Percentage Of Spikes Research Articles

The immediate effect of colposuspension on resting and stressed urethral pressure profiles in anaesthetized incontinent bitches.

The aim of this study was to document what changes in the resting and stressed urethral pressure profile occur in the incontinent bitch with urethral sphincter mechanism incompetence (SMI) immediately after colposuspension. Resting and stressed subtracted simultaneous urethral pressure profilometry was performed immediately pre- and postcolposuspension in 26 bitches diagnosed with SMI. All of the urethral pressure profiles were measured in anaesthetized bitches using a standard technique and two orientations of the catheter transducers (dorsal and left). Readable pre- and postoperative urethral pressure profiles were obtained in 20 of the 26 bitches. Subjective and objective evaluation of the profiles showed significant differences in the profiles pre- and postcolposuspension. Immediately postoperatively there were significant (P < .05) increases in functional profile length, maximum urethral closure pressure (MUCP), and distance between the bladder neck and the first negative respiratory peak and stressed spike. There was a significant (P < .001) decrease in the percentage of negative spikes extending below the resting intravesical pressure on the subtracted profile. The pressure transmission profiles were significantly (P < .001) altered by surgery. The findings presented support the hypothesis that colposuspension may restore continence by increasing pressure transmission to the proximal urethra and bladder neck. The results also suggest that immediately after surgery functional urethral length and urethral resistance are increased.

Comparison of stressed simultaneous urethral pressure profiles between anesthetized continent and incontinent bitches with urethral sphincter mechanism incompetence

SUMMARY The popular urodynamic technique of stressed urethral pressure profilometry used for investigation of genuine stress incontinence in women was adapted and applied to bitches. The aim was to assess the suitability and reproducibility of the technique in the canine species, and to determine whether differences seen in continent and incontinent women were found in bitches. Resting and stressed simultaneous urethral pressure profiles were obtained for 25 continent and 25 incontinent bitches, the latter diagnosed as having urethral sphincter mechanism incompetence. The stressed urethral pressure profiles were produced by ballottement of the abdomen during catheter withdrawal. The degree of stress induced was consistent and had got short-term reproducibility. Highly significant (P &lt; 0.001) differences in the percentage of negative spikes extending below the resting intravesical pressure were found between continent and incontinent bitches. Significant differences were not observed in the pressure transmission profiles between continent and incontinent bitches; both groups had a gradual decrease in pressure transmission from the bladder neck to the external urethral orifice. The distance from the start of the urethral pressure profile to the first negative peak (attributable to respiration or ballottement) on the subtracted profile was compared with the radiographic distance that the bladder neck was positioned with respect to the cranial pubic brim, taking body weight and continence status into account. Body weight and continence status did not have significant effect on the relation in either instance. The distance between the start of the urethral pressure profile and the first negative peak induced by respiration was significantly (P &lt; 0.05) related to the bladder neck position with respect to the cranial pubic brim, although it accounted for little of the total variance. Relation between the same variables during stressed urethral pressure profilometry, induced by abdominal ballottement, was not significant.

Modification of Tiller Productivity in Spring Barley by Application of Chlormequat or Ethephon

Application of plant growth regulators (PGR) to control lodging in cereal crops often increases the number of tillers and/or spikes. It is not clear whether the increment in spike numbers is due to enhanced tiller production or to an increased percentage of tiller spikes. The objective of this study was to evaluate the timing of chlormequat (2‐ chloroethyl‐N,N,N‐trimethylammonium chloride) (CCC) or ethephon (2‐chloroethyl phosphonic acid) application on tiller production and subsequent tiller growth and development in spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). A 3‐yr field study with two widely grown cultivars, Leger and Cadette, was conducted on Bearbrook clay soil (fine, mixed, nonacid Mesic Humaquept) at the Emile A. Lods Agronomy Research Center, McGill University, Canada, from 1988 to 1990. Treatments consisted of CCC (1.2 kg a.i. ha−1) or ethephon (0.48 kg a.i. ha−1) applied at Zadoks growth stages (ZGS) 13,30, or 39. Tiller production was monitored at ZGS 12,32,51, and 90. Plants treated with an early application of CCC (ZGS 13 or ZGS 30) or ethephon (ZGS 30) produced greater numbers of shoots, appearing later in time, than control plants. Early PGR treatment increased the number of spike‐bearing shoots, primarily by enhancement of tiller number (tiller‐derived spikes) rather than the spike production rate (tiller survival). Late application of CCC or ethephon at ZGS 39, when most of the tillers had emerged, resulted in a higher number of spike‐bearing shoots, mostly through the increased percentage of tiller spikes.

