Quackgrass is the most serious perennial grassy weed of wheat in Manitoba. Field experiments and surveys investigating the nature and extent of interference in monocultures and mixtures of quackgrass and wheat were conducted over the years 1987 to 1989 at Portage La Prairie, Manitoba, Canada. Intraspecific and interspecific interference between spring wheat and quackgrass was investigated in the field using an additive series design consisting of five replacement series proportions at total stand densities of 75, 150, and 300 plants sqM. A revised synthetic no-interaction analysis determined that wheat was superior to quackgrass in both intraspecific and interpecific interference and that niche dedifferentiation was large. Quackgrass reproductive variable were less sensitive to interspecific interference than were vegetative variables. Surveys of commercial fields of spring wheat infested with quackgrass were conducted using a dynamic stratified random sampling design in which systematic samples were taken at approximately 30, 60 and 93 days after planting. Wheat yield loss, as a percentage of weed-free yield, (Yw%) was related to spring quackgrass shoot counts/m-2 (Qs) by a rectangular hyperbolic model of the form Yw% = 98.7(1-0.433(Qs)/100(1+(0.433(Qs)/193.7))). Wheat kernel weight was the wheat yield component most influenced by quackgrass infestation. In quackgrass populations the majority of new rhizome production occurred during wheat senescence and biomass partitioning to heads increased as quackgrass infestation increased. Allometric models of the relationship between quackgrass parts were site specific and generally became more accurate the later the sampling date. A set of models relating spring quackgrass infestation to yield losses in hard red spring wheat, flax, and polish canola were combined with allometric models in a multi-year spreadsheet (Lotus 1-2-3, v 3.1) model. Simulations run using the multi-year model demonstrated the potential of a spreadsheet model of assisting in weed control decisions.

Tyrimo aktualumas. Klubo sąnario endoprotezavimo operacija – tai viena iš labiausiai kliniškai sėkmingų ir veiksmingų duodanti ilgalaikius rezultatus siekiant sumažinti skausmą, pagerinti funkciją ir gyvenimo kokybę pacientams sergantiems klubo sąnario ligomis (Ferrata et al., 2011). Tyrimo objektas: kineziterapijos efektyvumas šlaunies sąnarių amplitudei, šlaunies raumenų jėgai, skausmui ir funkciniam mobilumui, pacientams po klubo sąnario endoprotezavimo. Tyrimo tikslas - įvertinti kineziterapijos poveikį klubo sąnario judesių amplitudei, šlaunies raumenų jėgai, skausmui ir savarankiškumui po klubo sąnario endoprotezavimo. Tyrimo uždaviniai: 1) įvertinti endoprotezuotos kojos šlaunies judesių amplitudės kitimą taikant kineziterapiją; 2) įvertinti endoprotezuotos kojos šlaunies raumenų jėgos kitimą taikant kineziterapiją; 3) įvertinti endoprotezuotos kojos skausmo kitimą taikant kineziterapiją; 4) įvertinti funkcinio mobilumo kitimą taikant kineziterapiją. Hipotezė: kinezitrepijos taikymas bus efektyvesnis pacientams, kuriems endoprotezavimo operacija atlikta dėl šlaunikaulio kaklelio lūžio, nei pacientams, kuriems operacija atlikta dėl koksartrozės. Išvados: 1. Po kineziterapijos procedūrų, endoprotezuotos kojos šlaunies lenkimo amplitudė statistiškai reikšmingai daugiau padidėjo pacientams, kuriems operacija buvo atlikta dėl koksartrozės. 2. Po kineziterapijos procedūrų, endoprotezuotos kojos šlaunies lekiamųjų raumenų jėga statsitiškai reikšmingai daugiau... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Importance of the study: Hip joint replacement – one of the most common and clinically successful procedures, which provides longterm results, in order to reduce pain, increase life quality in patients with hip joint diseases (Ferrata et al., 2011). Object of study: physiotherapy effectiveness on hip range of motion, hip muscle strength, pain and functional mobility in patients after hip replacement. Goal of the study: to assess physiotherapy influence to hip joint range of motion, hip muscle strength, pain and functional mobility after hip joint replacement. Aims of the study: 1) To assess hip range of motion after hip replacement applying physiotherapy; 2) To assess hip muscle strength after hip replacement applying physiotherapy; 3) To assess hip pain changes after hip replacement applying physiotherapy; 4) To assess functional mobility changes after hip replacement applying physiotherapy Hypothesis: physiotherapy will be more affective on patients who have had hip replacement after hip column fracture than for patients who have had hip replacement because of coxarthrosis. Conclusions: 1. After physiotherapy on patients who have had hip replacement, hip range of motion statistically significant improved on patients who have had surgery after coxarthrosis. 2. After physiotherapy on patients who have had hip replacement, hip muscle strength statistically significant improved on patients who have had surgery after hip column fracture. 3. After physiotherapy on... [to full text]

