Effect of Nitrogen Fertilizer on Reproductive Tiller Development in Perennial Ryegrass

The objective of this study was to compare reproductive tiller development in two ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) cultivars, when fertilized with nitrogen. Plots of the cultivars ‘Grasslands Ruanui’ and ‘Ellett’ ryegrass were sown in April 1996. Half of each plot received nitrogen fertilizer (30 kg N/ha) after each grazing by dairy cows from September 1996 to May 1997 and from October 1997 to April 1998. Ryegrass tiller dynamics was monitored from September 1996 to March 1998. The proportion of reproductive tillers in the total tiller population was higher, on average, over the first flowering period (October 1996 to January 1997) for ‘Ellett’ (19.5%) than for ‘Grasslands Ruanui’ (13.0%) ryegrass, and there was no response to nitrogen. Over the second flowering (September 1997 to January 1998), ‘Ellett’ ryegrass slightly increased the proportion of reproductive tillers in response to nitrogen (averaging 20%) while ‘Grasslands Ruanui’ decreased (P \u3c 0.05) the number of reproductive tillers (averaging 6%). Significant cultivar x nitrogen interactions occurred in December 1997 and January 1998 when reproductive tiller number for nitrogen treated plants averaged 24.1% for ‘Ellett’ compared with 7.8% for ‘Grasslands Ruanui’ ryegrass. This work suggests current New Zealand ryegrasses (here represented by ‘Ellett’) may produce more reproductive tillers in response to spring applied nitrogen fertilizer than do older types. To encourage vegetative tillering from the bases of dying reproductive tillers and the likelihood of improved ryegrass persistence, applications of nitrogen fertilizer in early summer are recommended

Military Values, Military Virtues, and Vulnerable Narcissism among Cadets of the Swiss Armed Forces-Results of a Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: For military leaders, military values and virtues are important psychological prerequisites for successful leadership and for ethical and moral military behavior. However, research on predictors of military values and virtues is scarce. Given this background, we investigated whether Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB), resilience, and vulnerable narcissism might be favorably or unfavorably associated with military values and virtues, and whether vulnerable narcissism could moderate the association between the OCB-by-resilience-interaction, and military virtues. Methods: A total of 214 officer cadets (mean age: 20.75 years; 96.8% males) of the Swiss Armed Forces (SAF) volunteered to take part in this cross-sectional study. They completed a booklet of self-rating scales covering dimensions of military values and military virtues, OCB, resilience, and vulnerable narcissism. Results: Higher scores for military virtues were associated with higher scores for military values, OCB, and resilience, and with lower scores for vulnerable narcissism. Multiple regression models showed that higher scores for OCB and resilience were associated with military values and virtues. Vulnerable narcissism moderated the association between military virtues, and the OCB-by-resilience-interaction: the higher the vulnerable narcissism, the more the OCB-by-resilience-interaction was associated with lower scores for military virtues. Conclusions: Among cadets of the SAF, the associations between military values, military virtues, OCB, and resilience were highly intertwined, while vulnerable narcissism appeared to attenuate the association between military virtues, OCB, and resilience

UK imports, third country effect and the global financial crisis: Evidence from the asymmetric ARDL method

This paper examines the role of exchange rate volatility in determining real imports. As a robustness check, it further explores the impact of the recent global financial crisis which is a period characterized by heightened exchange rate volatility. More specifically, we investigate the impact of exchange rate volatility on UK real imports from Germany, Japan and the US during the period January 1991–March 2013. In contrast to most studies which focus on bilateral trade, we additionally explore the third country exchange rate volatility effect on UK imports. To capture the nonlinear features which often characterize macroeconomic data, we employ the asymmetric autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) approach to cointegration. Our results suggest that exchange rate volatility plays an important role and reveal that there is a significant effect of the recent financial crisis on UK imports. This finding is consistent when we test for the third country volatility effect. Finally, we find that there is a significant causal relationship between exchange rate volatility and UK imports both in bilateral tests and in tests which account for the third country exchange rate volatility

A spectroscopy approach to the study of virus infection in the endophytic fungus Epichloë festucae

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In this work we propose a rapid method based on visible and near-infrared (Vis-NIR) spectroscopy to determine the occurrence of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) viruses in <it>Epichloë festucae </it>strains isolated from <it>Festuca rubra </it>plants. In addition, we examined the incidence of infections by <it>E. festucae </it>in populations of <it>F. rubra </it>collected in natural grasslands of Western Spain.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Vis-NIR spectra (400-2498 nm) from 124 virus-infected and virus-free <it>E. festucae </it>isolates were recorded directly from ground and freeze-dried mycelium. To estimate how well the spectra for uninfected and infected fungal samples could be differentiated, we used partial least-squares discriminant analysis (PLS1-DA) and several data pre-treatments to develop calibration models.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Applying the best regression model, obtained with two sampling years and using standard normal variate (SNV) combined with first derivative transformation to a new validating data set (42 samples), we obtained a correct classification for 75% of the uninfected isolates and up to 86% of the infected isolates.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The results obtained suggest that Vis-NIR spectroscopy is a promising technology for detection of viral infections in fungal samples when an alternative faster approach is desirable. It provides a tool adequately exact and more time- and cost-saving than the conventional reference analysis.</p

Measurement of the cross-section and charge asymmetry of WW bosons produced in proton-proton collisions at s=8\sqrt{s}=8 TeV with the ATLAS detector

