An empirical evaluation of a set of recommendations for extrasensory perception experimental research

One of the main criticisms of extrasensory perception (ESP) research is the lack of replication of positive results across laboratories. In this paper we report a study (N=100) where we tested a set of practices recommended by researchers in the area in order to develop a robust 'recipe' for ESP experimental research. In an experimental condition that included these practices we observed a 30% rate of correct guesses (z=0.82, p=0.21, one tailed) compared to a 22% rate observed in a control condition (z=-0.49, p=0.31, one-tailed). It is discussed how results obtained so far, with free-response protocols, are not strong enough to fully satisfy mainstream science

Performance optimization in switched reluctance motor drives

In this paper, switched reluctance motors (SRM) are proposed as an alternative for electric power assisted steering (EPAS) applications. A prototype machine has been developed as very attractive design for a steering electric motor, both from a cost and size perspective. A fourphase 8/6 SRM drive is designed for a rack type EPAS which should provide a maximum force of 10 kN. Two-dimension finite element analysis is used to validate the design

Cognitive Fusion Mediates the Relationship between Dispositional Mindfulness and Negative Affects: A Study in a Sample of Spanish Children and Adolescent School Students

Nowadays, mindfulness-based interventions (MBI) have experienced a remarkable development of studies among childhood and adolescent interventions. For this reason, dispositional mindfulness (DM) measures for children and adolescents have been developed to determine the e ectiveness of MBI at this age stage. However, little is known about how key elements of DM (for example, cognitive de/fusion or experiential avoidance that both confirm psychological inflexibility) are involved in the mechanisms of the children and adolescents’ mental health outcomes. This research examined the mediating e ect of cognitive fusion between DM and anxiety and other negative emotional states in a sample of 318 Spanish primary-school students (aged between 8 and 16 years, M = 11.24, SD = 2.19, 50.8% males). Participants completed the AFQ-Y (Avoidance and Fusion Questionnaire for youth), which is a measure of psychological inflexibility that encompasses cognitive defusion and experiential avoidance; CAMM (DM for children and adolescents), PANAS-N (positive and negative a ect measure for children, Spanish version of PANASC), and STAIC (an anxiety measure for children). The study accomplished ethical standards. As MBI relevant literature has suggested, cognitive defusion was a significant mediator betweenDMand symptoms of both negative emotions and anxiety in children and adolescents. However, experiential avoidance did not show any significant mediating relationship. Probably, an improvement of the assessment of experiential avoidance is needed. MBI programs for children and adolescents may include more activities for reducing e ects of the cognitive defusion on their emotional distress

Amphipods associated on the algal and debris communities with the presence of invasive algae Lophocladia lallemandii sa Dragonera Natural Park (Balearic Islands)

En el litoral Balear es troben comunitats d’algues fotòfiles associades a fons rocosos. Es tracta d’un dels ecosistemes més representats a l’infralitoral i que són objecte d’un gran nombre d’impactes, com és la colonització d’espècies invasores, entre les que destaca l’alga Lophocladia lallemandii. Aquesta espècie no només altera les comunitats d’algues sinó que també, en les zones amb un baix hidrodinamisme, forma grans acumulacions de detritus, que en molts casos superen en biomassa a les algues i fanerògames locals. Aquests dos hàbitats sostenen comunitats d’amfípodes que són uns bioindicadors molt eficaços dels canvis produït en els medi. En el present estudi entre les mostres de detritus i dels fons rocosos s’han identificat 43 espècies d’amfípodes que pertanyen a 20 famílies. La majoria de mostres identificades són pròpies de fons rocosos i, en el cas dels cúmuls detrítics, apareixen espècies característiques d’aquest hàbitat. Les màximes abundàncies pels amfípodes es donen en el període hivernal. Les espècies classificades mostren diferents valors en el nombre d’individus segons es tracti de zones envaïdes per L. lallemandii o zones control. Aquest efecte pot afavorir determinades espècies i fer disminuir les abundàncies d’altres quan l’alga invasora s’estableix. Les mostres realitzades a l’estiu en fons rocosos a partir de quadrants 20x20 cm i amb la presència de L. lallemandii, presenten unes majors abundàncies i riquesa específica que les zones control. Contràriament, en les mostres obtingudes amb la utilització de la xarxa de mà 40x20cm, els resultats indiquen majors abundàncies i un nombre major d’espècies que les zones control durant el període estival. Aquest efecte és producte de la colonització de l’hàbitat per part de L. lallemandii que genera canvis estructurals en les comunitats algals i que poden repercutir en les taxes de predació a diferents nivells dins de la comunitat. L’efecte d’aquestes algues invasores dins l’ecosistema ha de ser estudiat a llarg termini per determinar si els canvis produïts en els ecosistemes es mantenen en el temps.In the Balearic coastline there are photophile seaweed communities associated with rocky bottom. It is one of the largest ecosystems and it’s subject to a great number of impacts, such as the arrival of invasive species, among which there’s Lophocladia lallemandii. This species not only alters the communities of algae, but also in areas with low hydrodynamics, it forms large accumulations of debris, which often exceed the algal biomass and local phanerogams. These two habitats sustain communities of amphipods that are very effective bioindicators of changes occurred in the environment. In the present study, among the samples of detritus and of the rocky bottoms, 43 species of amphipods that belong to 20 families have been identified. The majority of identified samples are typical of rocky bottoms and in the case of detrital sediment load, characteristic species of this habitat turn up. The maximum abundance for amphipods in the study are given in the winter. Classified species show different values in the number of individuals in the case of areas invaded by L. lallemandii or control areas. This effect may favour certain species and reduce the abundance of others in case the invading seaweed settles. The samples carried out in the summer in rocky bottoms from 20x20cm quadrants and with the presence of L. lallemandii, present higher abundances and species richness than the control zones. By contrast, in the samples obtained with the use of the 40X20cm hand net, results indicate that the control zones during the summer show higher abundances and species richness. This effect is a result of the colonization of the habitat by L. lallemandii which generates structural changes in algal communities that may affect the rates of predation at different levels within the community. The effect of these invasive algae in the ecosystem must be studied long term to determine whether changes in ecosystems are maintained over time