SUMMARY The amount of disabled people of working age is icreasing in Lithuania. In the second place in the structure of primary disablement are connective tissue and muscle-skeleton diseases. In 2002 for the first time recognized as invalids were 2898 persons, in 2003 – 3448 persons. Part of inhabitants are becoming invalids because of the joint diseases. The most effective and modern treatment of hip arthrosis and some other hip joint diseases is total hip arthroplasty. In 2003 the State Patient’s Cash has received 4704 requests for total hip arthroplasty. This problem becoms more and more urgent (State Patient’s Cashies, 2004). Kinesitherapy in the gym and in the swimming pool are the main means used in the restoring of functional abilities of the patients after total hip arthroplasty. One can find the data about the efficiency of kinesitherapy for the patients after total hip replacement, but there is no separate data about efficiency of the kinesitherapy in the swimming pool. The aim of the research: to evaluate the efficiency of the kinesitherapy in the swimming pool for the patients after total hip replacement. The tasks: 1. To evaluate the change of functional abilities of the patients, who received the kinesitherapy in the gym. 2. To evaluate the change of functional abilities of the patients, who received the kinesitherapy in the gym and in the swimming pool. 3. To compare the change of functional abilities between the patients of both groups. 4. To establish the... [to full text]

Background: During the past 5 decades, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) has been used, and appreciated for its beneficial effects, by millions of women in their menopause. As treatment for climacteric symptoms, estrogen is outstanding, and effects on hot flushes, vaginal dryness, and insomnia have been widely documented. The increased risks of venous thrombosis and breast cancer, however, restrict the use of estrogen. Estrogen treatment in women with a remaining uterus includes a progestin, added to protect the endometrium from hyperplasia and malignancies. The long-standing clinical impression, that progestin addition negatively influences mood, has been discussed in previous studies. Mood deterioration is, however, not mortal, although mood is important to the wellbeing and daily functioning of women treated with hormones. Studies of the mental side effects of HRT add to our understanding of steroid effects in the brain. Aims and methods: In our studies, we aimed to establish to what extent negative side effects cause women to discontinue HRT, and find out which drug compounds lead to mood deterioration. The questions asked were whether the type and dose of progestin and the estrogen dose during the progestin addition influence the mood and physical symptoms during sequential HRT. Compliance with HRT and reasons for discontinuing the therapy were evaluated in a retrospective longitudinal follow-up study. Treatment effects were studied in three randomized, double-blind, cross-over trials. During continuous estrogen treatment, effects of sequential addition of a progestin were studied by comparing two different progestins, medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) andnorethisterone acetate (NETA), comparing different doses of the same progestin, MPA, and comparing two doses of estrogen during addition of the same dose of MPA. The main outcome measure was the daily rating on mood and physical symptoms kept by the participants throughout the studies. The clinical trials were carried out at three gynecological centers in northern Sweden. Results and conclusions: Besides fear of cancer and a wish to determine whether climacteric symptoms had meanwhile disappeared, negative side effects was the most common reason or discontinuing HRT. Tension in the breasts, weight gain, a depressed mood, abdominal bloating, and irritability were the most important side effects seen both in women who continued HRT and in women who had discontinued the therapy. In our clinical trials, we showed that addition of a progestin to estrogen treatment induces cyclic mood swings characterized by tension, irritability, and depression, as well as increased breast tension, bloatedness, and hot flushes. Women with a history of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) appeared to be more sensitive to the progestin addition and responded with lower mood scores compared with women without previous PMS. In our studies, MPA provoked depressed mood to a lesser extent than did NETA. Surprisingly, the higher dose of MPA (20 mg) enhanced the mood, compared with 10 mg, when added to estrogen treatment. In women continuously treated with 3 mg estradiol, mood and physical symptoms worsened during the progestin addition, as compared with treatment with 2 mg estradiol. The negative side effects seen during sequential HRT have much in common with symptoms seen in the premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), which is a psychoneuroendocrine disorder with psychiatric expression. Explanations for treatment effects on mood are likely to be found in drug interactions with neurotransmitter systems of the brain. / <p>Diss. (sammanfattning) Umeå : Umeå universitet, 2003</p> / digitalisering@umu

