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This paper documents the development of soil conditions in the set of 32 permanent research plots in the Krkonoše (Giant) Mts. These plots represent an altitudinal gradient covering the ecosystems of beech, mixed beech-spruce and spruce stands. In all plots, representing the site conditions of the highest areas of the mountain range, standard soil pits were prepared and the soil sampling was performed in autumn of years 1980, 1993, 1998, 2003 and 2009. The results reflect extreme site conditions, soil acidification, large scale surface liming and in minor extent also different tree species composition of the stands. The general type of the soil-genesis is represented by the podzolisation, overlapping the other soil-genetic factors, including the tree species composition. Nevertheless, this development is mostly expressed in the spruce stands. The beech dominance and/or co-dominance are reflected especially by more efficient N-cycling, higher pH, S and V values and fluctuation and lower extractable Al3+ content. More efficient cycling in beech ecosystems is insignificantly documented for plant available phosphorus, calcium and magnesium contents; on the contrary higher dynamics for iron ions was registered in the spruce stands. The long-term soil dynamics with a hysteresis (evident on the base of ordination analysis) can be divided into some periods - processes of acidification (typical in the 1980's samples), liming (main effect in 1993 and 1998) and regeneration (2003, 2009). Other features, important for the soil development, are probably related to the vegetation change, but this relation is not statistically significant.

The aim of this investigation was the analysis of the variability within the internal and external ophthalmic artery in the chinchilla (Chinchilla laniger, Molina). The head vasculature of 65 individuals was analysed, with particular emphasis on the internal ophthalmic artery originating from the central and rostral part of the cerebral arterial circle. Head blood vessels were filled with acrylic latex for vascular corrosion casting. The results showed ten variants of blood supply for the orbit, with a predominance of the first variant (66.1%) = bilateral presence of the external ophthalmic artery originating from the maxillary artery. Other variants differed in symmetry and asymmetry, sites of origination and the coexistence of both internal and external arteries. Vascularisation of the brain in chinchillas originates mainly from the vertebra-basilar system. The observed variability seems to confirm the role of the basilar artery in the arterial blood supply of the brain in this species.

Collie eye anomaly (CEA) is an inherited congenital visual impairment with heterogeneous signs. The first symptoms are already visible in the early embryo. Among the most affected breeds are Collies and Shetland Sheepdogs but the disease has spread to different breeds depending on the country of origin. Dogs affected with this disease share a 7.8 kb deletion in intron 4 of the NHEJ1 gene. Inheritance of this disease is autosomal recessive with incomplete penetrance. Thanks to a commercially available genetic test breeders can identify genetically affected recessive homozygotes and clinically healthy but genetic carriers of the mutation and thus select healthy parents for the next generation of dogs. However, the exact cause of the disease is not known and it is not known whether the causative mutation influences the occurrence of some other diseases (e.g. immunodeficiencies).

Spruces (Picea spp.) are considered to be the primary host trees of the double-spined bark beetle Ips duplicatus (Sahlberg, 1836), but occurrences on pines (Pinus spp.) are often reported. This paper documents the first recorded successful development of I. duplicatus on Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) (Mirbel) Franco. Two densely infested Douglas fir trees were found in a forest dominated by Norway spruce (Picea abies) (L.) H. Karst., close to the village of Valšovice (Czech Republic). Ips duplicatus is an oligophagous species that attacks different coniferous tree species but was not previously reported to develop on Douglas fir. The infestation of Douglas fir recorded in the present study was most likely promoted by a large population of I. duplicatus in the studied region combined with a local lack of primary host trees as a consequence of bark beetle outbreak.

The water of the breads was replaced with phenolic aqueous extracts from chicory, cabbage, celery, fennel, olive leaf, or grape marc wastes obtained through microwave-assisted extraction. The highest phenolic concentrations were found in the grape marc and in the bread enriched with it. The highest antioxidant activity values were measured in the crust of bread produced with the grape marc extract and in the crumb of bread with olive leaf extract. Generally, the replacement of water caused significant decreases of the specific volume, the shift of the crumb colour towards redder and yellower tones, and modification of gustatory and tactile attributes.

