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The aim of the work was to find an alternative way of cleaning roads and other kinds of solid surfaces contaminated as a result of accidents. The method is designed to dissolve oil leaks coming from motor vehicles, but it is also suitable for removing other liquids with similar physical and chemical characteristics, for example plant and paraffinic oils. The principle of this method is to emulsify the contaminant with the reagent foam. The foam is applied on the contaminated surface and it reacts with the contaminant, given rise to an emulsion. The process is supported by the mechanical movement of brushes, which mix the foam with the contaminant. The movement increases the sorption capacity of the foam and its stability. After the surface decontamination, the residual emulsion is removed, together with the foam, with a combined wet suction cleaner equipped with an emulsion defoamer. The aggregate emulsion is disposed of in special establishments, especially in dangerous waste incinerators.

In the present study and research work, land suitability evaluation (qualitative classification) was made for the Bilverdy research station of the Islamic Azad University in East Azarbaijan for wheat, barley, alfalfa, maize and safflower. The Simple Limitation Method (SLM), the Limitation Method regarding Number and Intensity (LMNI) and the Parametric Methods (PM) such as the square-root and the Storie methods were used. The landscape, climate and soil and characteristics that influence suitability of the land for particular crops have been combined according to the adopted methodology. Economic factors were excluded and moderate level of management was assumed. The results of different methods show that the most important limiting factors are climate, pH, organic matter (OM), gravel, salinity and sodicity, taken either alone or in combination. For safflower, the cation exchange capacity (CEC) can be added to these factors. Evaluation by the SLM and LMNI methods result in similar suitability classes, which confirms previous findings by other researchers for the same crops. However, in many cases the use of parametric methods, especially the square-root method, turned to be more realistic in distinguishing separate suitability classes. This study not only compares different methods and their results but also evaluates the suitability of the study area for particular crops. According to the square-root method, the area can be recommended as marginally suitable for cultivation of wheat, barley, alfalfa and safflower and is expected to yield about 40-65% of optimal production.

An unilateral corneal epithelial inclusion cyst (CEIC) in a 8-years-old female mixed Poodle is reported. The cyst had been observed for 60 days, was unique, not congenital and only one eye was involved. One year prior to the referral the dog was treated with antibiotics due to an ocular trauma caused by a fight with a cat. In the same eye, palpebral melanocytic tumor and corneal dystrophy were also observed. In order to remove the CEIC a superficial keratectomy was performed. Collagen contact lens and topical antibiotics were the medical treatment of choice. Fifteen month after surgery the dog was referred for recurrence of the CEIC. A second keratectomy and similar topical treatment was attempted again. A second recurrence 16 months after surgery has not been observed to the date. Cytology and histology analysis of the cyst confirmed the diagnosis of the CEIC. Microbiologic studies were also realized and Staphylococcus epidermidis was aisled twice in fifteen months. In this case a relapsing CEIC is reported associated to S. epidermidis contamination. Corneal dystrophy and palpebral melanoma were concomitant lesions, although no relations with the CEIC were concluded.

: In chick hatcheries, males of laying hybrids are considered to be "waste" and the majority of these males are killed just after hatching. On the other hand, the interest of consumers in products from alternative systems (organic, free-range) is increasing. The idea was to evaluate the meat quality of these males when they have access to free range because there is not such a study available. The aim of this study was to compare the physical and sensory quality of the meat of layer males with fast-growing broilers at the same age when they had both access to free range and when they were fed to 49 and 90 days of age. Slow-growing ISABROWN (IB) layer males and fast-growing Ross 308 (RS) chickens were kept in free-range conditions to evaluate carcass and meat quality at 49 days and 90 days of age. Live weight, carcass yield, breast meat yield and the proportion of abdominal fat were significantly higher (P < 0.001) in RS at both ages. The proportions of fat in the breast meat were significantly lower (P < 0.01) in IB at both ages. The value of pH 24 h was significantly higher in IB and the meat was darker (P < 0.001) in these chickens. The overall acceptability was significantly better (P < 0.01) in IB at 90 days of age. The laying males are acceptable for an alternative system of poultry meat production from the aspect of meat quality. The quality was comparable or even higher in comparison with fast-growing chickens.