This paper presents measurements of the $W^+ \rightarrow \mu^+\nu$ and $W^- \rightarrow \mu^-\nu$ cross-sections and the associated charge asymmetry as a function of the absolute pseudorapidity of the decay muon. The data were collected in proton--proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 8 TeV with the ATLAS experiment at the LHC and correspond to a total integrated luminosity of 20.2~\mbox{fb^{-1}}. The precision of the cross-section measurements varies between 0.8% to 1.5% as a function of the pseudorapidity, excluding the 1.9% uncertainty on the integrated luminosity. The charge asymmetry is measured with an uncertainty between 0.002 and 0.003. The results are compared with predictions based on next-to-next-to-leading-order calculations with various parton distribution functions and have the sensitivity to discriminate between them.Comment: 38 pages in total, author list starting page 22, 5 figures, 4 tables, submitted to EPJC. All figures including auxiliary figures are available at https://atlas.web.cern.ch/Atlas/GROUPS/PHYSICS/PAPERS/STDM-2017-13

Search for direct stau production in events with two hadronic tau-leptons in root s=13 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search for the direct production of the supersymmetric partners ofτ-leptons (staus) in final stateswith two hadronically decayingτ-leptons is presented. The analysis uses a dataset of pp collisions corresponding to an integrated luminosity of139fb−1, recorded with the ATLAS detector at the LargeHadron Collider at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. No significant deviation from the expected StandardModel background is observed. Limits are derived in scenarios of direct production of stau pairs with eachstau decaying into the stable lightest neutralino and oneτ-lepton in simplified models where the two staumass eigenstates are degenerate. Stau masses from 120 GeV to 390 GeV are excluded at 95% confidencelevel for a massless lightest neutralino

Search for chargino-neutralino production with mass splittings near the electroweak scale in three-lepton final states in √s=13 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search for supersymmetry through the pair production of electroweakinos with mass splittings near the electroweak scale and decaying via on-shell W and Z bosons is presented for a three-lepton final state. The analyzed proton-proton collision data taken at a center-of-mass energy of √s=13  TeV were collected between 2015 and 2018 by the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139  fb−1. A search, emulating the recursive jigsaw reconstruction technique with easily reproducible laboratory-frame variables, is performed. The two excesses observed in the 2015–2016 data recursive jigsaw analysis in the low-mass three-lepton phase space are reproduced. Results with the full data set are in agreement with the Standard Model expectations. They are interpreted to set exclusion limits at the 95% confidence level on simplified models of chargino-neutralino pair production for masses up to 345 GeV

The effects of water temperature on weight and length growth in Bester

Hybrid Bester sturgeon (female Beluga x male Sterlet) was produced for the first time in Iran using sperm from a male Acipenser ruthenus and eggs of a female Huso huso in Shahid Marjani Sturgeon Porpagation Center (Agh Ghala, Golestan province). Bester fries and those of Beluga as control treatment weighed 490mg and 377mg respectively after about one month and were transported to International Sturgeon Research Institute (Rasht). All fishes were fed by artificial concentrated food (48-50% protein and 1547% fat) after a period of feeding on Artemia and Daphnia. Sorting was carried out according to weight increase for both fishes. Results showed that the weight increase in warmer months (water temperature 18-28°C) was higher than the colder months and ceased at 6-12°C. The trend in weight increase was of the same pattern for both fishes. There were no significant differences between fish length up to 5 months of rearing but afterwards, Bester showed a higher rate of length increase compared to that of the Beluga. The length increase rate for both fishes was sharper during the first year than the second year. Fish length increase was ceased at 6.841.4°C which coincided with the increase in fish weight

Medication use in uncontrolled pediatric asthma:Results from the SysPharmPediA study

Background: Uncontrolled pediatric asthma has a large impact on patients and their caregivers. More insight into determinants of uncontrolled asthma is needed. We aim to compare treatment regimens, inhaler techniques, medication adherence and other characteristics of children with controlled and uncontrolled asthma in the: Systems Pharmacology approach to uncontrolled Paediatric Asthma (SysPharmPediA) study. Material and methods: 145 children with moderate to severe doctor-diagnosed asthma (91 uncontrolled and 54 controlled) aged 6–17 years were enrolled in this multicountry, (Germany, Slovenia, Spain, and the Netherlands) observational, case-control study. The definition of uncontrolled asthma was based on asthma symptoms and/or exacerbations in the past year. Patient-reported adherence and clinician-reported medication use were assessed, as well as lung function and inhalation technique. A logistic regression model was fitted to assess determinants of uncontrolled pediatric asthma. Results: Children in higher asthma treatment steps had a higher risk of uncontrolled asthma (OR (95%CI): 3.30 (1.56–7.19)). The risk of uncontrolled asthma was associated with a larger change in FEV1% predicted post and pre-salbutamol (OR (95%CI): 1.08 (1.02–1.15)). Adherence and inhaler techniques were not associated with risk of uncontrolled asthma in this population. Conclusion: This study showed that children with uncontrolled moderate-to-severe asthma were treated in higher treatment steps compared to their controlled peers, but still showed a higher reversibility response to salbutamol. Self-reported adherence and inhaler technique scores did not differ between controlled and uncontrolled asthmatic children. Other determinants, such as environmental factors and differences in biological profiles, may influence the risk of uncontrolled asthma in this moderate to severe asthmatic population