An Examination of the Relationship Between Self-Esteem and Task Performance

Despite one’s level of self-esteem, feedback professors give can make or break one’s attitude and level of determination. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of feedback on both task performance and self-esteem. Participants were given five minutes to complete a word search task and were randomly assigned to receive either positive or negative feedback of their performance on this task. Prior to receiving feedback, participants rated how their perceived difficulty of the task on a scale of 1 (not difficult at all) to 5 (very difficult). Participants also rated their perceived performance on the task on a scale of 1(not confident at all) to 5 (very confident). Self-esteem was measured both before and after feedback. Participants then completed a second word search task. It was hypothesized that participants who received positive feedback would have improved performance on the second word search compared to those who received negative feedback. It was expected that this relationship would be affected by participants’ self-esteem. It was predicted that participants with high self esteem in the negative feedback group would perform better than those with low self-esteem, and those with low self esteem in the positive feedback group would show more improvement on the task than those with high self-esteem

Propuesta de rehabilitación ecológica de un sitio degradado en la franja costera de la Reserva de la Biosfera Baconao

The work was carried out in the southeast coast of Cuba, in the 19º 54' of North latitude and 75º 28' of longitude West, at a distance of 46 Km., to the east of the city of Santiago de Cuba, inside the Baconao Biosphere Reserve, between the Restaurant “La Jaiba Azul” and the entrance to Baconao Lagoon, and in Category 2 according to the UICN System of Category. The objective of the research is: To propose actions for the ecological rehabilitation in the coastal band of Baconao. 13 parcels of 10 x 20 m were mounted, in the East, Centre and West of the study area. All the observed species were written down and those that could not be easily identified were collected in the site. The main problems were identified in the study area. It was carried out a series of assessments about the factors that have impacted in the degradation of the vegetation among which stands out the high anthropization degree. They main actions that will allow the rehabilitation of the area were proposed with prevalence of reforestation with native species from coastal band of Santiago de Cuba that can be considered as effective. This aspect, the increase of the natural populations of the typical species of the vegetation complex in this coastal area and the increment of their forest covering, are the first signs of the rehabilitation process.El trabajo se realizó en la costa sur oriental de la isla de Cuba, en los 19º 54’ de latitud Norte y 75º 28’ de longitud Oeste, a una distancia de 46 Km., al este de la ciudad de Santiago de Cuba, dentro de la Reserva de la Biosfera Baconao, de Categoría 2 según el Sistema de Categoría de la UICN. Se montaron 13 parcelas  de 10 x 20 m, en las zonas este, centro y oeste del área de estudio. Se anotaron todas las especies observadas y se colectaron las que no se podían identificar fácilmente en el terreno.  Se identificaron las principales afectaciones ocurridas en el área de estudio. Los autores tienen como objetivo: Proponer acciones para la rehabilitación ecológica en la franja costera de Baconao comprendida entre el Restaurante “La Jaiba Azul” y la entrada a la Laguna Baconao. En el trabajo se realizaron una serie de valoraciones de cuáles son los factores que han incidido en la degradación de la vegetación entre las que se destacan el alto grado de antropización. Se proponen las principales acciones que permitirán la rehabilitación de la zona que se estudió con predominio de la reforestación con las especies nativas de la franja costera de Santiago de Cuba que han demostrado ser efectivas. Este aspecto, el aumento de las poblaciones naturales de las especies típicas del complejo de vegetación de dicha zona costera y el incremento de su cobertura vegetal, dan las primeras señales del proceso de rehabilitación

Proposal of ecological rehabilitation of degraded site in the coastal band of the Biosphere Reserve Baconao

The work was carried out in the southeast coast of Cuba, in the 19º 54' of North latitude and 75º 28' of longitude West, at a distance of 46 Km., to the east of the city of Santiago de Cuba, inside the Baconao Biosphere Reserve, between the Restaurant «La Jaiba Azul» and the entrance to Baconao Lagoon, and in Category 2 according to the UICN System of Category. The objective of the research is: To propose actions for the ecological rehabilitation in the coastal band of Baconao. 13 parcels of 10 x 20 m were mounted, in the East, Centre and West of the study area. All the observed species were written down and those that could not be easily identified were collected in the site. The main problems were identified in the study area. It was carried out a series of assessments about the factors that have impacted in the degradation of the vegetation among which stands out the high anthropization degree. They main actions that will allow the rehabilitation of the area were proposed with prevalence of reforestation with native species from coastal band of Santiago de Cuba that can be considered as effective. This aspect, the increase of the natural populations of the typical species of the vegetation complex in this coastal area and the increment of their forest covering, are the first signs of the rehabilitation process

PGC-1/Spargel Counteracts High-Fat-Diet-Induced Obesity and Cardiac Lipotoxicity Downstream of TOR and Brummer ATGL Lipase

Obesity and metabolic syndrome are associated with an increased risk for lipotoxic cardiomyopathy, which is strongly correlated with excessive accumulation of lipids in the heart. Obesity- and type-2-diabetes-related disorders have been linked to altered expression of the transcriptional cofactor PGC-1α, which regulates the expression of genes involved in energy metabolism. Using Drosophila, we identify PGC-1/spargel (PGC-1/srl) as a key antagonist of high-fat diet (HFD)-induced lipotoxic cardiomyopathy. We find that HFD-induced lipid accumulation and cardiac dysfunction are mimicked by reduced PGC-1/srl function and reversed by PGC-1/srl overexpression. Moreover, HFD feeding lowers PGC-1/srl expression by elevating TOR signaling and inhibiting expression of the Drosophila adipocyte triglyceride lipase (ATGL) (Brummer), both of which function as upstream modulators of PGC-1/srl. The lipogenic transcription factor SREBP also contributes to HFD-induced cardiac lipotoxicity, likely in parallel with PGC-1/srl. These results suggest a regulatory network of key metabolic genes that modulates lipotoxic heart dysfunction