Myöhäisen typpilannoituksen vaikutus kevätvehnän satoon ja leivinominaisuuksiin

Helsingin yliopiston kasvinviljelytieteen laitoksella, Viikin koetilalla, suoritettiin vuosina 1962—64 kokeita myöhäisen typpilannoituksen vaikutuksesta vehnän satoon ja leivinominaisuuksiin. Myöhäinen typpilannoitus annettiin vehnän kukkiessa, käytetyt typpimäärät olivat 25 ja 50 kg N/ha. Myöhäisessä vaiheessa annettu typpilannoitus kohotti vehnän jyväsatoa vähemmän kuin peruslannoituksen lisäksi oraille annettu typpilannoitus ja merkitsevästi vain vuonna 1964. Myöhäinen typpilannoitus kohotti raakavalkuaisen ja kostean sitkon pitoisuutta jyvissä; pienemmällä typpimäärällä oli lähes yhtä hyvä vaikutus kuin suuremmalla. Sitkon laatuun ei typpilannoitus vaikuttanut. Typpilannoitus ei myöskään vaikuttanut tärkkelyksen diastaattiseen tilaan. Leivinominaisuuksien pieni paraneminen johtui siten lähinnä sitkon määrän lisääntymisestä. Käytettyjen typpilannoitteiden, urean ja kalkkisalpietarin, vaikutus oli samanlainen. Typpilannoituksen kanssa samanaikaisesti annettu MCPA-ruiskutus ei vaikuttanut selvästi typpilannoituksen tehoon. Tutkituista lajikkeista (Svenno, Touko, Nora ja Apu) oli Svennon α-amylaasiaktiviteeti muita suurempi. Vehnäsadon ominaisuudet riippuivat kuitenkin huomattavasti enemmän kasvukauden ja korjuuajan säästä kuin käytetyistä lajikkeista ja lannoituksesta

The effect of method of fertilizer application on sugar beet yield, yield quality and fertilization requirement in Finland

In 1982—1990, the Sugar Beet Research Centre conducted a total of 68 fertilizer placement trials. The present paper deals with 23 trials from five field experiment series. In the evaluation of the results, other experiments conducted at the Sugar Beet Research Centre have also been referred to. The field trials were conducted on experimental farms of the Sugar Beet Research Centre and of sugar factories. The soil type of the experimental fields varied from compact clay to finesand. The soil pH was high (6.7 —7.4) and the nutrient status good. The fertilizer used was an Na-containing compound fertilizer (N 13 %, P 6 %, K 9 %, Na 6 % in 1982—1987; N 15 %, P 6 %, K 8 %, Na 5 % as from 1988). The fertilizer was applied with a fertilizer drill. A disk bill was used in 1982—1983; thereafter a thin spring tine bill was used. Placement of fertilizer 3—6 cm to the side and 3 cm below the seed increased the root yield of sugar beet by 5—6 %, on an average, as compared to broadcasting. The yield increase ranged from 0 to 24 %. The yield increase from fertilizer placement correlated negatively with the sugar beet yield level. The nutritional status and humus content of soil, and soil type did not affect the yield increase from fertilizer placement. The seed bed preparation one-pass power harrow or conventional method had no significant effect on the yield increase from fertilizer placement. Increasing the level of fertilizer reduced the yield increase from fertilizer placement in some of the trials. This was not always the case, however. Placement usually gave a slightly higher sugar content than did broadcasting. Placement reduced the potassium content of the beet slightly and increased the extractability of sugar. As compared to broadcasting, placement increased the recoverable sugar yield relatively slightly more than the root yield. Placement of the fertilizer 3 cm to the side (3 or 6 cm below the seed) yielded a better result than placement 9 cm to the side of the seed. The depth of placement did not affect the yield. In most trials, placement of the fertilizer reduced the plant population only slightly as compared to broadcasting. The harmful effect in these trials was not significant even with the smallest distance from the seed, i.e. 3 cm. In practice, placement too close was shown to inhibit or to retard germination of the beet. It is therefore recommended that the fertilizer be placed 5—6 cm to the side and 3—4 cm below the seed