Phosphorus (P) availability limits crop growth in most of cultivable soils in north-west India. The beneficial rhizosphere microorganisms such as phosphate-solubilising fungi (PSF) were found to increase P availability in soil and improve crop yields. In view of this, field experiments were conducted during 2009-2011 to evaluate the effect of seed inoculation with PSF (Penicillium bilaii) at different rates of fertilizer P on P content in leaves and grain yield of irrigated wheat in India. The soil was low in Olsen P at the Bathinda site and medium at the Ludhiana site. In no-P treatment, PSF significantly increased grain yield by 12.6% over non-inoculated control. The effect of PSF on grain yield was generally more pronounced in a soil with low Olsen-P compared to medium Olsen-P level. Inoculation of PSF along with 50% P fertilizer increased wheat yield equivalent to 100% P with no PSF. Spike density was significantly higher in PSF + 50% P than all the other treatments. There is need to study a long-term effect of Penicillium bilaii on P-fertilizer saving in wheat on soils varying in P availability, pH and P fixation capacity for different wheat-based cropping systems.

The aim of the studies was to determine the effect of the used herbicides and their mixtures on the level of glycoalkaloids (TGA) in the leaves and tubers of three edible potato cultivars. The studied factors were: I - three cultivars: Cekin, Satina and Tajfun. II - five ways of care: 1. mechanical care - the control object and four objects using herbicides Command 480 EC, Afalon Dispersion 450 SC and Stomp 400 SC. The content of glycoalkaloids both in the leaves and in the tubers of the edible potato significantly depended on the genotype. The highest content of TGA characterised the cv. Cekin - 623.5 mg/kg and 67.21 mg/kg of fresh weight (FW), respectively, while the smallest was found in cv. Satina - 339.3 mg/kg and 33.60 mg/kg of FW, respectively. Herbicides used in the experiment caused the increase of the content of glycoalkaloids compared to the tubers from the control object. However, a significantly higher concentration of TGA was stated after using the mixture of herbicides Command 480 EC + Afalon Dispersion 450 SC and Stomp 400 SC + Afalon Dispersion 450 SC.

The occurrence of fungal pathogens, associated with cumin production of Turkey, was determined during 2011 and 2012. A total of 379 isolates were classified as Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cumini, F. solani, F. acuminatum, F. equiseti, F. sambucinum, F. avenaceum, Macrophomina phaseolina, Alternaria burnsii, A. alternata, A. infectoria, Embellisia sp., and Rhizoctonia solani. Pathogenicity tests showed that F. oxysporum f.sp. cumini, F. solani, F. equiseti, M. phaseolina, A. burnsii, and A. alternata were highly pathogenic. A. burnsii and F. oxysporum f.sp. cumini were the major risk factors for cumin cultivation in Turkey. To our knowledge, this is the first report on F. oxysporum f.sp. cumini, F. solani, F. equiseti, M. phaseolina, and A. alternata in Turkey.

This paper analyses the development of agricultural foreign trade in Austria, Hungary and the Czech Republic with the aim of uncovering the changes that have impacted the Central European agricultural trade over the ten year period (1999-2008). It issues from the results of the analysis of agricultural trade in the aforementioned countries, which has changed dramatically in terms of the commodity structure, the territorial structure and primarily the value structure. The main changes to have caused most of the changes to the individual characteristics of agricultural foreign trade in the particular countries under analysis are the process of the EU enlargementy, the adoption of obligations to ensue from the EU membership and the concentration in the internal market of the EU countries. We can see the actual changes in the commodity and territorial structure of the trade carried out in the individual countries under analysis. The changes which have occurred resulted in a dominant share of the member countries of the EU 27 in the agricultural trade of the individual countries under analysis.