This paper presents the results of a three-year research on the effect of perforated polyethylene foil and polypropylene fibre covers on the growth of early potato cultivars at various lengths of plant covering period (2 and 3 weeks after plant emergence). Plants grown under covers were higher, produced higher mass of above-ground parts, and were characterised by a smaller value of leaf weight ratio (LWR) and leaf area ratio (LAR) compared with the cultivation without covering. In the case of plant covering for 2 weeks after emergence the mass of leaves at the time of cover removal was on average almost 2 times higher and the mass of stems over 2.5 times higher than in the cultivation without covering; the values of LWR and LAR were however smaller by 0.094 and 0.137 m

Plant root and shoot dry weight, leaf relative water content (LRWC) and chlorophyll content were reduced by 30%, 21%, 15%, 34%, respectively, at 40mM NaCl as compared to non-salt stress conditions. However, membrane permeability (MP) of plant increased (85.0%) with increasing salinity. Foliar nutrient application (FNA) alleviated deleterious effects of salinity stress on growth and this effect was statistically significant. The highest alleviation effect of FNA at 40mM salinity stress was observed in the case of 10mM foliar KNO₃ and Ca(NO₃)₂ application, resulting in increase in plant root dry weight (50%), shoot dry weight (50%), LRWC (8.2%) and MP decrease (27.4%) at 40mM NaCl. Phosphorus, Fe and Zn contents in shoots and roots of plants also increased with FNA treatments, but they were still much lower than those of non-salt stress treatment. Sulphur, P, Fe and Zn contents of shoots reached similar values as in non-salt stress treatment when KNO₃ was applied, whereas Fe, Mn, Zn, and Cu contents of roots reached the values of non-salt stress treatment when Ca(NO₃)₂ was applied.

The objective of the study was to examine a possibility of predicting phosphorus leaching from the top layer of agricultural soils by rainfall simulations by means of three multi-nutrient soil tests: Mehlich 3, NH₄-acetate extraction and water extraction (1:5, w/v). Another objective was to determine parameters of maximum phosphorus losses after an extreme load of rainfall on the top layer. Forty soils from different localities of the Czech Republic were used for the experiment. A leaching experiment was conducted in pedological cylinders with a soil layer of about 1 cm and with the bottom from a glass microfibre filter with pores 1.2 μm in size. Within 15 days the soils were flooded ten times with 25 mm of simulated rainfall in a minimum interval of 1 day. The closest regression between the soil test and phosphorus leaching was computed for NH₄-acetate soil test (R² = 0.8831) and Mehlich 3 test (R² = 0.8572) after the first application of 25 mm of rainfall. In water extraction it was for the mean of 10 simulated rainfalls (R² = 0.8674). As leaching proceeded, the closeness of regression diminished due to fluctuations of P concentration in leachates (increases and decreases), mainly in soils with higher P-test. The increase in P concentration could be caused by the activation of phosphorus from Fe-phosphates under anaerobic conditions in wet soils. The steepest decrease in P concentration in leachates was observed in light soils with low CEC value and higher initial P-test.

The effect of thinning on the structure and accumulation of litterfall and holorganic horizons (L, F, H) in young Norway spruce stands was investigated. The research was conducted on a Norway spruce thinning experiment Polom (established in 1980) in the Orlické hory Mts. (north-eastern part of the Czech Republic). In 1992, the monitoring of litterfall started on an unthinned control stand (plot 1) and on a comparative stand with very heavy thinning from below (plot 3). During the period of observation (age of the stand 27-37 years), the total weight of litterfall ranged between 1,800 and 4,800 kg/ha. The amount of litterfall was partly influenced by climatic factors (precipitation and temperature), growth processes (basal area increment) and thinning regimes in individual years. The results of the investigations showed that dry biomass accumulated under a 36 years old Norway spruce stand ranged from 9,200 to 11,300 kg/ha in horizon L, from 37,000 to 38,200 kg/ha in horizon F and from 138,300 to 146,400 kg/ha in horizon H. The quality (content of basic nutrients) of litterfall and material from holorganic horizons are discussed.