This dissertation details three studies dealing with the manipulation of nucleicacids. In the first investigation, each of the four natural nucleobases were analyzed for theability to serve as a universal template at the ligation junction of a T4 DNA ligasereaction. This resulted in the first instance of sequence-independent ligation catalyzed byany DNA ligase. Although all of the nucleobases display universal templatingcapabilities, thymidine and guanosine provided the most effective results. In addition,lowered MgCl2 and ATP concentrations, as well as the inclusion of DMSO, also aided inthe sequence-independent ligation reported here. In the course of these studies, currentmethods of removing urea from denaturing-gel purified nucleic acids provedcumbersome. Therefore, in the second study simple butanol extraction was examined as ameans to eliminate urea from nucleic acid solutions. Stepwise butanol extraction was themost effective approach to solving this problem and provided a much needed techniquefor nucleic acid purification. This type of extraction also does not result in significantlosses of nucleic acid sample. The third study exploits the molecular recognition andcatalytic properties inherent in an autocatalytic group I intron to develop a ribozyme thatcan replace the 5' end of an RNA substrate with a different RNA. This 5' replacementsplicing reaction can potentially repair mutations on the 5' ends of RNA transcripts thatlead to a variety of genetic mutations. The model system was a common mutation in asmall model mimic of the k-ras gene in vitro, which predisposes individuals to lungcancer. This 5' replacement splicing reaction occurred in vitro using this small modelsystem; the reaction was also enhanced by the alteration of the molecular interactionsinvolved. The results and implications of each of these studies are detailed in thisdissertation.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of the Augmented Soft Tissue Mobilization (A.S.T.M.) Rehabilitation Technique on total knee replacement patients. The specific measurements assessed were stride length (SL), stride frequency (SF), walking velocity, support time (ST), total time (TT), static and walking range of motion (ROM) of the hip, knee, and ankle, ground reaction forces (GRF), and torques. Fourteen subjects (Female = 7, Male = 7) completed the study. Subjects were randomly assigned to two experimental groups, the Traditional Therapy treatment or the A.S.T.M. treatment. There were five testing sessions: pre operation, 8 weeks, 12 weeks, 16 weeks, and 24 weeks post operation. On the 12 week test, the subject had completed their assigned of treatment protocol. Static ROM was derived from gonimetric measurements before each testing session. Stride length, stride frequency, velocity, time, and walking ROM were derived from accelerometer data. Statistical analysis using ANOVA revealed a significant change in all static ROM, SL, and ST. The data indicated that both groups of the Total Knee Replacement patients did improve their functional status from their status prior to surgery. In addition, the data indicated that the Augmented Soft Tissue Mobilization program and the Traditional Therapy program are equally acceptable rehabilitation techniques. / School of Physical Education

The optimal replacement policy for an asset subject to a stochastic deteriorating operating cost is determined for three different tax depreciation schedules and a known re-investment cost, as the solution to a two-factor model using a quasi-analytical method. We find that tax depreciation exerts a critical influence over the replacement policy by lowering the operating cost thresholds. Although typically a decline in the corporate tax rate, increase in any initial capital allowance, or decrease in the depreciation lifetime (increase in depreciation rate) results in a lower operating cost threshold which justifies replacing older equipment, these results are not universal, and indeed for younger age assets the result may be the opposite. An accelerating depreciation schedule may incentivize early replacement in a deterministic context, but not necessarily for an environment of uncertainty.

A reforming trend is captured showing that countries are shifting from defined benefit pension systems towards defined contribution systems. The reforms have been justified through predictions that the defined benefit systems will not manage to provide good enough pensions to members in the future. The newer defined contribution pension plans often include individual financial accounts where individuals have the possibility to choose how a part of their pension savings should be invested. Sweden was early to introduce such a system, which at the moment provides more than 800 funds to choose from. The aim of this thesis is to capture the market risk associated with these individual investments and does so by using Monte Carlo simulations for six selected pension funds. The method produces forecasts of replacement ratios, pension as percentage of pre-retirement income, for two hypothetical individuals: one who starts to work right after elementary school and one individual who starts a five year education and after graduation starts to work. The results show a slightly lower replacement ratio for the educated individual, which also is associated with a higher probability of ending up with a low replacement ratio. The market risk also varies between the funds, which implies that the funds should be chosen with great care. The study ends with arguments for an increasing paternalism with a carefully considered fund offering, providing fewer funds to choose from than today.

