described. Corn gluten meal (CGM) was hydrolysed with Alcalase 2.4L using a two-step hydrolysis. In the first-step hydrolysis, the enzyme reaction conditions for hydrolysing CGM were optimised by using the orthogonal experimental design, while pH = 8.0, temperature = 55°C, enzyme to substrate ratio (3:97, w/w), and the substrate concentration = 5% were identified as the optimum conditions, under which up to 11.62% degree of hydrolysis (DH) could be obtained. The hydrolysate was then fractionated by ultrafiltration using a membrane with the molecular cutoff of over 10 kD at 20 kPa. For the second-step hydrolysis, the filtrate was adjusted to pH 6.0, then papain was added at 50°C and the mixture was maintained for 3 hours. The hydrolysate was obtained after inactivating papain and centrifuging. Then the salt (mainly NaCl) in the hydrolysate was removed with an ion exchange resin at the speed of 8 times bed volume per hour, and aromatic amino acids were removed through absorption by active carbon. By using Sephadex G-25 gel filtration chromatography, a peptide mixture with low molecular weights between 1000 and 1300 was obtained. Finally, tests on amino acid composition and free amino acid concentration of oligopeptide solution showed that the oligopeptide had a high Fischer ratio of 34.71 and the yield of 11.59%.

A potted experiment was conducted to explore the accumulation of arsenic (As) and predict the uptake of As by a wheat-maize rotation system in calcareous soil with different rates of sewage sludge (SS) amendment over two consecutive years. The SS amendment decreased the pH value of calcareous soil but increased the cation exchange capacity (CEC), calcium carbonate (CC), organic carbon (OC) and As accumulation in soil and crops with increasing SS addition. The As bioconcentration factor (BCF) of wheat and maize had a significant negative correlation with pH, CC and a significant positive correlation with OC. Soil CEC had a significant positive correlation only with the As BCF of wheat. Regression analysis showed that soil As, pH, OC, CC and CEC were good predictors of the As concentration in wheat/maize. The regression model for each part of the wheat/maize plants had a high model efficiency value and explained 67~88% of the variability. The R2 values of the wheat and maize grain prediction models were 79% and 76%, respectively. Thus, these models contribute to the study of As risk assessment for sewage sludge utilisation in calcareous soil-wheat/maize rotation systems.

In this field study, embryos were derived from genetically highly valuable cows excluded from breeding due to reproductive disorders. Cows, 5 to 10 years old, of Czech Siemmental, Holstein Dairy and Beef Cattle breeds were used as oocyte donors. Oocytes were obtained either in the growth phase of the first follicular wave from cows with synchronized oestrus or in any other phases of follicular development from cows without oestrus synchronization. The embryos were prepared by a standard protocol described previously. The mean number of usable oocytes, transferable and freezable embryos per donor, and the mean percentage of usable, transferable and freezable embryos were assessed. The results were analyzed by Student's-t and Chi-squared tests. The embryos were frozen according to a slow freezing protocol. After thawing, they were transferred to recipients on Day 7 after oestrus. Irrespective of the breed, the mean numbers of usable oocytes and transferable and freezable embryos collected per donor were significantly higher (P < 0.01) for the synchronized than for the nonsynchronized donors (20.4 vs 11.7, 4.3 vs 1.0 and 3.2 vs 0.8, respectively). Similarly, the mean percentages of usable oocytes, transferable and freezable embryos were significantly higher (P < 0.01) for the synchronized than for the nonsynchronized donors (28.5% vs 20.5%, 20.9% vs 9.0% and 15.8% vs 6.5%, respectively). On comparison of the synchronized and nonsynchronized donors of each breed, the difference in the mean percentage of usable oocytes was significant (P < 0.01) in cows of all three breeds, the difference in the mean percentage of transferable embryos was significant in Czech Siemmental and Holstein Dairy cows (P < 0.01) and the difference in the mean percentage of freezable embryos was significant only in Holstein Dairy cows (P < 0.01). After the transfer of 41 frozen-thawed embryos and 43 fresh embryos, 20 heifers and 24 heifers became pregnant, respectively. In conclusion: (a) higher number of oocytes from infertile, genetically valuable cows was recovered in the growth phase compared with the other phases of follicular development; (b) greater development of these oocytes resulted in more embryos for transfer and cryopreservation; (c) the transfer of frozen-thawed and fresh embryos resulted in pregnancy rates of 48.8% and 55.8% , respectively.

The phenophase course in a group of 20 apricot genotypes was evaluated in South Moravian conditions in Lednice, Czech Republic, from 1994 to 1999. The evaluated phases were as follows: "beginning of blossoming", "beginning of picking maturity" and "end of picking maturity". The aim was to evaluate the variability of these phenophases and their relationships. The amplitude of the phenophase "beginning of blossoming" did not exceed 9 days. The amplitude of phenophases between the different years was about three times higher than the average amplitude between the genotypes. The average amplitude of the factor "beginning of picking maturity" observed in all genotypes was 39 days, but a comparison between the years showed that the largest amplitude for a given genotype was only 16 days. No statistical correlation was found between the phenophases "beginning of blossoming" and "beginning of picking maturity" in any of the six observed years. The genotypes whose maturity occurs at the beginning or at the end of picking season showed higher year to year variability of the phenophase "beginning of picking maturity" than the genotypes maturing in the middle of the season. The rate of fruit development from blossoming to picking was considerably different depending on the apricot genotype. The number of days between the beginning of blossoming and the beginning of picking maturity was characteristic of each genotype. The variability of this interval for the six years was very low and the value of variation coefficients did not exceed 10%. This amplitude observed in the control variety Velkopavlovická LE-6/2 was on average 100 days. A very high statistically significant correlation (r = 0.996⁺⁺) was observed between the intervals from the "beginning of blossoming" to the "beginning of picking maturity" and to the "end of picking maturity".

We performed 28-day mesophilic fermentation of a mixture of pig slurry and primary (raw) sludge from the sedimentation stage of a wastewater treatment plant at a 1:1 ratio. The components and the original and fermented mixture of slurry and sludge were subjected to acid hydrolysis. Dry matter of the solid phase of both components and both mixtures was incubated with sandy-loamy Cambisol at a weight ratio 3:1 at 25°C for 20 weeks; in 14-day intervals lipids, crude protein, hemicelluloses, cellulose, lignin, total nitrogen and hot-water-insoluble solids were determined. Changes in ion-exchange and buffering capacity of the test materials were recorded. Labile organic matters were determined after 20 weeks of incubation. Liquid fractions of both components and their mixtures were analysed before and after anaerobic fermentation. It was concluded that beneficial effects of wastes as fertilisers from anaerobic digestion could be attributed to their liquid fraction. After anaerobic digestion the solid fraction of these wastes has relatively increased ion exchange capacity as well as buffering capacity but it is very stable, hardly degradable organic matter, and therefore it cannot play the role of organic matter in soil. This is the reason why it should not be considered as an organic fertiliser.