MR439: An Evaluation of Turfgrass Species and Varieties: Fineleaf fescues

The fineleaf fescues comprise 28 species of perennial grasses in the genus Festuca. The fescue species represented in the United States include deeply rooted grasses with both wide and narrow leaf types, bunch and spreading plant morphologies, and tolerances to a wide variety of environmental conditions. Several of these species exhibit desirable characteristics for turfgrass use: adaptation to cool, humid regions, tolerance to droughty acidic soils, excellent wear and shade tolerance, deep, erosion-resistant root systems and rapid recovery following mowing. This report presents the results of Maine trials in the 1998 National Turfgrass Evaluation Program (NTEP) Fineleaf Fescue Trial, which evaluated 79 varieties representing four species: Chewing’s fescue, creeping red fescue, hard fescue, sheep fescue, and blue sheep fescuehttps://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/aes_miscreports/1013/thumbnail.jp

MR413: An Evaluation of Turfgrass Species and Varieties: Fineleaf Fescues

The fineleaf fescues comprise 28 species of perennial grasses in the genus Festuca. The fescue species represented in the United States include deeply rooted grasses with both wide and narrow leaf types, bunch and spreading plant morphologies, and tolerances to a wide variety of environmental conditions. Several of these species exhibit desirable characteristics for turfgrass use: adaptation to cool, humid regions, tolerance to droughty acidic soils, excellent wear and shade tolerance, deep, erosion-resistant root systems and rapid recovery following mowing. This report presents the results of Maine trials in the 1993 National Turfgrass Evaluation Program (NTEP) Fineleaf Fescue Trial, which evaluated 59 varieties representing four species: Chewings fescue, creeping red fescue, hard fescue, sheep fescue, and blue sheep fescuehttps://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/aes_miscreports/1004/thumbnail.jp

MR430: An Evaluation of Turfgrass Species and Varieties: Tall Fescue

Originating in Europe, Tall fescue (Festuca anundinacea Schreb.) is a coarse-textured grass, which is characterized by a bunch-type growth habit. Tall fescue possesses a deeper, coarser and more extensive root system than the other cool- season species giving this grass excellent drought tolerance. It is propagated by seed, with an establishment rate that is more rapid than Kentucky bluegrass, but slower than perennial ryegrass. In conclusion, the improved tall fescue varieties performed surprisingly well at the Littlefield Garden at the University of Maine. Based upon this performance, this species should be given consideration as a cool-season turf species in those situations where its demonstrated attributes are consistent with the turf needs of that location and/or situation.https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/aes_miscreports/1022/thumbnail.jp

MR437: An Evaluation of Turfgrass Species and Varieties: The bentgrasses

In the genus Agrostis, the four species employed as turfgrasses include creeping bentgrass (A. palustris Huds., A. stolonifera L.), colonial bentgrass (A. tenuis, A. capillaris), velvet bentgrass (A. canina), and, more rarely, redtop (A. alba, A. gigantea). The objective of this four-year study was to evaluate the performance of 29 commercially available bentgrass cultivars under the environmental conditions of central Maine.https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/aes_miscreports/1012/thumbnail.jp

MR416: An Evaluation of Turfgrass Species and Varieties: Perennial Ryegrass

The ryegrasses include those popular and extensively used turfgrasses noted for their rapid germination and subsequent swift development into a suitable turf. These grasses are broadly adapted to cool temperate climates and find use in a wide array of habitats: from the seashore to mountain slopes, and in nearly all soil conditions. This report presents the results of a trial of 97 perennial ryegrass varieties at the University of Maine.https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/aes_miscreports/1006/thumbnail.jp

