Influence of testing procedure on evaluation of white clover (Trifolium repens L.)

peer-reviewedThis study examined data sets derived from the white clover cultivar evaluation programmes of AFBI (N. Ireland), and DAFF (Republic of Ireland) to determine whether elite performing genotypes are identifiable, independent of test procedure and leaf size factors. Genetic variation in yield and persistency, independent of the leaf size continuum effect, was observed. Identification of elite cultivars by breeders or testers therefore required readjustment of assessment standards to account for the mostly curvilinear relationships between performance and leaf size. The different testing procedures, involving cutting or grazing at different heights, frequencies and nitrogen rates changed the relative performances between the cultivars, making it difficult to predict performance potential beyond specific test conditions. The underlying causes for these changes in rankings was considered, including sensitivity to season and location, the antagonistic affects of defoliation pressure and companion grass competition, the independence of different seasonal profiles and the probable role of other morphological characteristics. In is concluded that testing authorities must calculate the management by leaf size relationships to adjust pass/fail standards if elite performing cultivars are to be correctly indentified

A note on the comparison of three near infrared reflectance spectroscopy calibration strategies for assessing herbage quality of ryegrass

peer-reviewedPerennial ryegrass (n = 1,836), Italian ryegrass (n = 137) and hybrid ryegrass (n = 103) herbage was taken from harvested plots from the Irish national variety evaluation scheme and analysed for in vitro dry matter digestibility, water soluble carbohydrate concentration, crude protein concentration and buffering capacity. Spectral data were obtained using near infrared reflectance spectroscopy and three calibration strategies (global, species-specific or local) were utilised to relate the reference values to the spectral data. The local strategy generally provided the poorest estimation of herbage composition, with global and species-specific calibration strategies producing similarly accurate estimates of each quality trait. The higher accuracy and easier maintenance of the global strategy make it the recommended calibration method for analysing quality of ryegrass.Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine Research Stimulus Fund (07 526

Mapping Patterns of Restricted and Repetitive Behaviours and Media Use in Youth Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Typically Developing Youth

In recent years, the potential influences of media use on youth mental health and development have received increasing attention. Emerging research has suggested that youth diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) use media in problematic ways. However, few studies have investigated the possibility that the media use shown by these youths may be an extension of the symptoms of ASD into the media context. The current study explored similarities between classical restricted repetitive behaviours (RRBs) and proposed media RRBs in children with ASD. A sample of 36 parents of 4- to 11-year-old children (ASD = 25; non-ASD = 11) completed online surveys on RRBs, and media use. Classical RRBs were associated with greater numbers of media RRBs in children with ASD, and media RRBs were also observed in greater frequencies in these children compared with children without ASD. Children with ASD also demonstrated greater frequency, intensity, and duration of distress in response to interruption or prevented use of media than children without ASD. However, age and adaptive functioning level did not exhibit statistically significant associations to media RRBs in either of these group. Findings suggested that the ways children with ASD use media may reflect the underlying symptoms of ASD. The types of media accessed, the time spent engaged in different leisure activities, and number of digital literacy skills were also explored to find potential similarities and differences in the media use characteristics of children both with and without a diagnosis of ASD. Proposed media RRBs have implications for future research and clinical application, considering the incorporation of technology-based behavioural addictions in the current mental health diagnostic systems

Comparison of herbage yield, nutritive value and ensilability traits of three ryegrass species evaluated for the Irish Recommended List

peer-reviewedThis study examined 169 of the newest varieties of three ryegrass species, perennial (Lolium perenne L.), Italian (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) and hybrid (Lolium boucheanum Kunth), from Recommended List trials in Ireland. The traits examined were yield, dry matter concentration, three nutritive value traits (in vitro dry matter digestibility, water-soluble carbohydrate on a dry matter basis and crude protein concentration) and two ensilability traits (buffering capacity and water soluble carbohydrate concentration on an aqueous phase basis). Varietal monocultures of each species underwent a six cut combined simulated grazing and silage management in each of two years following sowing. Perennial ryegrass yielded less than both other species in one-year-old swards, but less than only Italian ryegrass in two-year-old swards, but generally had the higher in vitro dry matter digestibility and crude protein values. Italian ryegrass displayed the most favourable ensilability characteristics of the three species with perennial ryegrass less favourable and hybrid ryegrass intermediate. Overall, despite the high yields and favourable nutritive value and ensilability traits recorded, the general differences between the three ryegrass species studied were in line with industry expectations. These findings justify assessing the nutritive value and ensilability of ryegrass species, in addition to yield, to allow farmers select species that match farming enterprise requirements.We acknowledge the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine for funding provided through the Research Stimulus Fund (07 526

The Formation Rate of Blue Stragglers in 47 Tucanae

We investigate the effects of changes in the blue straggler formation rate in globular clusters on the blue straggler distribution in the color-magnitude diagram. We find that the blue straggler distribution is highly sensitive to the past formation rate. Comparing our models to new UBV observations of a region close to the core of 47 Tucanae suggests that this cluster may have stopped forming blue straggler formation several Gyr ago. This cessation of formation can be associated with an epoch of primordial binary burning which has been invoked in other clusters to infer the imminence of core collapse.Comment: 17 pages, 9 figures, submitted to the Astrophysical Journa

A massive exoplanet candidate around KOI-13: Independent confirmation by ellipsoidal variations

We present an analysis of the KOI-13.01 candidate exoplanet system included in the September 2011 Kepler data release. The host star is a known and relatively bright $(m_{\rm KP} = 9.95)$ visual binary with a separation significantly smaller (0.8 arcsec) than the size of a Kepler pixel (4 arcsec per pixel). The Kepler light curve shows both primary and secondary eclipses, as well as significant out-of-eclipse light curve variations. We confirm that the transit occurs round the brighter of the two stars. We model the relative contributions from (i) thermal emission from the companion, (ii) planetary reflected light, (iii) Doppler beaming, and (iv) ellipsoidal variations in the host-star arising from the tidal distortion of the host star by its companion. Our analysis, based on the light curve alone, enables us to constrain the mass of the KOI-13.01 companion to be $M_{\rm C} = 8.3 \pm 1.25M_{\rm J}$ and thus demonstrates that the transiting companion is a planet (rather than a brown dwarf which was recently proposed by \cite{b7}). The high temperature of the host star (Spectral Type A5-7V, $T_{\rm eff} = 8511-8020$ K), combined with the proximity of its companion KOI-13.01, may make it one of the hottest exoplanets known, with a detectable thermal contribution to the light curve even in the Kepler optical passband. However, the single passband of the Kepler light curve does not enable us to unambiguously distinguish between the thermal and reflected components of the planetary emission. Infrared observations may help to break the degeneracy, while radial velocity follow-up with $\sigma \sim$ 100 m s$^{-1}$ precision should confirm the mass of the planet.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figure