Soil properties of forest ecosystems depend on synergy of both parent material and organisms living in the soil, i.e. tree species communities including related plant and animal species. However these soils were not left intact being converted into agricultural land; addition of both nutrients and organic matter and cultivation using tillage led to increased fertility of topsoil. Even long-term afforested soils show differences which are considered as legacy of past agriculture. The change remains detectable for decades; though the altered properties are obvious especially couple of years after planting (approximately 10 years). We found increased concentrations of nutrients (P, K, Ca, and Mg) and subsequent increased base saturation (V %) in former tilled soil only. Moreover, there were no differences between topsoil and subsoil properties (69% and 72%, respectively). In addition to significantly lower saturation (both 0-10 cm and 11-30 cm layers) detected in the long-term-forest and 50-year-afforested (both covered with Norway spruce stands) soils in comparison with adjacent 10-year-old afforestations, there was found significantly lower base saturation in topsoil horizons compared to underlying ones.

Furan and its derivatives were identified in a small number of heat-treated foods back in the 60's and 70's. In May 2004, US Food and Drug Administration published a report on the occurrence of parent furan in a number of thermally treated foods. Since furan has been classified as "possibly carcinogenic to human" by IARC, a great concern has been addressed to the analysis of this substance naturally-occurring in food. This paper gives a short overview on the mechanistic pathways of the parent furan formation in food by degradation of amino acids and/or reducing sugars, and oxidation of ascorbic acid and poly-unsaturated acids which can be induced by thermal or irradiation treatments; further, it deals with the metabolism and toxicology of furan as well as with the comparison of the methods of furan determination.

The content of arsenic was determined in the rainbow trout muscle (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and in rice samples. The method of atomic absorption spectrometry with hydride generation (HG-AAS) in graphite furnace was used for total arsenic determination. Arsenic speciation was done using the high performance liquid chromatography-hydride generation-atomic fluorescence spectrometry (HPLC-HG-AFS). The rainbow trout muscle was extracted by ultra pure deionised water; trifluoroacetic acid was used for the extraction of rice samples. Total arsenic values ranged from 60.90 μg/kg to 310.00 μg/kg in rice samples and from 0.72 mg/kg to 2.23 mg/kg in rainbow trout muscle. An inorganic trivalent arsenic As(III) was determined as the main species in rice and non-toxic arsenobetaine in the samples of rainbow trout.

The analysis comprised purebred Charolais bull calves (CH) and crossbred bull calves born from Hereford (CH × HE) and Simmental (CH × SI) cows. Body weights and daily gains were measured in subsequent periods of the experiment and the post-slaughter evaluation was carried out. Carcass lean weight and dressing percentage were evaluated, as well as the lean content of five prime cuts. Total weight of the five prime cuts was measured and its share in the half-carcass weight was determined. The rib-eye area was also measured. The CH × SI crossbreds reached significantly higher body weights at weaning, 210-day body weights and weights at finishing, as well as significantly higher daily gains in all the periods (P < 0.05, P < 0.01) and were characterized by the heaviest carcasses and most cuts, particularly the round. The crossbreds had the highest total weight of five prime cuts and total lean weight, highest weight of the round and lean weight in the round. Other relationships were found analyzing the share of each cut in the carcass. The share of tenderloin and rump in the carcass of CH × SI was significantly lower compared to the purebred bulls (P < 0.01) and CH × HE (P < 0.05). They also had a significantly lower share of the shoulder, shank and shin, as compared to the other groups, as well as a significantly higher (P < 0.05) share of the neck, as compared to the purebred bulls. The purebred bulls also achieved good results and had the highest share of the prime cuts and the largest mean rib-eye area.