MR441: An Evaluation of Turfgrass Secies and Varieties: Kentucky Bluegrass

The bluegrasses rank highest among those grasses used as amenity turfgrasses. They comprise the most important, most popular, and the most richly colored of all turfgrasses and have found excellent adaptation in the United States, Europe, and the cooler regions of Asia. The bluegrasses, and in particular the Kentucky bluegrasses, have been subjected to the most rigorous breeding and screening efforts, with the resulting release of the greatest numbers of improved cultivars of any turfgrass species. The 2000 National Turfgrass Evaluation Programs (NTEP) Kentucky Bluegrass Trial (High Maintenance) included 173 cultivars that were evaluated for their tolerance to and performance under normal mid-Maine conditions.https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/aes_miscreports/1014/thumbnail.jp

Salt Damage to Northern White-Cedar and White Spruce

Five-year-old transplants of northern white-cedar and white spruce were treated with tap water applied to the soil and with various concentrations of sodium chloride in distilled water, applied either to the soil or to the foliage. Observations were made on the gross morphological effects and anatomical effects of the treatments. Morphological damage included discoloration and loss of foliage. The most significant anatomical damage included fragmented cuticle, disrupted stomata, collapsed cell walls, disorganized or disintegrated protoplasts, coarsely granular cytoplasm, disintegrated chloroplasts, disintegrated nuclei and disorganized phloem. While there appeared to be no outstanding anatomical differences between the effects of soil versus foliar applications, both species did show somewhat less damage by soil-applied than by foliar-applied salt. It was not possible to conclusively assign the cause of morphological or anatomical damage to indirect effects, such as water deficiency or to ion toxicity of the salt. However, the results did suggest that northern white-cedar may be somewhat more salt-tolerant than white spruce

Synthesis and Isolation of {110}-Faceted Gold Bipyramids and Rhombic Dodecahedra

Two {110}-faceted gold nanostructures—rhombic dodecahedra and obtuse triangular bipyramids—have been synthesized via a Ag-assisted, seed-mediated growth method. The combination of a Cl−-containing surfactant with a low concentration of Ag+ plays a role in the stabilization of the {110} facets. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported synthesis of a {110}-faceted bipyramid structure

Synthesis and Isolation of {110}-Faceted Gold Bipyramids and Rhombic Dodecahedra

Two {110}-faceted gold nanostructures—rhombic dodecahedra and obtuse triangular bipyramids—have been synthesized via a Ag-assisted, seed-mediated growth method. The combination of a Cl−-containing surfactant with a low concentration of Ag+ plays a role in the stabilization of the {110} facets. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported synthesis of a {110}-faceted bipyramid structure

Cross-sectional evaluation of a longitudinal consultation skills course at a new UK medical school

Background: Good communication is a crucial element of good clinical care, and it is important to provide appropriate consultation skills teaching in undergraduate medical training to ensure that doctors have the necessary skills to communicate effectively with patients and other key stakeholders. This article aims to provide research evidence of the acceptability of a longitudinal consultation skills strand in an undergraduate medical course, as assessed by a cross-sectional evaluation of students' perceptions of their teaching and learning experiences. Methods: A structured questionnaire was used to collect student views. The questionnaire comprised two parts: 16 closed questions to evaluate content and process of teaching and 5 open-ended questions. Questionnaires were completed at the end of each consultation skills session across all year groups during the 2006-7 academic year (5 sessions in Year 1, 3 in Year 2, 3 in Year 3, 10 in Year 4 and 10 in Year 5). 2519 questionnaires were returned in total. Results: Students rated Tutor Facilitation most favourably, followed by Teaching, then Practice & Feedback, with suitability of the Rooms being most poorly rated. All years listed the following as important aspects they had learnt during the session: • how to structure the consultation • importance of patient-centredness • aspects of professionalism (including recognising own limits, being prepared, generally acting professionally). All years also noted that the sessions had increased their confidence, particularly through practice. Conclusions: Our results suggest that a longitudinal and integrated approach to teaching consultation skills using a well structured model such as Calgary-Cambridge, facilitates and consolidates learning of desired process skills, increases student confidence, encourages integration of process and content, and reinforces appreciation of patient-centredness and professionalism