The cooperative movement in Poland has a long but difficult history, which has caused farmers to have an aversion to cooperatives. Nonetheless, in the early 1990s, the first farmers' cooperative marketing organizations, which were called agricultural producer groups, appeared in the market. These groups are bottom-up, voluntary organizations the primary purpose of which is to jointly sell their members' output. In this paper, it is investigated why the new forms of governance, namely cooperative arrangements, were chosen, and we evaluate the implications of these choices on the market success of these groups. Empirical data were collected from 62 producer groups in one Polish province. We found that the groups were typically functioning as associations, unions, and limited liability companies. The factors that had an impact on the choices made were the number of members and the specific investment per member. Additionally, if the initial investment level was low, not only set-up and operational costs but also tax considerations played a role in the decision. Therefore, we argue that the new bottom-up cooperatives, which are theoretically suitable when the start-up capital is high or the number of members is large, will gradually be recognized and accepted in the market despite the fact that these cooperatives have a "bad reputation" caused by the socialist legacy. The new cooperative development trend confirms this argument.

We examined the relationships between a number of sperm characteristics (motility, concentration and pH) and sperm fertility (egg fertilisation and hatching rate) in 10 mature females and four mature males of the beluga sturgeon, Huso huso. The fish were treated with luteinising hormone-releasing hormone agonists (LHRH-A2), at a dose of 5-10 µg/kg of body weight (BW) by injection into the muscle between the dorsal and lateral scutes. Significant linear relationships were found between sperm pH and fertilisation rate (R² = 0.82, P < 0.01) and sperm pH and hatching rate (R² = 0.75, P < 0.05). Highly negative relationships were also observed between sperm concentration and fertilisation rate (R² =-0.71, P < 0.05) and sperm concentration and hatching rate (R² = -0.83, P < 0.01). We suggest that understanding these correlations is critical in the evaluation of sperm quality and for the preparation of media (extender) for use in sperm dilution to improve sperm motility/fertility and therefore increase fertilisation success in beluga sturgeon production.

Bile salt hydrolase (BSH) activity of intestinal bacteria (including lactobacilli) is one of the indirect ways of decreasing a cholesterol level in human body. Tested Lactobacillus strains were isolated from various sources (faeces of fully breast-fed infants, cow's colostrum, cow's raw milk cheeses, and cow's raw milk) and identified by genotypic and phenotypic methods. All strains, including three commercial probiotic strains and six culture collection strains, were subsequently tested for their BSH activity via two methods - thin layer chromatography (TLC) and plate assay. Among all the 59 Lactobacillus strains, 15 strains were shown to be BSH positive by TLC method and only 8 of them by plate assay. Most of the BSH positive strains (9 strains) were isolated from faeces. Differences between BSH activities for sodium salts of cholyltaurine and cholylglycine were demonstrated. The TLC method was shown to be more sensitive compared to the plate assay for BSH activity determination.

The present studies determined the antagonistic activity of selected fungi of the soil environment of root chicory -a high-inulin plant, with considerable pro-health values - towards such fungi pathogenic towards this plant as: Altenaria alternata, Botrytis cinerea, Fusarium culmorum, F. oxysporum, Thanatephorus cucumeris and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. The cultivation of root chicory took into consideration soil mulching with cover crops (oats, tansy phacelia and common vetch) as well as the conventional cultivation, i.e. without any cover crops. The total population of fungi after soil mulching with common vetch was almost twice as small as in the control and smaller than with phacelia as a cover plant. Antagonistic Clonostachys spp., Myrothecium spp., Penicillium spp. and Trichoderma spp. displayed differentiated activity towards the studied fungi. The greatest antagonistic effect was observed after the mulch of oats. Besides, oats and common vetch the most positive effect on the antagonistic activity was that of Clonostachys spp., Myrothecium spp., Penicillium spp. and Trichoderma spp. Those fungi were most effective in inhibiting the growth and development of F. oxysporum, T. cucumeris and S. sclerotiorum.