Caprellids (Crustacea: Amphipoda) from India

The caprellid fauna of India is investigated. A total of 538 samples (including algae, seagrasses, sponges, hydroids, ascidians, bryozoans, encrusted dead corals, coral rubble, fine and coarse sediments) were collected from 39 stations along the coast of India, covering a wide diversity of habitats from intertidal to 12 m water depth. A new species (Jigurru longimanus n.sp.) is described, and figures of the 11 valid species reported so far from India are given together with a key for their identification. No caprellids were found in sediments from the northeast (16–208N) coast of India while they were abundant in the southeast and west coast. Decreases in salinity due to river discharges associated with lower values of oxygen, higher water temperatures and lower nutrient inputs along the east coast could explain these differences in caprellid composition between the two coastlines. Significantly, lower abundance of caprellids in India, as in other tropical ecosystems, is probably related to the lack of species belonging to the genus Caprella, which reach very high abundances in temperate waters.Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia de España y fondos FEDER de la Unión Europea. CGL2007-60044/ BOSConsejería de Innovación, Ciencia y Empresa, Junta de Andalucía, España. P07-RNM-02524Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) de India. DOD/10-MLR/1/2002/DT 19.12.200

Control synthesis for polynomial discrete-time systems under input constraints via delayed-state Lyapunov functions

This paper presents a discrete-time control design methodology for input-saturating systems using a Lyapunov function with dependence on present and past states. The approach is used to bypass the usual difficulty with full polynomial Lyapunov functions of expressing the problem in a convex way. Also polynomial controllers are allowed to depend on both present and past states. Furthermore, by considering saturation limits on the control action, the information about the relationship between the present and past states is introduced via Positivstellensatz multipliers. Sum-of-squares techniques and available semi-definite programming (SDP) software are used in order to find the controller.The research work by J.L. Pitarch and A. Sala has been partially supported by the Spanish government under research project [grant number DPI2011-27845-C02-01 (MINECO)]; Generalitat Valenciana [grant number PROMETEOII/2013/004]. The work by T.M. Guerra and J. Lauber has been supported by the International Campus on Safety and Intermodality in Transportation, the European Community, Delegation Regionale a la Recherche et a la Technologie, Ministere de l'Enseignement superieur et de la Recherche, Region Nord Pas de Calais and the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique.Pitarch Pérez, JL.; Sala Piqueras, A.; Lauber, J.; Guerra, TM. (2016). Control synthesis for polynomial discrete-time systems under input constraints via delayed-state Lyapunov functions. International Journal of Systems Science. 47(5):1176-1184. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207721.2014.915357S1176118447

Control de Sagina procumbens en viveros de arándano

Sagina procumbens es una mala hierba problemática en los viveros de arándano de la costa suroeste de España. Además de la falta de herbicidas autorizados, existe carencia de información sobre eficacia y selectividad de posibles candidatos para su inclusión en el registro. El objetivo de este trabajo ha sido conocer la eficacia y selectividad de una serie de herbicidas. Se han realizado ensayos de campo en tres ambientes y con tres momentos o formas de aplicación. El diseño experimental ha sido completamente al azar, con 3 ambientes x 3 momentos x 11 tratamientos x 6 repeticiones. Los resultados muestran unos buenos resultados de eficacia y selectividad de aclonifen, diflufenican y linurón. Los tratamientos con metribuzina, clopiralida y flazasulfurón causaron severos daños al cultivo. Oxifluorfen, pendimetalina y prosulfocarb tambien presentan riesgo de fitotoxicidad, y oxadiazon no mostró eficacia en el control de S. procumbens