Damping-off of sugar beet in Finland: I. Causal agents and some factors affecting the disease

The fungus Pythium debaryanum auct. non Hesse is the main cause of damping-off on sugar beet in Finland. The fungus is found especially in diseased seedlings during the first two weeks after emergence. Later on, when the plants have one or two pairs of true leaves, Fusarium spp. can be isolated to a rather great extent. However, pathogenicity tests with three different Fusarium species have shown that this fungus is unble cause damping-off on sugar beet when inoculated into peat substrate. Among the fungi tried in this respect, only Pythium debaryanum and Phoma betae Frank showed clear pathogenicity. Sugar beet seedlings that outlive the disease grow slower, and their quality at harvest in the autumn is poorer than that of healthy beets

Effect of annual use of pesticides on soil microorganisms and sugar beet yields

Sugar beet is often cultivated for several years on the same fields, using many pesticides. We have therefore studied the effects of a pesticide programme on soil microorganisms and sugar beet yields in Perniö and Laukaa. The pesticides in use were thiram, hymexazol, dimethoate, phenmedipham and metamitron and, in Laukaa only, alloxidim-Na. Pesticides were used either in the normal doses or at 150 % of the normal dose. The normal doses of pesticide application had a favourable effect on sugar beet yields in both experiments. The sugar yield was higher in plots with the normal pesticide doses than in the control plots. The overdoses increased neither the sugar beet yields nor the sugar yields as compared to the normal plots. The soil microorganisms were affected by pesticides in some but not in all cases. The most sensitive were the ureolytic microorganisms and the dehydrogenase activities

YKL-40 is a CSF biomarker of intrathecal inflammation in secondary progressive multiple sclerosis

YKL-40 (CHI3L1) is a glycoprotein predominantly produced by reactive astrocytes in chronic active MS lesions, which are common in secondary progressive MS. In this study, YKL-40 was investigated in different stages of MS and in relation to MRI findings. YKL-40 levels in CSF samples from two independent patient cohorts of MS patients were determined with ELISA. CSF YKL-40 was increased in patients with active relapsing–remitting MS and correlated with the number of gadolinium enhancing lesions. Patients with secondary progressive MS had similar high levels of YKL-40, whereas not active relapsing–remitting MS patients had YKL-40 levels comparable to healthy controls

Neurodevelopmental delay in the Cln3Δex7/8 mouse model for Batten disease

Juvenile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (JNCL), also known as Batten disease, is a fatal inherited neurodegenerative disorder. The major clinical features of this disease are vision loss, seizures and progressive cognitive and motor decline starting in childhood. Mutations in CLN3 are known to cause the disease, allowing the generation of mouse models that are powerful tools for JNCL research. In this study, we applied behavioural phenotyping protocols to test for early behavioural alterations in Cln3(Deltaex7/8) knock-in mice, a genetic model that harbours the most common disease-causing CLN3 mutation. We found delayed acquisition of developmental milestones, including negative geotaxis, grasping, wire suspension time and postural reflex in both homozygous and heterozygous Cln3(Deltaex7/8) preweaning pups. To further investigate the consequences of this neurodevelopmental delay, we studied the behaviour of juvenile mice and found that homozygous and heterozygous Cln3(Deltaex7/8) knock-in mice also exhibit deficits in exploratory activity. Moreover, when analysing motor behaviour, we observed severe motor deficits in Cln3(Deltaex7/8) homozygous mice, but only a mild impairment in motor co-ordination and ambulatory gait in Cln3(Deltaex7/8) heterozygous animals. This study reveals previously overlooked behaviour deficits in neonate and young adult Cln3(Deltaex7/8) mice indicating neurodevelopmental delay as a putative novel component of JNCL.Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT) project PTDC/SAU-NEU/70161/2006, NIH R01NS044310 and the BeatBatten Foundation. N.S.O. was supported by the PhD grant15318 from F