Winter Orychophragmus violaceus (OV)/spring maize is a novel eco-agricultural system in North China Plain, but little is known about OV's nitrogen (N) effects on succeeding maize growth and its contribution to maize N uptake and utilization during the growth. A pot experiment using ¹⁵N was conducted, including five treatments: (1) Control - without OV incorporation and N fertilizer; (2) G - high ¹⁵N labelled-OV incorporation; (3) 50%G - lower ¹⁵N labelled-OV incorporation; (4) F - ¹⁵N labelled urea fertilizer merely; (5) G + F - high OV incorporation combined with urea fertilizer. Increasing OV incorporation rate increased maize dry matter, yield, and total N uptake. Approximately 84-97% of the released OV's nitrogen was absorbed before the V8 (the 8^th leaf fully expanded) stage in G and 50%G treatments. However, only 19% of the released OV's nitrogen was taken up at this period in G + F, and the rest was absorbed from V8 to maturity. G treated maize doubled the OV's nitrogen uptake than the 50%G at maturity, and also had higher percentage contribution of OV's N to total N accumulation. The G and 50%G maize obtained similar OV's nitrogen use efficiency of 30%; however, this efficiency was further improved to 43% in the G + F. And more, G + F treatment further improved the maize yield by 9% compared to F treatments.

The spread pattern of Abutilon theophrasti (velvetleaf) in Austria, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia was analysed based on an exhaustive distribution data set (389 records). Cumulative number of all records showed a continuous increase since its introduction in the 19^th century and > 1970 its spread gained momentum with an exponential increase > 2000. In fields, the species remained rare until 2000. Since then, A. theophrasti has invaded fields much more frequently (78% of all records in fields > 2000) and it was mainly found in sugar beet and maize. Approximately a total of 188 000 ha of the agricultural area are currently at risk of being invaded. Given the on-going spread into fields, the results provide evidence that A. theophrasti may cause serious impacts. Control measures should focus on the prevention of spreading seeds and the establishment of new foci.

Using double-antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (DAS-ELISA), Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) was detected in 31 out of 132 symptomatic leaf samples collected from different hosts of Urmia province of Iran, during 2011-2012. In biological assays, five different host isolates caused severe mosaic in Nicotiana species and Capsicum annum without significant difference in severity. Based on phylogenetic analysis of coat protein nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequence, two isolates were clustered into subgroup IA, while other three isolates were grouped into IB subgroup of CMV. All Urmian isolates shared a common MspI, and no EcoRI and BsuRI restriction sites. In contrast to S-IA isolates, the second MspI site was found at 473-476 position of only S-IB isolates, which could be used to differentiate two S-IA and S-IB subgroups. Here, we report the first case of Abutilon theophrasti infection, as a new reservoir weed host for CMV in the world.

The structure of the dry material plant is made up of a cell tissues system. The walls of the cells are formed by cellulose and lignin, ingredients difficult to biodegrade. Therefore, the aim of the breeders performed a variety of energy plants, providing a high yield of dry matter in the green state. This applies particularly to herbs, grown on agricultural and arable land (for example cereals, maize, sorghum, hemp, amaranthus, mallow, sugar beet, potatoes, fodder crops on arable land, permanent grassland and other). The subject of the experiment was to evaluate selected varieties of maize and sorghum and to determine the suitability of the materials on the device model for anaerobic fermentation mixed with beef slurry, and ferment from the biogas plant. Among the varieties of maize there are the significant differences in the production of biogas in the same conditions. Of the three maize varieties (Fixxif, Saxxo, Benicia), the most powerful was Saxxo.