Quackgrass is the most serious perennial grassy weed of wheat in Manitoba. Field experiments and surveys investigating the nature and extent of interference in monocultures and mixtures of quackgrass and wheat were conducted over the years 1987 to 1989 at Portage La Prairie, Manitoba, Canada. Intraspecific and interspecific interference between spring wheat and quackgrass was investigated in the field using an additive series design consisting of five replacement series proportions at total stand densities of 75, 150, and 300 plants sqM. A revised synthetic no-interaction analysis determined that wheat was superior to quackgrass in both intraspecific and interpecific interference and that niche dedifferentiation was large. Quackgrass reproductive variable were less sensitive to interspecific interference than were vegetative variables. Surveys of commercial fields of spring wheat infested with quackgrass were conducted using a dynamic stratified random sampling design in which systematic samples were taken at approximately 30, 60 and 93 days after planting. Wheat yield loss, as a percentage of weed-free yield, (Yw%) was related to spring quackgrass shoot counts/m-2 (Qs) by a rectangular hyperbolic model of the form Yw% = 98.7(1-0.433(Qs)/100(1+(0.433(Qs)/193.7))). Wheat kernel weight was the wheat yield component most influenced by quackgrass infestation. In quackgrass populations the majority of new rhizome production occurred during wheat senescence and biomass partitioning to heads increased as quackgrass infestation increased. Allometric models of the relationship between quackgrass parts were site specific and generally became more accurate the later the sampling date. A set of models relating spring quackgrass infestation to yield losses in hard red spring wheat, flax, and polish canola were combined with allometric models in a multi-year spreadsheet (Lotus 1-2-3, v 3.1) model. Simulations run using the multi-year model demonstrated the potential of a spreadsheet model of assisting in weed control decisions.

Developmental processes are carefully controlled at the level of transcription to ensure that the fertilized egg develops into an adult organism. The mechanisms that controls transcription of protein-coding genes ultimately ensure that the Pol II machine synthesizes mRNA from the correct set of genes in every cell type. Transcriptional control involves Pol II recruitment as well as transcriptional elongation. Recent genome-wide studies shows that recruitment of Pol II is often followed by an intermediate step where Pol II is halted in a promoter-proximal paused configuration. The release of Pol II from promoter-proximal pausing is thus an additional and commonly occurring mechanism in metazoan gene regulation. The serine kinase P-TEFb is part of the Super Elongation Complex that regulates the release of paused Pol II into productive elongation. However, little is known about the role of P-TEFb mediated gene expression in development. We have investigated the function of P-TEFb in early Drosophila embryogenesis and find that P-TEFb and other Super Elongation Complex subunits are critical for activation of the most early expressed genes. We demonstrate an unexpected function for Super Elongation Complex in activation of genes with non-paused Pol II. Furthermore, the Super Elongation Complex shares phenotypes with subunits of the Mediator complex to control the activation of essential developmental genes. This raises the possibility that the Super Elongation Complex has an unappreciated role in the recruitment of Pol II to promoters. The unique chromatin landscape of each cell type is comprised of post-translational chromatin modifications such as histone methylations and acetylations. To study the function of histone modifications during development, we depleted the histone demethylase KDM4A in Drosophila to evaluate the role of KDM4A and histone H3 lysine 36 trimethylation (H3K36me3) in gene regulation. We find that KDM4A has a male-specific function and regulates gene expression both by catalytic-dependent and independent mechanisms. Furthermore, we used histone replacement to investigate the direct role of H3K14 acetylation in a multicellular organism. We show that H3K14 acetylation is essential for development, but is not cell lethal, suggesting that H3K14 acetylation has a critical role in developmental gene regulation. This work expands our knowledge of the mechanisms that precisely controls gene regulation and transcription, and in addition highlights the complexity of metazoan development. / <p>At the time of the doctoral defense, the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 1: Manuscript. Paper 3: Manuscript.</p>