Axillary bud viability and dry matter production of Poa ligularis in Patagonian grasslands

Poa ligularis Nees is one of the dominant perennial grass species in Patagonian grasslands. This is the first field study which investigated the effects of defoliation frequency on its number of viable axillary buds, and subsequent dry matter production during one growing season. Experiments were arranged in a randomized complete block design. Treatments included one defoliation height (10 cm), from one to five times a year, and undefoliated controls. Bud respiratory activity was examined usingthe tetrazolium test and the vital stain Evan's blue. At the end of the growing season, plants that have been defoliated more than three times showed significatively (p<0.05) lower number of respiratory active buds than unclipped controls. A high defoliation frequency increased bud death in stem bases. Both defoliated and undefoliated plants produced more (p<0.05) axillary buds at the periphery than at their center. Defoliation treatments increased shoot weight by 13.4% on average compared with undefoliated controls, but reduced in by 10% the average number of metabolically active axillary buds. This indicates that this reduction, however, was not high enough to constrain dry matter production.It appears that Poa ligularis could tolerate moderate grazing frequency and intensity without compromising its potential regrowth capacity. Longer-term studies of the effects of defoliation on dry matter production and bud metabolic activity are needed to understand the cumulative effects of grazing of P. ligularis in natural grasslands.Poa ligularis Nees es una de las especies de gramíneas perennes dominantes en los pastizales naturales de la Patagonia. Este es el primer estudio que investigó los efectos de la frequencia de defoliación sobre su número de yemas axilares viables, y subsiguiente producción de materia seca durante una estación de crecimiento. Los estudios se efectuaron utilizando un diseño de bloques completamente al azar. Los tratamientos incluyeron una altura de defoliación (10 cm), de una a cinco veces por año, además de controles no defoliados. La actividad respiratoria de las yemas fue examinada usando el método del tetrazolio y el colorante vital azul de Evans.Hacia el final de la estación de crecimiento, las plantas que habían sido defoliadas más de tres veces mostraron un número significativamente menor (p<0.05) de yemas con actividad respiratoria que los controles no defoliados. Una alta frecuencia de defoliación incrementó la muerte de yemas en las bases de tallos. Todas las plantas- defoliadas o no, produjeron más (p<0.05) yemas axilares en su periferia que en su centro. La defoliación incrementó 13.4% el peso de los tallos en promedio, pero redujo en 10% el número promedio de yemas axilares metabólicamente activas. Esto indica que esta reducción , sin embargo, no fue suficiente como para limitar la producción de materia seca. Parece que P. ligularis toleraría una frecuencia e intensidad moderada de pastoreo sin comprometer su capacidad potencial de rebrote. Se necesitan estudios a más largo plazo de los efectos de la defoliación en la producción de materia seca y actividad metabólica de las yemas para entender los efectos acumulativos del pastoreo de Poa ligularis en los pastizales naturales.Fil: Souto, Cintia Paola. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universitario Bariloche; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Becker, G. F.. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro Regional Patagonia Norte. Estación Experimental Agropecuaria San Carlos de Bariloche; ArgentinaFil: Siffredi, G. L.. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro Regional Patagonia Norte. Estación Experimental Agropecuaria San Carlos de Bariloche; ArgentinaFil: Busso, Carlos Alberto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Centro de Recursos Naturales Renovables de la Zona Semiárida. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Centro de Recursos Naturales Renovables de la Zona Semiárida; ArgentinaFil: Sterberg, M.. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro Regional Patagonia Norte. Estación Experimental Agropecuaria San Carlos de Bariloche; Argentin

Discovery of Blue Hook Stars in the Massive Globular Cluster M54

We present BV photometry centered on the globular cluster M54 (NGC 6715). The color-magnitude diagram clearly shows a blue horizontal branch extending anomalously beyond the zero age horizontal branch theoretical models. These kinds of horizontal branch stars (also called ``blue hook'' stars), which go beyond the lower limit of the envelope mass of canonical horizontal branch hot stars, have so far been known to exist in only a few globular clusters: NGC 2808, Omega Centauri (NGC 5139), NGC 6273, and NGC 6388. Those clusters, like M54, are among the most luminous in our Galaxy, indicating a possible correlation between the existence of these types of horizontal branch stars and the total mass of the cluster. A gap in the observed horizontal branch of M54 around T(eff)= 27000 K could be interpreted within the late helium flash theoretical scenario, a possible explanation for the origin of those stars.Comment: 10 pages, 2 figures, accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journa

Diagnostic performance of the Strength and Pain Assessment (SPA) score for non-contact muscle injury screening in male soccer players

Objectives: The aims of this study were to develop a clinical-feature based scoring system for muscle injury screening and to assess its diagnostic accuracy when large number of injuries are suspected. Methods: A prospective diagnostic accuracy study was performed according to the Standards for Reporting of Diagnostic Accuracy (STARD) criteria. The diagnostic accuracy of the Strength and Pain Assessment (SPA) score (index test) was assessed in relation to muscle ultrasonography (reference standard). A large (n = 175) number of male soccer players met the inclusion/exclusion criteria: clinical assessment (i.e., evaluation of pain onset modality, location, distribution, impact on performance, and manual muscle strength testing) and ultrasonography were performed in all players after 48 hours from the sudden or progressive onset of muscle pain during or after a soccer competition. Results: 91 of 175 cases (52%) were classified as functional muscle disorders, while signs of muscle tear were observed in the remaining 84 of 175 (48%) cases that were classified as structural muscle injuries. The median (1st–3rd quartile) value of the SPA score was significantly (P < 0.001) lower in the functional disorder group [9 (9–10)] compared to the structural injury group [12 (12–13)]. The area under the Receiver Operating Characteristic curve for different cutoff points of the SPA score was 0.977 (95% confidence intervals: 0.957–0.998) and the optimal cutoff value of the SPA score providing the greatest sensitivity and specificity (respectively, 99% and 89%) was 11. Conclusion: This study found that the SPA score has high diagnostic accuracy for structural muscle injuries and could be used as a valid screening tool in soccer players presenting with sudden or progressive onset of muscle pain during or after a competition

Hot subdwarfs in the Galactic Bulge

Recent observations and theories suggest that extreme horizontal branch (EHB) stars and their progeny should be the cause of the UV excess seen in the spectra of many elliptical galaxies. Since the Galactic Bulge is the closest representation of an old, metal-rich spheroid in which we are able to study the EHB scenario in detail, we obtained spectra of bulge EHB star candidates and we confirm their status as hot evolved stars. It is the first time that such stars are unambiguously identified in the Galactic Bulge.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figures, Astrophysical Journal Letter, accepte

On the muon neutrino mass

During the runs of the PS 179 experiment at LEAR of CERN, we photographed an event of antiproton-Ne absorption, with a complete pi+ -> mu+ ->e+ chain. From the vertex of the reaction a very slow energy pi+ was emitted. The pi+ decays into a mu+ and subsequently the mu+ decays into a positron. At the first decay vertex a muon neutrino was emitted and at the second decay vertex an electron neutrino and a muon antineutrino. Measuring the pion and muon tracks and applying the momentum and energy conservation and using a classical statistical interval estimator, we obtained an experimental upper limit for the muon neutrino mass: m_nu < 2.2 MeV at a 90% confidence level. A statistical analysis has been performed of the factors contributing to the square value of the neutrino mass limit.Comment: 18 pages, 5 eps figure