The transmission of infectious agents from domestic animals to humans is a matter of particular concern at present. Inoculation can enhance the defences of each individual animal but only in the short term. Certainly, it will be of immense benefit if biotechnology and genetic techniques are applied to farm animal breeding and selection programs to improve productivity, performance and health status as well as for the construction of sustainable animal production systems and promotion of animal welfare. In recent years, efforts to drive candidate genes like cytokines, haptoglobin, complement system, C-reactive protein, a 2-macroglobulin, retinol binding protein, transcortin, and etc. associated with immune traits have successfully been studied in human and different animal species. Here, we compared the molecular structure and evaluated the expression tendency of the haemolytic complement activity (HCA) of porcine candidate genes encoding the terminal complement components (TCC) C6-9. The results suggested that (1) high homology of complement genes among mammalian species may open new ways in cure/ treatment of disease; (2) Muong Khuong animals (Vietnamese potbelly pig) have a great genetic potential to improve the health status of pigs; and (3) HCA in the classical pathway can be developed further by different activation modes, with the potential improvement of animal health.

The aim of this study was to establish reference intervals for the haematological profile of alpacas on the basis of a large population of clinically healthy animals, and to determine the influence of sex, age and season on these indicators. Blood samples were collected from 243 alpacas (53 males and 156 females over six months of age and 34 crias - 12 males and 22 females - under six months of age). The selected farms were located in Central Europe (Czech Republic and Germany). We determined 13 haematological indicators. Comparison of the results was performed with respect to the sex of animals and for the older group also with regard to the season and to the feeding period. We found no highly significant (P > 0.001) differences between males and females. We did find highly significant differences (P < 0.001) between the group of crias under six months of age and the older alpacas (mean corpuscular volume - MCV, mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration - MCHC, red cell distribution width - RDW, white blood cell count - WBC, neutrophil count). Based on our findings we suggest that for some indicators different reference intervals (esp. WBC and differential cell counts) be used for the two above mentioned age groups. We found some highly significant differences (P < 0.001) in haematological indicators in the older group of alpacas between the summer and winter feeding period (haemoglobin concentration, MCHC). Clinical laboratory diagnosis may be improved by the use of age-based and season-based haematological reference values.

In November 2013, Scolytus koenigi Schevyrew, 1890 was recorded for the first time in the territory of the Czech Republic (Southern Moravia, at two localities near the village of Lednice). This finding represents the northernmost occurrence of this species in Central Europe. Because the knowledge of the S. koenigi bionomy is very limited, the characteristics of 52 galleries on 10 different host tree fragments were studied. The species was found to develop on dead or dying branches and thin trunks of maples Acer campestre L. and Acer platanoides L. with diameters of 3‒12 cm. All of the galleries comprised a 1.6-2.9 mm wide and 8-67 mm long single egg gallery oriented parallelly to the wood grain, with 18‒108 larval galleries emerging almost symmetrically on both sides of the egg gallery.

Doubled haploidy breeding protocols have revolutionized the varietal development programmes in bread wheat, however, the protocols have not proved much efficient in durum wheat. Presently, the durum wheat × maize system is being widely followed for haploid induction but the frequency of haploid development is very poor which has limited its application in durum wheat improvement programmes. In order to formulate an efficient wide hybridization-mediated approach for haploid induction in durum wheat, different genotypes of durum wheat were subjected to hybridization with Imperata cylindrica, a wild perennial grass for the first time in this laboratory. The investigation was carried out for two seasons. During the 1^st year, the investigation was carried out on one genotype only, Langdon, in order to notice the development of haploid embryos and the factors that influence the haploid induction frequency. The most important factor influencing the embryo formation frequency was found to be the concentration of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D). Upon pollinating the emasculated spikes of durum wheat genotypes, various concentrations of 2,4-D were injected into the uppermost internode of wheat culm for three consecutive days after pollination to find out the most responding concentration for haploid induction. During the next year, the protocol was applied to eight durum wheat genotypes. The frequency of haploid induction parameters varied with the durum wheat genotypes as well as 2,4-D concentration used. The mean pseudoseed and embryo formation frequency over all the genotypes ranged from 30.2 to 56.3% and 1.2 to 18.4%, respectively. The average embryo formation frequency over all the genotypes was found to be highest (18.4%) at 250 mg/l 2,4-D whereas it was superior for the genotypes WH 896 and Langdon over all the 2,4-D concentrations. At the most responding 2,4-D concentration (250 mg/l), the genotype A-9-30-1 exhibited the highest embryo formation frequency (32.1%). The ploidy status of the developed embryos was identified using cytological analysis carried out on the rootlets of the tissue culture generated plantlets.