Gas chromatography and IDF Standard method (1999) were used to analyze the fatty acid composition of milk fat of mares originating from the following breeds: 10 of Wielkopolska breed, 10 Konik Polski Horses, and 9 Polish Cold-blooded Horses. Eighty-seven mare's milk samples were collected in the years 2000-2002. Unsaturated fatty acids were shown to prevail in the milk fat of mares of Wielkopolska breed (61.32%) and of Konik Polski mares (52.58%) whereas saturated acids prevailed in the milk fat of Cold Blooded mares (54.95%). The study revealed that the fatty acid composition of the investigated groups of mares was breed-specific. Of course, the impact of other uncontrolled factors such as nutrition is not excluded, either.

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

Enterotoxigenic Bacillus cereus was detected in a variety of meat stuffs (36), ready-to-cook products (5), and swabs (7). The bacterial colonies isolated from PEMBA agar were identified as B. cereus. The 85 isolates were examined for the enterotoxin production using both TECRA-VIA and BCET-RPLA kits (ELISA - 47, RPLA - 38). Thirty two isolates (66%) were positive for enterotoxin using the ELISA test while only 15 isolates (39%) gave positive results in the RPLA test system. In total, 178 (91.8%) and 164 (84%) of the strains isolated in our laboratory (from various foods) were enterotoxigenic as determined using TECRA-VIA and BCET-RPLA, respectively. Parallel enterotoxin positive results obtained using both tests were demonstrated in only 9 isolates from 19 assessed (47.4%). Coincidental negative results from both kits were established for 3 isolates (15.8%) only. The isolates of B.cereus from meat were resistant to cephalothin (57%), clindamycin (14%), oxytetracycline (14%), and erythromycin (7%). The isolates from swabs were resistant to cephalothin (83%), erythromycin (16%), clindamycin (16%) and enrofloxacin (16%).

The diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi of Acacia catechu Willd. was studied. Dominant AM spores, the bacterium Rhizobium sp. along with the fungus Trichoderma viride were isolated from the rhizosphere of A. catechu and mass-produced in laboratory. The co-inoculation effect of Glomus mosseae, Glomus fasciculatum, mixed AM (Glomus spp. [except G. mosseae, G. fasciculatum] with Acaulospora spp., Sclerocystis spp. and Gigaspora spp.), Rhizobium sp. and Trichoderma viride was studied as exerted on the growth of A. catechu seedlings. All inoculated seedlings showed improved seedling growth compared to the control. Inoculated seedlings had a pronounced effect on all growth parameters such as height, fresh and dry weight of roots and shoots, AM spore count, per cent mycorrhizal colonization in roots and root nodule number in comparison with uninoculated seedlings. Phosphorus uptake was also higher in inoculated seedlings than in the control. This study provides a good scope for commercially utilizing the efficient strains of AM fungi for beneficial effects with other beneficial rhizosphere microflora in the primary establishment of slow growing seedlings ensuring better survival and improved growth.

Industrial wine yeasts Saccharomyces bayanus and two interspecies hybrids (S. cerevisiae × S. bayanus) were checked for their suitability for fermentation of apple musts with different L-malic acid content (4, 7 and 11 g/l). The fermentation profiles including main organic acids, acetaldehyde, diacetyl, glycerol, esters and polyphenols were presented. The results were obtained by HPLC method (organic acids, acetaldehyde, glycerol, diacetyl), GC (esters), colorimetrically (polyphenols) and enzymatically (L-malic acid, ethanol). Although the fermentation profiles of wines were characteristic for specific yeast strains, similarities in organic acid profiles of wines fermented by S. bayanus and its hybrid S-779/25 were noted. In all the tested wines L-malic, pyruvic and citric acids were dominant. Statistical analysis of all wine parameters indicates that yeast strains respond individually to different acidities of the fermentation environment. In order to choose the right yeast strain for the fermentation of acidic musts, information about fermentation profiles should be included in the collection certificate of yeast strains.

