Is soil quality improvement by legume cover crops a function of the initial soil chemical characteristics?

The aim of this study, which was conducted in a humid savannah zone of central Côte d’Ivoire, was to examine changes in the quality of soil cultivated with herbaceous legume cover crops as a function of initial soil characteristics. Mucuna pruriens var utilis and Pueraria phaseoloides were used in a two side-by-side location experiment: a shrubby savannah (the savannah site or “SAV”) and a natural fallow dominated by Chromolaena odorata (the fallow site or “FAL”). The latter was mainly characterized by higher organic matter [organic carbon (C) 10 vs. 7.5 mg kg^?1; total nitrogen (N) 0.8 vs. 0.5 mg kg^?1) and total phosphorus (P) (282.3 vs. 168.3 mg kg^?1) contents in the upper soil layer (0–10 cm). After 8 months of growth, biomass production by M. pruriens was found to be 6.5 and 4.9 t dry matter (DM) ha^?1 at FAL and SAV, respectively. For P. phaseoloides, the values were 7.2 and 6.4 t DM ha^?1, respectively, in approximately the same period. The quantities of nutrients released by decomposing legume litter were higher at FAL than at SAV. Between-site differences in soil quality improvement were most noticeable in terms of available P, microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and MBC:total carbon (TC) ratio. The FAL site experienced a faster improvement of soil parameters under both legume species: available P increased from 18 to 58 mg kg^?1 under M. pruriens, and from 19 to 52 mg kg^?1 under P. phaseoloides; MBC increased from 88 to 185 mg kg^?1 under M. pruriens, and from 127 to 192 mg kg^?1 under P. phaseoloides. In contrast, the parameters remained constant over time at SAV. Soil C and N contents as well as C mineralization showed similar trends at both sites. Based on these results, we conclude that soil quality improvement under cover crops appears to be faster when the initial soil organic C, total N and P contents are adequate. These findings will be useful in assisting governmental decision-making on approaches to be taken for restoring soil fertility in low-input agricultural systems in West Africa.     

Ternary complexes of flurbiprofen with HP-beta-CD and ethanolamines characterization and transdermal delivery

Binary and multicomponent systems complexes prepared with HP-beta-CD and/or with monoethanolamine (MEA), diethanolamine (DEA) or triethanolamine (TEA) were obtained. The results of solid-state studies indicated the presence of strong interactions between the components in the binary and the ternary systems. Drug solubility and dissolution rate in water were notably improved by employing the HP-beta-CD and the alkanolamines. The combined use of cosolvency and complexation with MEA in the presence of HP-beta-CD on the permeation of flurbiprofen through the human skin was evaluated. The combination of IPM, PG, and HP-beta-CD yield the highest permeation for the flurbiprofen-MEA complex.     

Separate and combined effects of cue-controlled relaxation and cognitive restructuring in the treatment of musical performance anxiety.

49 music students with reactive and adaptive anxieties were screened out of a pool of volunteers for a musical performance anxiety reduction program. Cue-controlled relaxation (CCR) and cognitive restructuring (CR) were examined separately and in combination in comparison with a standard treatment control condition (musical analysis training) that generated equivalent demand characteristics. The latter was then compared with a waiting-list control group. The CCR and CR treatments were each effective in reducing the state anxiety reflected by pulse rate and self-report measures. The CCR treatment also reduced self-reported trait anxiety and improved musical performing competence; CR was uniquely effective on a behavioral anxiety index. On all but the pulse rate measure, if either CCR or CR treatment had any impact, the combined treatment did likewise. (39 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The complementary exponential power lifetime model

In this paper we propose a new lifetime distribution which can handle bathtub-shaped, unimodal, increasing and decreasing hazard rate functions. The model has three parameters and generalizes the exponential power distribution proposed by Smith and Bain (1975) with the inclusion of an additional shape parameter. The maximum likelihood estimation procedure is discussed. A small-scale simulation study examines the performance of the likelihood ratio statistics under small and moderate sized samples. Three real datasets illustrate the methodology.     

Vitamin C in plasma is inversely related to blood pressure and change in blood pressure during the previous year in young Black and White women

Background  

The prevalence of hypertension and its contribution to cardiovascular disease risk makes it imperative to identify factors that may help prevent this disorder. Extensive biological and biochemical data suggest that plasma ascorbic acid may be such a factor. In this study we examined the association between plasma ascorbic acid concentration and blood pressure (BP) in young-adult women.     

Effectiveness of body mass index in the nutritional diagnosis of pregnant women

Our goal was to analyze the concordances and non-concordances of the nutritional classification in pregnant women and to evaluate their effectiveness when different BMI classification methodologies were applied. The study consisted of 314 adult healthy pregnant women in their first trimester, of socioeconomic status IV. In all of them, two nutritional classification criteria were applied: the integral nutritional diagnosis (IND) and different BMI reference values (Institute of Medicine, FAO/OMS, Frisancho, Bray, and Atalah). Kappa, concordance and nonconcordance, sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values were calculated. The highest frequency of concordance between IND and the analyzed classification criteria in comparing four and three nutritional categories was Frisancho's with the following results 89.2%, Kappa = 0.81 in the first case, and 91.4, Kappa = 0.84 in the second case. In deficit, the Bray and Atalah classification criteria were the highest sensitivities. In excess, FAO/ OMS, Frisancho, and Bray had a high sensitivity (1 - 0.99). Frisancho, in addition, had a high specificity with respect to FAO/OMS and Bray. Frisancho's classification criteria are the best choice for diagnosing adult pregnant women's nutritional status during the first trimester within population groups with these characteristics.