Field experiment was conducted on clay loam soil during winter season of 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 at the Research Farm, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, West Bengal to study the influence of sulphur (S) levels and irrigation on quality and yield of mustard (cv. Varuna, T-59). Results revealed that yield attributes and yield of crop were highest with 60 kg S/ha, mostly at par with 45 kg S/ha. Double irrigation at flower initiation (30 days after sowing (DAS)) and siliqua development stages (60 DAS) was best with respect to growth, yield attributes, yield, S uptake and oil percent in seed. Effects of both S levels and irrigations on glucosinolate and fatty acid content were non-significant except on progoitrin. The erucic:oleic acid ratio was inversely related to the subsequent increase in S doses, thereby suggesting the qualitative improvement of oil with S application. Oil percent has a negative correlation with sinigrin and gluconapin content. The uptake of S was positively correlated with oleic acid content but showed lower or even negative correlation with other fatty acids. Therefore, irrigation (twice at 30 DAS and 60 DAS) in combination with 45 kg S/ha are recommended for improving yield attributes, yield, oil percent and S uptake of Indian mustard.

Long-term experiments facilitate the observations of changes in soil properties affected by agricultural activity as well as the reactions of crops to those properties. The aim of the study was the assessment of the relationship between the soil pH as well as contents of organic carbon, total nitrogen, available forms of phosphorus, potassium (K_av), magnesium (Mg_av) and the magnesium content in flag leaves (Mg_fl) in winter wheat. There was also determined the correlations between the Mg_fl content and the nitrogen (N_fl), phosphorus, potassium (K_fl) and calcium (Ca_fl) contents in those leaves. The Mg_fl content was at-the-highest-level linearly positively correlated with soil pH and its richness in Mg_av. The dependence of the Mg_fl content on soil properties and the wheat leaves chemical composition was best described by polynomial equations of the 2^nd degree, except for the K_av and K_fl contents. The Mg_fl content depending on the Mg_av content × soil pH and Mg_av × K_av interaction. The winter wheat containing more N_fl and Ca_fl and less K_fl, accumulated more Mg_fl.

Based on a long-term fertilization experiment on a light soil, a study was conducted on the impact of varied fertilization on the levels of silicon forms available in the soil. It was shown that the exchangeable silicon content in the tested soil was very low, which can have a limiting effect on crop yields. Soil pH is a factor that significantly affects the exchangeable silicon content of the soil. Therefore, under the conditions of acidic soils, liming is a treatment that increases the level of silicon forms available to plants in the soil.

The role of orexin-A in the regulation of prolactin secretion in lambs born in different photoperiods was determined. The experiment was conducted with 30 female lambs. Pituitary glands were collected from 40-day-old lambs in three different seasons (n = 10 per each season) and photoperiods (light (L) hours to darkness (D) hours): long (May - L 14 : D 10), intermediate (August - L 13 : D 11), and short (December - L 10 : D 14). At 40 days of age, the lambs were decapitated, and their pituitaries were dissected and cut in half along the longitudinal fissure so that each half contained both glandular and nervous parts. The in vitro incubation of the glands was performed for 3 h in Parker's medium at 37°C. In each season, the control pituitary glands (K1, K2, K3) were incubated in Parker's medium, while the experimental pituitary glands (Ox1, Ox2, Ox3) were incubated in medium containing 1000 ng/ml of exogenous orexin. The administration of orexin-A during the long photoperiod (May) caused a significant (P ≤ 0.01) increase in prolactin secretion during the first hour of incubation (Ox1: 47.56 ± 8.4 ng/ml vs K1: 36.08 ± 7.8 ng/ml). During the intermediate photoperiod (August), a significantly (P ≤ 0.01) higher concentration of prolactin was observed in the first hour of incubation in the Ox2 group than in the control group (K2). During the first hour of incubation in December, the prolactin concentrations were significantly (P ≤ 0.01) higher in the Ox3 group than in the K3 group. Orexin-A increased prolactin secretion from pituitary explants collected from lambs born under all investigated time-points. The study results indicate that orexin-A is a stimulatory factor of prolactin secretion in sheep.