Experimental control of flowering and vivipary in timothy (Phleum pratense)

Environmental and hormonal control of flowering and vivipary in four Norwegian timothy (Phleum pratense L.) cultivars has been studied in phytotron and by aseptic culture of inflorescence explants. The critical photoperiod for flowering increased with increasing temperature (12–18°C) and it was 13 to 15 h for the southern and 14 to 16.5 h for the northern cultivars. Diurnal temperature fluctuation significantly stimulated flower formation compared to the corresponding constant temperature treatment. Plants grown in 16‐h photoperiod contained normal sexual flowers, but a high percentage of spikes developed in 12‐ or 14‐h photoperiod contained viviparous plantlets. One‐ to four‐weeks in continuous light before treatment with 12‐h photoperiod increased the number of spikes per plant, but did not enhance the frequency of vivipary. Experiments with aseptic cultures showed that generative versus vegetative development of timothy inflorescence was affected by plant hormones. Kinetin stimulated the vegetative development and induced proliferation both in inflorescence initials and in spikelets isolated at heading time.

Behavioral control of firing patterns of normal and abnormal neurons in chronic epileptic cortex

One hundred ninety-eight cells in chronic alumina-induced foci of three monkeys were operantly conditioned for increased and decreased rates. One hundred seven cells exhibited entirely normal firing patterns. Of the abnormal cells, two groups were distinguished on the basis of the variability of their burst index (percentage of cell spikes occurring in bursts). Group I cells fired in structured bursts with high, invariant burst indices and could not be successfully bidirectionally conditioned; Group 2 cells had lower and more variable burst indices and were as easily conditioned as normal cells. These observations provide additional evidence that activity of the majority of epileptic cells may be modified synaptically and suggests therapeutic potentials for biofeedback conditioning in epileptic patients.

GENETIC CONTROL OF AGGRESSIVENESS IN USTILAGO HORDEI. I. NATURAL VARIABILITY AMONG PHYSIOLOGICAL RACES

A biometrical genetic study was carried out to investigate the natural variability in aggressiveness (degree of virulence) among the 13 races of U. hordei using monosporidial cultures isolated at random to set up all possible combinations among the races. Barley plants of the variety Odessa were used as host in a completely randomized blocks experiment where aggressiveness was recorded as percentage of infected spikes in a row of 30 plants.A considerable amount of variability was detected, race No. 1 being the most and race No. 5 the least in aggressiveness. Genetic variability amounted to 51.23% of the total phenotypic variability. It was obvious that most of the genetic variability was due to additive genetic effects, suggesting no important role of dominance and epistasis. The practical application of the findings in developing resistant varieties of plants is discussed.

MOdification of the electrical activity of the human intestine after serotonin and caerulein.

The effects of serotonin and caerulein on the electrical activity of the human small intestine has been investigated. In a dose of 2.5 mg intravenuously, serotonin induces a strong motor response, with an increase in slow-wave amplitude (P<0.01) and a decrease in frequency (P<0.001). The percentage of bursts of spike, their duration and amplitude increased significantly (P<0.01 andP<0.05). The administration of caerulein (2 ng/kg/minute intravenously) inhibited spike percentage duration in the first and second portion of the duodenum, and a significant increase in the third and upper small intestine. Caerulein caused a significant decrease in slow-wave frquency (P<0.01) at every level. The possibility that the above substances have a direct effect on pace-setter potential is discussed. The purpose of the present investigation is to study the effect of serotonin* and caerulein* on the electrical activity in the human small intestine.

Studies on downy mildew of hop plants

This study was conducted at Furusato Hop Research Laboratory, Nagano Prefecture, by using Variety Shinshuwase grown in the field of this Laboratory. Three types of symptoms which were reported by Ware (1926) and Salmon & Ware (1927), i.e., basal, terminal, and lateral spikes, appear after the shoots began to elongate in late April to early May. Anatomical studies on the distribution of mycelium in each type of spikes revealed that almost all basal spikes and Type A of lateral ones carried mycelia in pith, whereas most of terminal ones and Type B of lateral ones contained mycelia in cortex. In basal spikes, mycelia grew upward within the pith as the shoot elongated and then shifted to the cortex. Thus they produced sporangia on the surface of stem and, also on the lower surface of leaves. The sporangia caused secondary infection and resulted in the formation of terminal and lateral spikes. Sometimes the combination of primary and secondary infections become in the origin of terminal and secondary spikes. Leaf infection was caused by both sporangia formed on these spikes and oospores survived in the debris. The optimun temperature for the germination of sporangia and oospores lies between 18 and 21°C. Fresh sporangia germinated within an hour. The oospores produced in the preceding year retained the ability to germinate, and the low temperature during their survival favored their longevity. Sporangia were produced in 4 to 5 days after zoospores were inoculated on the lower surface of leaves. In cones, bracts and bracteoles were most easily infected, causing a conspicuous decrease of resin content. Straps and rootstocks were successfully infected with the inoculation in late September and caused a considerable percentage of basal spikes in the following spring. Autumn foliar spray of Bordeaux mixture for consecutive four years decreased the percentage of basal spikes year by year. The present author emphasized the importance of wintered mycelium in rootstocks as the source of primary infection and the necessity to prevent the late infection.