Coping related variables, cardiac vagal activity and working memory performance under pressure

The aim of this study was to assess the predictive role of coping related variables (trait emotional intelligence and reinvestment, challenge and threat appraisals and cardiac vagal activity) on cardiac vagal activity and working memory under low pressure (LP) and high pressure (HP) conditions. Participants (n = 49) completed trait questionnaires, the Decision Specific Reinvestment Scale, the Movement Specific Reinvestment Scale and Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire. They realized the automated span task, which tests working memory, under counterbalanced LP and HP conditions. Cardiac vagal activity measurements were taken at rest, task and post task for 5 min, along with self-reported ratings of stress. Upon completion of the task, self-report measures of motivation, stress appraisal, attention and perceived pressure were completed. Current findings suggest cardiac vagal activity at rest can predict cardiac vagal activity under pressure, decision reinvestment influences cardiac vagal activity in cognitive tasks under LP and working memory performance is predicted by task cardiac vagal activity in HP only. These results show the importance of combining both subjective and objective psychophysiological variables in performance prediction and strengthen the need for this approach to be adopted across samples

Forage Quality of Mixtures of \u3ci\u3eBromus wildenowii\u3c/i\u3e and \u3ci\u3eB. parodii\u3c/i\u3e Influenced by Nitrogen Fertilization or Alfalfa Interseeding

Under good soil fertility conditions, Bromus wildenowii Kunth and Bromus parodii Covas et Itria are two high producing forage grasses. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of nitrogen fertilization or the association with alfalfa (Medicago sativa L) on yield and forage quality of mixtures of both grasses during the establishment year. Nitrogen fertilizer (300 kg ha-1) was broadcasted in three 100 kg N dosis. Nitrogen fertilization or alfalfa intercropping did not increase dry matter yield. Tiller density and crude protein content of grass forage were increased by nitrogen application. Intercropped alfalfa increased N content of grasses mixture. In vitro dry matter disappearance, neutral detergent fiber and lignin content were not affected by treatments

²¹⁰Pb- ²²⁶Ra chronology reveals rapid growth rate of Madrepora oculata and Lophelia pertusa on world's largest cold-water coral reef

Here we show the use of the 210Pb- 226Ra excess method to determine the growth rate of two corals from the world's largest known cold-water coral reef, Røst Reef, north of the Arctic circle off Norway. Colonies of each of the two species that build the reef, Lophelia pertusa and Madrepora oculata, were collected alive at 350 m depth using a submersible. Pb and Ra isotopes were measured along the major growth axis of both specimens using low level alpha and gamma spectrometry and trace element compositions were studied. 210Pb and 226Ra differ in the way they are incorporated into coral skeletons. Hence, to assess growth rates, we considered the exponential decrease of initially incorporated 210Pb, as well as the increase in 210Pb from the decay of 226Ra and contamination with 210Pb associated with Mn-Fe coatings that we were unable to remove completely from the oldest parts of the skeletons. 226Ra activity was similar in both coral species, so, assuming constant uptake of 210Pb through time, we used the 210Pb- 226Ra chronology to calculate growth rates. The 45.5 cm long branch of M. oculata was 31 yr with an average linear growth rate of 14.4 ± 1.1 mm yr -1 (2.6 polyps per year). Despite cleaning, a correction for Mn-Fe oxide contamination was required for the oldest part of the colony; this correction corroborated our radiocarbon date of 40 yr and a mean growth rate of 2 polyps yr -1. This rate is similar to the one obtained in aquarium experiments under optimal growth conditions. For the 80 cm-long L. pertusa colony, metal-oxide contamination remained in both the middle and basal part of the coral skeleton despite cleaning, inhibiting similar age and growth rate estimates. The youngest part of the colony was free of metal oxides and this 15 cm section had an estimated a growth rate of 8 mm yr -1, with high uncertainty (∼1 polyp every two to three years). We are less certain of this 210Pb growth rate estimate which is within the lowermost ranges of previous growth rate estimates. We show that 210Pb- 226Ra dating can be successfully applied to determine the age and growth rate of framework-forming cold-water corals if Mn-Fe oxide deposits can be removed. Where metal oxides can be removed, large M. oculata and L. pertusa skeletons provide archives for studies of intermediate water masses with an up to annual time resolution and spanning over many decades. © 2012 Author(s)

On prefix palindromic length of automatic words

The prefix palindromic length $\mathrm{PPL}_{\mathbf{u}}(n)$ of an infinite word $\mathbf{u}$ is the minimal number of concatenated palindromes needed to express the prefix of length $n$ of $\mathbf{u}$. Since 2013, it is still unknown if $\mathrm{PPL}_{\mathbf{u}}(n)$ is unbounded for every aperiodic infinite word $\mathbf{u}$, even though this has been proven for almost all aperiodic words. At the same time, the only well-known nontrivial infinite word for which the function $\mathrm{PPL}_{\mathbf{u}}(n)$ has been precisely computed is the Thue-Morse word $\mathbf{t}$. This word is $2$-automatic and, predictably, its function $\mathrm{PPL}_{\mathbf{t}}(n)$ is $2$-regular, but is this the case for all automatic words? In this paper, we prove that this function is $k$-regular for every $k$-automatic word containing only a finite number of palindromes. For two such words, namely the paperfolding word and the Rudin-Shapiro word, we derive a formula for this function. Our computational experiments suggest that generally this is not true: for the period-doubling word, the prefix palindromic length does not look $2$-regular, and for the Fibonacci word, it does not look Fibonacci-regular. If proven, these results would give rare (if not first) examples of a natural function of an automatic word which is not regular.Comment: revised version, to appear in Theoret. Comput. Sc

The DEF’s of LIGA: An Update to the ABC’s of LIGA

The article offers information on ABC\u27s of Louisiana Insurance Guaranty Association (LIGA), and discusses its role in interpreting and understanding the law applicable to the LIGA, and discusses its benefits to legal practitioners

Una opinión sobre el estado actual y las perspectivas de la ganadería bovina en el sudoeste bonaerense

La presente exposición no tiene un carácter estrictamente técnico sino que trata de presentar las opiniones condensadas de varios actores que han tenido desempeño profesional en producción animal en distintas zonas que componen el sudoeste bonaerense (SOB). Con las entrevistas mantenidas con todos ellos se resumió una opinión sobre la evolución que tuvo la ganadería luego de los aportes en conocimientos en sanidad., genética y nutrición animal difundidos en los últimos de 30-40 años. Asimismo se evaluaron perspectivas hacia el futuro de la actividad en la región.Academia Nacional de Agronomía y Veterinari

Yield and Forage Quality in Alfalfa-Weeping Lovegrass Mixtures

Little is known about the relative performance of weeping lovegrass in mixtures with alfalfa. Our objective was to compare the productivity and forage quality of monocultures and binary mixtures of the species. Mixtures always gave higher yields than any of the monocultures and the highest was obtained in the mixture with the largest proportion of alfalfa. In the second year weeping lovegrass N concentration in the mixtures were higher than in monoculture. Weeping lovegrass did not affect the alfalfa N concentration. There was not differences in the NDF, for between these species