The interactions between probiotic bacteria and the immune system in animals are known, but particularly in rabbits have not been sufficiently documented. Therefore the present study deals with the effect of the enterocin-producing probiotic strain Enterococcus faecium CCM7420 on the growth performance and jejunal morphometry in rabbits. Forty-eight weaned rabbits of male sex (NZB breed) at 5 weeks of age were randomly divided into experimental (EF) and control group (CG) with 24 rabbits in each group. Each day of the treatment period (21 days), the rabbits in the EF group were administered a fresh culture of the E. faecium CCM7420 strain (5.0 × 10⁸ CFU/animal/day in their drinking water); for the next 21 days after probiotic cessation the rabbits had untreated drinking water (the whole experiment lasted for 42 days). All animals had access to water ad libitum. Three animals from each group were randomly selected for slaughter at days 21 and 42 of the experiment to measure morphological parameters (villus height (VH), crypt depth (CD), VH : CD ratio) of the intestinal tissue in the proximal jejunum. The average daily gain was higher in EF group (39.49 g) than in CG (39.04 g). The jejunum VH, surface area, and VH : CD ratio increased, while CD decreased in EF group compared to CG. Inferring from these results, we conclude that administration of E. faecium CCM7420 strain to rabbits may improve weight gain due to better utilization of feed and larger absorption surface in the gut and also may positively influence the health status via enhancing the gut health in rabbits.

Hydrothermal carbonization is one of suitable methods for energy recovery of sewage sludge and meat and bone meal. The task of the article is to determine appropriate hydrothermal carbonization process conditions and their impact on the quality of the final product - so called biochar or hydrochar. Parameters of the two main phases - initiation and polymerization - were monitored. The basic fuel properties of the final solid products of hydrothermal carbonization were determined. To produce biochar by hydrothermal carbonization, multifunctional pressure vessel with accessories was used - a batch reactor BR-300. Process parameters of hydrothermal carbonization confirm the effect of increasing temperature to increase the lower heating value (LHV). Neither calorific values of meat and bone meal (17.22 MJ/kg), nor calorific values of digested stabilized sludge (12.14 MJ/kg) showed a significant increase after undergoing processing. The effect of reaction temperature on the LHV of the final product is significantly higher than that of residence time. The results show that the main factor affecting LHV of the fuel sample is the final amount of ash. Unlike the meat and bone the hydrothermal carbonization of the stabilized wastewater sludge is one of the effective processing methods for subsequent energy use.

The article describes natural, combined and artificial regeneration on 38 permanent research plots in both Czech and Polish part of the Krkonoše Mts. The attention is paid to species composition, spatial (horizontal and vertical) and age structure of forest regeneration according to different stand and site conditions. Concerning the structure and dynamics of forest stands and their regeneration, the potential and prospects of regeneration according to particular developmental stages and stand types (beech stands; mixed stands: spruce-beech, fir-beech, spruce-fir-beech; spruce stands, stands in the ecotone of the upper forest limit and relict pine woods) were evaluated. In many aspects the plots show several similarities, nevertheless the regeneration in different site and stand conditions show clear differences in dynamics of development. The main differences are result of different ecological conditions, environmental limits and biological characteristics of dominant tree species.