In this work the Cd, Cu and Zn accumulation in potatoes, their influence on starch, water-soluble (WSS) and water-insoluble saccharide (WIS) contents and content of heavy metals in various saccharide fractions of potatoes were determined. The fraction of WSS was isolated by Somogyi method, the WIS fraction was obtained from delipided portion of potatoes. Enhanced pseudototal Cd contents in relationship to limit value 0.7 mg/kg of soil were determined in 13 soil samples (0.72-1.06 mg/kg). Contents of Zn and Cu were lower than their limit values in all observed soil samples. Observed heavy metals have not influence on their accumulation in potatoes, the Cd content in potatoes (0.0015-0.0042 mg/kg f.m.), Cu (0.0590-0.1780 mg/kg f.m.) and Zn contents (0.1887-0.3517 mg/kg f.m.) were also lower than their limit values. The proportion of observed heavy metals in selected saccharide fractions: Cd (mg/kg): 0.017-0.140 (starch), 0.0133-0.2293 (WIS), 0.8711-109.7713 (WSS); Cu (mg/kg): 0.067-1.433 (starch), 0.2844-6.9877 (WIS), 18.0134-1070.5216 (WSS); Zn (mg/kg): 6.667-66.300 (starch), 0.7869-23.3673 (WIS), 101.4842-4020.790 (WSS)

Khorassan wheat (Triticum turgidum ssp. turanicum Jakubz em. A. Löve & D. Löve) is an ancient tetraploid wheat that was grown in the Mediterranean region and Near East. Sixteen lines differing in the composition of high-molecular-weight glutenin subunits (HMWGs) were evaluated for SDS-sedimentation volume and quality index (QI). The data suggested that the two subunit combinations detected in the examined materials at the Glu-B1 locus showed differences in both characteristics (relatively higher levels at the presence of the subunit combination 7+15 compared to 6+8). Weak gluten is in general characteristic of this wheat species. It could be used in a better way for other baking applications than for the pasta industry.

Technological changes bring about economic growth. We are now at the beginning of the new phase of global economic development called new economy. The bearers of it are especially information technologies, biotechnology, material, energetic and cosmic technologies. There is reflected the influence of important integration factors as new technologies, high competitiveness (which becomes a necessity), new economic culture in the sphere of government, households and business.

The elimination of Plum pox virus (PPV) in different stone fruit cultivars was verified by the method of thermotherapy in vivo. Trees of two plum cultivars Čačanská lepotica and Švestka domácí, apricot cultivars Leskora and Velkopavlovická, and peach cultivars Redhaven and Earliglo were used. They were infected artificially with two strains of the virus (PPV-D, PPV-M). Two cycles of thermotherapy in vivo were performed. During the first cycle, 16 trees of plum, apricot and peach were treated for 15 days at 37°C. In the second thermotherapy cycle, 10 trees of individual cultivars of plum, apricot and peach were treated for 22 days at 37°C. In the first thermotherapy (T1), 8 trees out of 16 died; PPV was eliminated in 2 trees of cv. Čačanská lepotica, 1 tree of cv. Švestka domácí and 2 trees of cv. Velkopavlovická. In the second thermotherapy (T2), 1 of 10 treated trees died. The virus was eliminated in 2 trees of cv. Čačanská lepotica, 1 tree of cv. Leskora, 2 trees of cv. Velkopavlovická, and 1 tree of cv. Redhaven. Nine (T1) and seven (T2) months after the thermotherapy, the presence of PPV was detected in 6 out of 11 originally recovered trees using ELISA. Out of 26 trees, 4 trees remained recovered: 2 plum trees and 2 apricot trees. One of these trees, apricot cv. Leskora was originally infected with PPV-M strain, whereas the other three with PPV-D strain. None of the 10 peach trees was treated successfully.

A study was conducted on the effect of two single practices, including soil tillage and returning straw to soil, and their interaction on soil porosity of maize-wheat cropping system. Field experiments involved four tillage practices, including conventional tillage (C), zero-tillage (Z), harrow-tillage (H) and subsoil-tillage (S), with straw absent (A) or straw present (P). Total porosity, capillary porosity and non-capillary porosity of soil were investigated. The results showed that the soil total porosity of 0-10 soil layer was mostly affected; conventional tillage can increase the capillary porosity of soil, but the non-capillary porosity of S was the highest. Returning of straw can increase the porosity of soil. Through the analysis of affecting force, it can be concluded that interaction of soil tillage and straw is the most important factor to soil porosity, while the controlling factor to non-capillary porosity was soil tillage treatment.

