The paper presents the results of investigations on wastewater formation and its treatment in constructed wetlands (CW) with horizontal flow. The investigations were carried out on a dairy farm in the period of 1995-2004. On farmsteads containing cattle sheds, the pollution of wastewater is 2-3 times higher compared with domestic wastewater. The largest amount of slowly decomposing organic pollutants is retained during wastewater filtration via a septic tank (62.7% according to CODCr). During wastewater filtration through a horizontal CW, the amount of retained organic pollutants biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) and chemical oxygen demand (CODCr) is 93.6%. During wastewater filtration through CW, nutrients (Ntotal and Ptotal) treatment efficiency on the dairy farms, where Ntotal concentration is 101.0 mg lE-1, is one the average 61.4% of nutrient load, and 41.4% of P where Ptotal concentration is 21.5 mg lE-1. The analyzed wastewater treatment facilities (septic tank + CW) are distinct for their buffering capabilities. They are affective enough, however due to limited P removal processes in sustainable natural environment, additional P-removal means are to be used in wastewater treatment facilities arranged on dairy farms.

According to EU Water Framework Directive, anew model of land reclamation management and financing will be developed. Taking into consideration the high vale of state investment required to ensure a steady work of land reclamation systems, it is important to reject the funds allocated on an equality principles and to give preference to the regions where the maintenance, rehabilitation and repair of these structures is more effective. The discussion concerning the allocation of state funds is elaborated in this paper. On the basis of statistical analysis, natural and economical regional differences were evaluated. Four scenarios of the allocation of special subsidies from state budget are submitted for approval. When modelling the financing results based on the regional distribution methodology, the changes in base financing indices are under discussion.

The results of synthesis and analysis regarding the structural diversity of farms, their differences, divergence and development in Jelgava district and Zemgale agricultural region are expanded in the article. Commercial farms and semi-subsistence farms are particularly studied on the basis of farm accountancy data.

Accumulation of skatole levels in porcine fat tissue is a major reason for boar taint, an objectionable odour in meat from entire male pigs. In contrast to males, female pigs do not accumulate skatole in increased amounts. Hepatic metabolism is critical for the regulation of skatole. Cytochromes P4502E1 (CYP2E1) and P4502A6 (CYP2A6) are key enzymes involved in skatole metabolism. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of gender and hCG stimulation on the activities of CYP2A6. Liver samples were taken at slaughter and analyzed for skatole concentrations, and for activities of CYP2E1 and CYP2A6. It was found that female pigs expressed higher CYP2E1 activity whereas activity of CYP2A6 did not differ between sexes. Skatole levels in the liver were higher in male pigs than in female pigs. Neither skatole levels nor enzyme activities were affected by hCG stimulation. It was concluded that the incidence of boar taint may depend on both the amount of skatole reaching the liver, and the activities of enzymes involved in skatole metabolism.

Lactulose is recognized world-wide as one of the most clinically reliable bifidogenic factor. Lactulose is used in various types of food products (infant formula, baby food, confectionary, soft drink, milk products) and also pharmaceutically to improve hepatic encephalopathy and constipation (Mizota, 1996; Strohmaier, 1998). The object of this study was to investigate the influence of concentration of lactulose on growing Bifidobacterium lactis in milk. A bifidogenic lactor, lactulose was added (1, 2, 3, 4 and 5%) into 100g of milk. The milk samples were inoculated with Bifidobacterium lactis (BB-12, Chr. Hansen, Denmark) and incubated at 38 deg C for 16 hours. Lactulose as a prebiotic influences the growth of bifidobacteria in milk. Trends of development of acidity in the milk samples with or with out lactulose were not similar. Laboratory studies have generally shown that growth of Bifidobacterium lactis in milk depends on the concentration of lactulose. Data on the final cell count in fermented milk indicates that increasing the lactulose concentration from 2% to 3% enhanced the growth of the Bifidobacterium lactis, whereas no significant difference between lactulose concentration 4-5% and control sample was observed. Present result furthermore indicate that finding combination of prebiotic and probiotic pairs where the prebiotic would benefit the specific probiotic strain, e.g. during production and formulation into foods, is not a simple task.