METHODOLOGY FOR ASSESSING THE EFFECT OF ELECTROSTATIC DISCHARGE ON THE FUNCTIONING OF ELECTRONIC DEVICES

At present, with the constant increase in the number of electronic devices, there are many problems with ensuring their electromagnetic compatibility (EMC).The article describes a method for assessing the effect of electrostatic discharge on the functioning of electronic de-vices

Reliability of MRI findings in candidates for lumbar disc prosthesis

Introduction: Limited reliability data exist for localised magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings relevant to planning of treatment with lumbar disc prosthesis and later outcomes. We assessed the reliability of such findings in chronic low back pain patients who were accepted candidates for disc prosthesis. Methods: On pretreatment MRI of 170 patients (mean age 41 years; 88 women), three experienced radiologists independently rated Modic changes, disc findings and facet arthropathy at L3/L4, L4/L5 and L5/S1. Two radiologists rerated 126 examinations. For each MRI finding at each disc level, agreement was analysed using the kappa statistic and differences in prevalence across observers using a fixed effects model. Results: All findings at L3/L4 and facet arthropathy at L5/S1 had a mean prevalence <10% across observers and were not further analysed, ensuring interpretable kappa values. Overall interobserver agreement was generally moderate or good (kappa 0.40–0.77) at L4–S1 for Modic changes, nucleus pulposus signal, disc height (subjective and measured), posterior high-intensity zone (HIZ) and disc contour, and fair (kappa 0.24) at L4/L5 for facet arthropathy. Posterior HIZ at L5/S1 and severely reduced subjective disc height at L4/L5 differed up to threefold in prevalence between observers (p< 0.0001). Intraobserver agreement was mostly good or very good (kappa 0.60–1.00). Conclusion: In candidates for disc prosthesis, mostly moderate interobserver agreement is expected for localised MRI findings

Does lumbar spinal degeneration begin with the anterior structures? A study of the observed epidemiology in a community-based population

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background-</p> <p>Prior studies that have concluded that disk degeneration uniformly precedes facet degeneration have been based on convenience samples of individuals with low back pain. We conducted a study to examine whether the view that spinal degeneration begins with the anterior spinal structures is supported by epidemiologic observations of degeneration in a community-based population.</p> <p>Methods-</p> <p>361 participants from the Framingham Heart Study were included in this study. The prevalences of anterior vertebral structure degeneration (disk height loss) and posterior vertebral structure degeneration (facet joint osteoarthritis) were characterized by CT imaging. The cohort was divided into the structural subgroups of participants with 1) no degeneration, 2) isolated anterior degeneration (without posterior degeneration), 3) combined anterior and posterior degeneration, and 4) isolated posterior degeneration (without anterior structure degeneration). We determined the prevalence of each degeneration pattern by age group < 45, 45-54, 55-64, ≥65. In multivariate analyses we examined the association between disk height loss and the response variable of facet joint osteoarthritis, while adjusting for age, sex, BMI, and smoking.</p> <p>Results-</p> <p>As the prevalence of the no degeneration and isolated anterior degeneration patterns decreased with increasing age group, the prevalence of the combined anterior/posterior degeneration pattern increased. 22% of individuals demonstrated isolated posterior degeneration, without an increase in prevalence by age group. Isolated posterior degeneration was most common at the L5-S1 and L4-L5 spinal levels. In multivariate analyses, disk height loss was independently associated with facet joint osteoarthritis, as were increased age (years), female sex, and increased BMI (kg/m²), but not smoking.</p> <p>Conclusions-</p> <p>The observed epidemiology of lumbar spinal degeneration in the community-based population is consistent with an ordered progression beginning in the anterior structures, for the majority of individuals. However, some individuals demonstrate atypical patterns of degeneration, beginning in the posterior joints. Increased age and BMI, and female sex may be related to the occurrence of isolated posterior degeneration in these individuals.</p