This study was conducted to determine the effects of orally administered borax on milk yield and on several blood variables related to metabolism in early lactation in Austrian Simmental cows (Fleckvieh). Twenty primiparous cows were selected at parturition and then assigned to one of two groups, the control group or the borax group. The study lasted for four weeks. Borax was administered orally at 0.2 mg/kg/day (Boron group) to all treatment cows shortly after the noon milking, whereas cows in the control group were not treated. All cows consumed the same diet. All feeds in the diet were analysed for crude cellulose, protein, ether extract, ash, and dry matter according to the Weende Analysis Systems, in addition to ADF and NDF, according to Van Soest. Blood samples were collected from all cows via the vena jugularis on lactation Days 0, 7, 15, 21 and 28 and analysed for the following: serum boron (B), non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), beta-hydroxybutyric acid (BHBA), total cholesterol (TChol), high density lipids (HDL), total protein (TP), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), albumin (ALB), creatine (CRE), uric acid (UA), glucose (GLU), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) concentrations. Serum B concentration was higher in the borax group than in the control group at Weeks 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the experiment. Serum B concentration did not change in the control group during these weeks, but it gradually increased in the borax group week by week (P < 0.05). Borax administration increased serum TP and decreased the serum UA concentration at Week 4, and decreased serum HDL concentration at Week 3 of the experiment. Serum TChol, BHBA, and BUN concentrations increased (P < 0.05), while NEFA decreased (P < 0.05) after parturition in both groups. The BHBA concentration gradually increased in the control group, but it began to decrease in the borax group during the final week of the experiment. Moreover, milk yield did not differ between the groups for 14 weeks. The results indicate that borax administration did not have any negative effects on the health of Austrian Simmental (Fleckvieh) cows during early lactation. However, studies of longer duration are needed to reveal the effectiveness of borax administration with respect to early lactation in cows.

Caprylic acid (CA) and Yucca schidigera (YS) extract have many functional and nutritional properties that may have applications in animal nutrition. These beneficial effects include improvement of growth performance, immunity and anti-microbial activity. This study was conducted to assess the effects of dietary supplementation with CA and YS extract on growth performance, relative organ weight, meat quality, blood characteristics and caecal microbial shedding in broilers. In total, 672 one-day-old Ross 308 (BW of 34.05 ± 0.21 g) mixed-sex broiler chicks were allotted randomly into three dietary treatment groups with 14 replicate pens per treatment and 16 birds per pen. The experiment lasted for five weeks and dietary treatments were as follows: (1) PC, basal diet; (2) PC, basal diet + 44 mg/kg of avilamycin; and (3) CAY100 (basal diet + 100 mg/kg CA + 100 mg/kg YS extract). Chicks fed the CAY100 diet exhibited improved overall body weight gain (BWG) and feed intake (FI), and reduced feed conversion ratio (FCR) compared with those fed the NC diet (P < 0.05). Compared with the NC and PC treatments, mortality was decreased in chicks fed the CAY100 diet during the finisher phase and also overall. Broilers fed the CAY100 diet exhibited increased (P < 0.05) relative organ weight of bursa of Fabricius, compared with the PC diet and demonstrated decreased relative organ weight of the gizzard compared with those fed the NC diet. The relative organ weight of the liver, spleen, breast, and abdominal fat was unaffected by any of the dietary supplements tested. The breast meat redness (a*) was reduced (P < 0.05) in the CAY100 diet compared with the NC and PC diets. White blood cell (WBC) counts were increased in the CAY100 treatment compared with the NC treatment (P < 0.05). Moreover, the CAY100 diet resulted in improved lymphocyte counts compared with the PC and NC diets (P < 0.05). Broilers fed the CAY100 diet exhibited reduced caecal E. coli counts compared with those fed the NC diet (P < 0.05). In conclusion, the CAY extract-supplemented diet improved growth performance, relative weight of bursa of Fabricius and reduced mortality rate, breast muscle a* and caecal E. coli counts in broiler chickens.