Frontal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) abolishes list-method directed forgetting

It is a point of controversy as to whether directed forgetting effects are a result of active inhibition or a change of context initiated by the instruction to forget. In this study we test the causal role of active inhibition in directed forgetting. By applying cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the right prefrontal cortex we suppressed cortical activity commonly associated with inhibitory control. Participants who underwent real brain stimulation before completing the directed forgetting paradigm showed no directed forgetting effects. Conversely, those who underwent sham brain stimulation demonstrated classical directed forgetting effects. We argue that these findings suggest that inhibition is the primary mechanism that results in directed forgetting costs and benefits

Country status report on India

The nature and problems of small-scale fisheries differ vastly from country to country . India' s marine fisheries is formed almost entirely by the small - scale fisheries , comprised by the traditional and mechanised sectors, besides an emerging industrial sector. Among these, the traditional fisheries sector is the largest in terms of crafts, gear, manpower and production. But it has benefitted the least from the development plans

Seminar on fisheries extension Cochin, 8-10 December , 1980, Proceedings and Recommendations

This article is a summary of the proceedings and recommendations of the seminar on Fisheries extension conducted at the Central Institute of Fisheries Technology, Cochin from 8-10 December1980. Fisheries extension is one of the weakest links in the development programmes for fisheries in our country. Realising the immediate need to bring into focus fisheries extension, the Central Marine fisheries research Institute desired to organise a forum for discussing the subject by bringing together different fisheries interests in the country. This resulted in the seminar on fisheries extension jointly organise the four fisheries institutes of the Indian councilof agricultural research, namely the central marine fisheries research institute, central inland fisheries research institute, Central Institute of fisheries technology and Central Institute of Fisheries Educatio

Description of a new species of Caridina H. M. Edwards from the hill streams of southern Western Ghats, Tamil Nadu, India

The paper describes a new species, Caridina mathiassi sp. nov., from the hill streams of Mahendragiri Estate, part of southern Western Ghats, Kanyakumari District, Tamil Nadu, India (8o 27’ 32.27" N and 77o 23’ 32.50" E) collected during summer months of 1999 and 2000. This species is abundant and closely related to Caridina jalihali Mariappan and Richard, 2006 and Caridina gurneyi Jalihal et al., 1984. The diagnosis of the species include: shrimps of genus Caridina having a moderately long rostrum with 11-20 dorsal (4-6 post-orbital) and 2-7 ventral teeth; telson not ending in a median spine but with 4-10 spinules at distal and 3-5 pairs of spines at dorsal regions; carpus of first pereiopod deeply excavated anteriorly; fourth pereiopod with merus having 2-4, carpus having 1 large and 3-5 small spines and dactylus ending in a sharp spine and 5-7 spinules; fifth pereiopod with merus having 2-4, carpus with 1 large and sometimes 3-4 small spines and dactylus having 30-40 spinules; endopod of first pleopod with long appendix interna subterminal, curved inwards; appendix masculina double the size of appendix interna or a little longer of male second pleopod; diaeresis of uropod with 16-22 spines; size of eggs ranging from 0.53-0.61 X 0.86-1.04 mm and fecundity ranging from 122-181

Spatial attention is not affected by alpha or beta transcranial alternating current stimulation: A registered report