T-RFPred: a nucleotide sequence size prediction tool for microbial community description based on terminal-restriction fragment length polymorphism chromatograms

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Terminal-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (T-RFLP) is a technique used to analyze complex microbial communities. It allows for the quantification of unique or numerically dominant phylotypes in amplicon pools and it has been used primarily for comparisons between different communities. T-RFPred, Terminal-Restriction Fragment Prediction, was developed to identify and assign taxonomic information to chromatogram peaks of a T-RFLP fingerprint for a more comprehensive description of microbial communities. The program estimates the expected fragment size of representative 16S rRNA gene sequences (either from a complementary clone library or from public databases) for a given primer and restriction enzyme(s) and provides candidate taxonomic assignments.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>To show the accuracy of the program, T-RFLP profiles of a marine bacterial community were described using artificial bacterioplankton clone libraries of sequences obtained from public databases. For all valid chromatogram peaks, a phylogenetic group could be assigned.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>T-RFPred offers enhanced functionality of T-RFLP profile analysis over current available programs. In particular, it circumvents the need for full-length 16S rRNA gene sequences during taxonomic assignments of T-RF peaks. Thus, large 16S rRNA gene datasets from environmental studies, including metagenomes, or public databases can be used as the reference set. Furthermore, T-RFPred is useful in experimental design for the selection of primers as well as the type and number of restriction enzymes that will yield informative chromatograms from natural microbial communities.</p

Biodiversidad y especiación críptica en los caprélidos (Crustacea: Amphipoda): ¿cuánto falta por descubrir?

La biodiversidad en el medio marino está subestimada, particularmente en el caso de los invertebrados donde la presencia de especies crípticas es más frecuente de lo que se pensaba. Los anfípodos caprélidos, a pesar de su importancia en el medio marino, han sido muy poco estudiados, y esto se debe, en gran parte, a su complicada taxonomía. Así mismo, la tradicional identificación taxonómica basada en caracteres morfológicos sigue siendo la más empleada para identificar y describir las especies de caprélidos, y, dado que la especiación no siempre va acompañada de cambio morfológico (especies crípticas), el uso exclusivo de estos caracteres puede conllevar a una subestimación de su diversidad real. El empleo de metodologías complementarias es, por tanto, necesario. Y, en este sentido, las herramientas moleculares han resultado eficaces y útiles para identificar especies y resolver problemas taxonómicos en estos pequeños crustáceos marinos. En el presente trabajo se muestra una pequeña revisión de los resultados obtenidos para diferentes especies del género Caprella. Estos resultados, que muestran la existencia de nuevas especies, muchas de ellas crípticas, indican que la diversidad de los caprélidos está subestimada, y que la especiación críptica parece ser un fenómeno muy importante y frecuente en estos organismos.Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional POCTI/BSE/42300/2001, FCOMP-01- 0124-FEDER-PTDC/MAR/118205/201

Long-distance dispersal, low connectivity and molecular evidence of a new cryptic species in the obligate rafter Caprella andreae Mayer, 1890 (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Caprellidae)

The amphipod Caprella andreae Mayer, 1890 was recorded for the first time in Southern Iberian Peninsula (36440 1500N, 3590 3800W). This species is the only obligate rafter of the suborder Caprellidea and has been reported to attach not only to floating objects such as ropes or driftwoods but also to turtle carapaces. Mitochondrial and nuclear markers were used to examine dispersal capabilities and population genetic structure of C. andreae across seven localities in the Mediterranean and Atlantic Ocean collected from floating substrata with different dispersal patterns. The strong population differentiation with no haplotypes shared between populations suggests that C. andreae is quite faithful to the substratum on which it settles. In addition, the proportionally higher genetic diversity displayed in populations living on turtles as well as the presence of highly differentiated haplotypes in the same turtle population may be indicative that these populations survive longer, which could lead C. andreae to prefer turtles instead of floating objects to settle and disperse. Therefore, rafting on floating objects may be sporadic, and ocean currents would not be the most important factor shaping patterns of connectivity and population structure in this species. Furthermore, molecular phylogenetic analyses revealed the existence of a cryptic species whose estimates of genetic divergence are higher than those estimated between C. andreae and other congeneric species (e.g. Caprella dilatata and Caprella penantis). Discovery of cryptic species among widely distributed small marine invertebrates is quite common and, in this case, prompts for a more detailed phylogenetic analysis and taxonomic revision of genus Caprella. On the other hand, this study also means the first record of the gammarids Jassa cadetta and Elasmopus brasiliensis and the caprellid Caprella hirsuta on drifting objects.Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia de España y Fondos FEDER. CGL2011-22474Consejería de Ciencia y Empresa, Junta de Andalucía. P11-RNM-7041III Plan Propio de Investigación de la Universidad de Sevilla