Spices are used to season food products. Investigations were carried out to determine dynamics of primary oxidation products in flavoured rapeseed oil depending on used spice, its concetration, storage duration, and sample preparing method. The oil was flavoured with winter savoury Satureja Montana L., hyssop Hyssopus officinalis L., and marjoram Oreganum vulgare L. Results showed that dynamics of peroxide value in flavoured oils were influenced significantly (p is less than 0.05) by all investigated factors - used spice, its concentration, storage duration, sample preparing method, and interaction of these factors, too. Heating of oil in particular cases caused unusual, hard explainable dynamics of peroxide value. It is necessary to investigate optimal conditions of flavouring of oils and components of spices which can influence oxidation of flavoured oils.

Natural defence mechanisms of the mammary gland tissues play a vital role in protecting the gland from infections. The progress of mammary infection depends on the ability of bacterial pathogens to adapt to milk and udder tissues, and on the various virulence factors they activate, as well as on the cow's response. The levels of immunoglobulins (lg) and lactoferrin (Lf) concentration in the milk from dairy cows with and without subclinical mastitis were determined. In this investigation it was stated that 82.5% of samples were negative, but 17.5% of samples were positive for pathogens. Cows had subclinical mastitis caused by Coagulase negative staphylococci observed in 48.60%, Streptococcus uberis - 32.10%, Staphylococcus aureus - 18.90% of cases in milk samples. There were no significant differences between all classes of immunoglobulins concentration in the milk without pathogens and with pathogens. The lactoferrin concentration was significantly increased for 40.33% in the milk with pathogens.

The term "competence" has not been clearly defined in the literature. Two meanings of the term have been identified. One refers to the outputs or results of education (training), but other - to the inputs or underlying attributes needed for a person to demonstrate competent performance. Each meaning has been used to describe both individual and organizational competences. A classification of the meanings of competence is given to show that the term has several meanings depending on the purpose for which it is used. Although competence is an important concept in education, it is unclear what competence is. Constructivism is a way out of the competence confusion - we don't search for one absolute true definition, but do use the competence concept for our own purposes. At the end of article a description (definition) of competence is given. This definition is appropriate to define inputs for undergraduate programmes and to improve student's lifelong and life wide learning competences while studying undergraduate study programmes.

The purpose of arts education at university is to create students' attitude to five forms of art - literature, drama, dance, music, and visual arts. As a study object, the art an integral part of education and perception of art is the result of cognition of the surrounding environment. A.Dauge (1868-1937) and J.A.Students (1898-1964) observed that arts education is finding out the question of integrity the logically rational and the emotionally experienced in the system of counterbalancing mind and feelings. At the beginning of the 21 century, as the paradigm of education is changing, the opinion also changed about what makes a knowledgeable and socially valuable person. In order to promote the development of one's personality self-fulfilment pedagogues are called for introducing certain changes which are contributing to the opening up of their students. University students are going through the process of evaluation of an interpretation of opera as recorded performance on a video-type and in live performance on the opera house stage. It makes their opinion based on well - grounded argumentation and personally valuable self - evaluation. The last is functioning as the regulating mechanism for learning the properties of arts in the context of developing the human personality. The opera performance on the stage is the live communication with a different culture heritage and people are going to performances to be immersed in art values. Usually the repertoire is hosen for visiting the opera house as an interesting and enjoyable entertainment for students. Such masterpieces as "The Magic Flute" of W.A.Mozart, "Flying Dutchman" by R.Wagner, "Aida" and "La Travolta" by G.Verdi are actually stimulated the students discover of the artwork. Understanding of opera art increases the students' knowledge, emotional experience, interest and positive attitude to high art values. Arts education as intelligent cultural assessment is the dominating purpose of the teaching-learning process.

One of the prior trends of research is the problem studies of power economy of technological processes and quality automatic control. Though the theory of grain drying process has been developed profoundly, still there are problems in its implementation. The developed analytical and simulation models of grain drying are difficult to implement into practice because they do not contain all the factors, which influence the real grain drying process or they cannot be solved. The developed models enable to assess only the essentiality of factors and/or the fundamental basics of the process. In order to ensure the effective and user-friendly grain drying process, it is indispensable to develop the control methodology using system modelling approach. The present paper deals with the system approach to heat and mass transfer problem and the testing of the basic hypothesis of the diffusion theory about the normal distribution of particles in the diffusive environment.