Using Electroencephalography (EEG) an event-related change in alpha activity has been observed over primary sensory cortices during the allocation of spatial attention. This is most prominent during top-down, or endogenous, attention, and nearly absent in bottom-up, or exogenous orienting. These changes are highly lateralised, such that an increase in alpha power is seen ipsilateral to the attended region of space and a decrease is seen contralaterally. Whether these changes in alpha oscillatory activity are causally related to attentional resources, or to perceptual processes, or are simply epiphenomenal, is unknown. If alpha oscillations are indicative of a causal mechanism whereby attention is allocated to a region of space, it remains an open question as to whether this is driven by ipsilateral increases or contralateral decreases in alpha power. This preregistered report set out to test these questions. To do so, we used transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS) to modulate alpha activity in the somatosensory cortex whilst measuring performance on established tactile attention paradigms. All participants completed an endogenous and exogenous tactile attention task in three stimulation conditions; alpha, sham and beta. Sham and beta stimulation operated as controls so that any observed effects could be attributed to alpha stimulation specifically. We replicated previous behavioural findings in all stimulation conditions showing a facilitation of cued trials in the endogenous task, and inhibition of return in the exogenous task. However, these were not affected by stimulation manipulations. Using Bayes-factor analysis we show strong support for the null hypotheses – that the manipulation of Alpha by tACS does not cause changes in tactile spatial attention. This well-powered study, conducted over three separate days, is an important contribution to the current debate regarding the efficiency of brain stimulation

I=2 pi-pi Scattering from Fully-Dynamical Mixed-Action Lattice QCD

We compute the I=2 pi-pi scattering length at pion masses of m_pi ~ 294, 348 and 484 MeV in fully-dynamical lattice QCD using Luscher's finite-volume method. The calculation is performed with domain-wall valence-quark propagators on asqtad-improved MILC configurations with staggered sea quarks at a single lattice spacing, b ~ 0.125 fm. Chiral perturbation theory is used to perform the extrapolation of the scattering length from lattice quark masses down to the physical value, and we find m_pi a_2 = -0.0426 +- 0.0006 +- 0.0003 +- 0.0018, in good agreement with experiment. The I=2 pi-pi scattering phase shift is calculated to be delta = -43 +- 10 +- 5 degrees at |p| ~ 544 MeV for m_pi ~ 484 MeV.Comment: 16 pages, 4 figure

Bivalve Culture in Asia and the Pacific- India

India has a 6100-km coastline, numerous estuaries and backwaters, and abundant marine bivalve resources that are exploited on a subsistence level at several centres. The major bivalves, in order of importance, are clams, mussels, windowpane oysters, and edible oysters. Pearl oysters are intermittently exploited – sometimes not for several years

EFFECT OF FIELDTRIP STRATEGY ON SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IN GEOGRAPHY IN NUMAN EDUCATIONAL ZONE, ADAMAWA STATE, NIGERIA

This study investigated the Effect of Fieldtrip Strategy on Senior Secondary School Students’ Academic Achievement in Geography in Numan Educational Zone, Adamawa State, Nigeria. Two research questions and two hypotheses were formulated and tested in the study. The study adopted the quasi-experimental research design. A sample size of 138 Senior Secondary (SS II) students offering geography from two public senior secondary schools in Numan Educational Zone was used for the study. The groups consisted of an experimental and control groups which were taught for six weeks. The research instruments used to obtain data was the Teachers’ Qualification Assessment Checklist (TQAC), Fieldtrip Facilities Inventory (FFI) and the Geography Achievement Test (GAT). The reliability index of the instrument (GAT) was determined using Guttmann Split-half Statistic. This yielded a reliability coefficient of 0.70. The research questions were answered using frequency counts and percentages and the hypotheses was tested using Kolmogorov Smirnov two-sample test. The result showed that most geography teachers in Numan educational zone are B.Sc. holders, who do not possess the basic qualification of teaching. The study also revealed inadequate facilities for conducting fieldtrips in Numan educational zone. There was a statistically significant difference in the academic achievement of students taught geography using fieldtrip strategy and conventional method. Male students in the experimental group performed better in geography than their female counterparts. Since fieldtrip strategy improved students’ achievement in Geography, it was recommended that Government should employ qualified graduate teachers in geography education to teach the subject. Government should also provide secondary schools with adequate facilities for conducting fieldtrips. Geography teachers teaching in secondary schools should endeavor to adopt or incorporate this instruction technique while teaching for a better achievement of students in geography.  Article visualizations