The management of changes, innovations, knowledge and human resources of a company are among the crucial factors having an impact on the performance of the company. An organizational change is one of the first conditions for the successful increase in the company's performance if the system approach to the management of changes is observed. A company or its management, if it wants to be successful and to increase the company performance, must strive to change the processes, values and thinking of people, bring new innovative ideas into business and to verify them in the everyday practice. All corporate potential must be used for high-quality innovations that bring profit in the end. If the knowledge management is implemented, the corporate knowledge can be used more efficiently. Management of human resources and work performance ranks among the most-demanding management spheres, having an impact on the overall corporate performance.

Taste is the chemical sensation whose function is not very well known. Recently it was shown that the range of taste is more extensive than the five basic taste sweet, salty, bitter, sour and umami. A metallic taste has been suggested as another basic taste, but its mode of perception is not well understood and has not been really accepted in the taste literature. Ferrous sulphate solutions were presented to the assessors so their sensitivity and best estimate thresholds (BET) were measured. The best estimated threshold range was 0.00049-0.00669 g/l for demineralised water, 0.00079-0.00669 g/l for distilled water and 0.00108-0.00669 g/l for tap water.

Casein-protease activity assessed at 50°C and with adjustment of optimum pH conditions (PA), and casein-protease activity near soil pH and at field soil temperature (LPA) were studied one vegetation period in mountain meadow soils covered with moderately mown vegetation, and over which vegetation had been abandoned for thirteen years. PA peaked in the first part of the vegetation season whereas LPA increased throughout the season; in addition, LPA was not linearly related to temperature (r = 0.127 resp. 0.312; P > 0.05). The combined effect of field soil temperature and pH decreased a casein-protease activity by > 98.4%. A management of meadows had no significant (P > 0.05) effect on PA and LPA.

Through data analysis of 7 571 883 pig carcasses slaughtered from 2004 to 2007 the means of quality classes (QC) 2.32, lean meat percentage (LM) 55.83%, carcass weight (CW) 87.21 kg, muscle thickness (MT) 61.95 mm and fat thickness (FT) 15.95 mm were determined. The highest correlation coefficients are between QC and LM (r = -0.920), LM and FT (-0.900) as well as QC and FT (0.828), the lowest between FT and MT (r = -0.084). Quality class as the dominant indicator is influenced mainly by LM, which explains from 77% to 89% of variability in the case of linear regression. Among the eight methods of pig carcass classification the FOM apparatus was used the most frequently (46.5% carcasses) followed by the ULTRA-FOM 300 apparatus (15.6%), another apparatus (13.2%) and by the IS-D-05 unit (9.8%). In the statistical models used all effects (differences) are statistically significant because of the large size of the data set. The results from the separate evaluation of each cross-classified effect are that EV has the largest influence and year-season and methods have a smaller influence. The time trend (42 months) documents stable CW and MT, a slight increase in LM and improvement of QC. The estimated results indicate the successful introduction of pig carcass classification in the CR after accession to the EU.

In recent years, the agri-food sector and consumers have begun to look at food not only for basic nutrition, but also for health benefits. The purpose of this study was to investigate the variations in the total antioxidant capacity (TAC) in head cabbage according to the used type of fertilizer. Commercial brands of alternative, organic fertilizers were compared with conventional, mineral fertilizers in culture of head cabbage. There were seven different treatments: Agormin, Agro, farmyard manure, horticultural compost, Dvorecký agroferm, mineral fertilizer, and an unfertilized control. All the treatments assured approximately the same level of nutrients. The level of TAC was measured by the FRAP assay and the effect of storage on TAC was also studied. Average value of TAC in fresh cabbage was 236 ± 60 mg GA/100 g in the year 2005 and 295 ± 27 mg GA/100 g in the year 2006. The TAC value decreased in the course of storage. The average value of TAC after a five-month period of storage was 56 ± 18 mg GA/100 g in the year 2005 and 33 ± 5 mg GA/100 g in the year 2006. This study shows that alternative, organic fertilizers have similar or even better qualities than farmyard manure and that they can contribute to the improvement of nutritional values of vegetable.