Obstacle course activity in soldiers impedes recall but not learning of a read text.

Research suggests that preceding physical activity benefits learning in the general population, however the impact of physical activity before testing has not been systematically explored. We examined how an acute, complex anaerobic activity impacted learning and retention of text. Soldiers read Special Operations or Pension texts and were tested on recall and comprehension at 1 and 48 hours after reading. Participants also performed a challenging physical course before learning, before testing, or outside of these two periods. Results were compared using a mixed Analysis of Covariance with a "fitness-effort" covariate factor. Testing complied with Human Research Ethics Committee guidelines. Participants performing physical activity before testing had lower mean first test scores than participants performing the activity outside of the learning or testing window. After 48 hours, there was no difference among groups. Equally, while participants who read the Special Operations materials performed better than those who read the Pension materials, there was no effect related to activity timing. Acute obstacle course activity impeded recall but not learning of a read text. Additional study is needed to determine whether metabolic or motoric demands of the physical activity caused the deficit.

Bias and sensitivity of proprioception of a passively felt hand path with and without a secondary task.

Previously, we observed changes in the scale, rotation, and location of drawn shapes when subjects simultaneously performed a secondary task, but not in the shape or proportion of the drawing. We suggested the secondary task impacted motor planning and execution or proprioception of the primary task. To isolate for proprioceptive effects, here we used the same secondary task during passive shape perception. A robotic manipulandum moved the subject's hand around the perimeter of a template shape and then a test shape differing in size, proportion, or location. Subjects also performed the same primary task while simultaneously performing a secondary task of reporting the orientation of right or left tilted arrows. We compared the performance between single and dual task, and different workspaces. In single-task conditions, subjects perceived scale, location, and proportion very close to the actual (all biases under 1 cm). A secondary task only increased the uncertainty range for judgment of scale, with no other effect. Subjects judged shapes in the centered workspace to be smaller and closer relative to the template compared with those in the peripheral workspace, although in that workspace, it was more difficult to discern changes in the proportion of the shape. The result for scale in the current passive paradigm is not different from our active study in which efference copy was available. This suggests that the scale parameters of the shape, whether actively or passively encountered, are disrupted by task interference at the level of proprioception or sensory integration rather than motor planning and execution.

The partial replacement of soyabean meal and rapeseed meal with feed grade urea or a slow-release urea and its effect on the performance, metabolism and digestibility in dairy cows.

The objectives of the study were to determine the effect of the partial replacement of soyabean meal and rapeseed meal with feed grade urea or a slow-release urea on the performance, metabolism and whole-tract digestibility in mid-lactation dairy cows. Forty-two Holstein-Friesian dairy cows were allocated to one of three dietary treatments in each of three periods of 5 weeks duration in a Latin square design. Control (C) cows were offered a total mixed ration based on grass and maize silages and straight feeds that included 93 g/kg dry matter (DM) soyabean meal and 61 g/kg DM rapeseed meal. Cows that received either of the other two treatments were offered the same basal ration with the replacement of 28 g/kg DM soyabean and 19 g/kg DM rapeseed meal with either 5 g/kg DM feed grade urea (U) or 5.5 g/kg DM of the slow-release urea (S; Optigen®; Alltech Inc., Kentucky, USA), with the content of maize silage increasing. There was no effect (P > 0.05) of dietary treatment on DM intake, which averaged 22.5 kg/day. Similarly, there was no effect (P > 0.05) of treatment on daily milk or milk fat yield but there was a trend (P = 0.09) for cows offered either of the diets containing urea to have a higher milk fat content (average of 40.1 g/kg for U and S v. 38.9 g/kg for C). Milk true protein concentration and yield were not affected by treatment (P > 0.05). Milk yield from forage and N efficiency (g milk N output/g N intake) were highest (P < 0.01) in cows when offered S and lowest in C, with cows receiving U having intermediate values. Cows offered S also tended to have the highest live weight gain (0.38 kg/day) followed by U (0.23 kg/day) and C (0.01 kg/day; P = 0.07). Plasma urea concentrations were higher (P < 0.05) at 2 and 4 h post feeding in cows when offered U and lowest in C, with animals receiving S having intermediate values. There was no effect (P > 0.05) of treatment on whole-tract digestibility. In conclusion, the partial replacement of soyabean meal and rapeseed meal with feed grade urea or a slow-release urea can be achieved without affecting milk performance or diet digestibility, with the efficiency of conversion of dietary N into milk being improved when the slow-release urea was fed.

Coping strategies and styles of hemodialysis patients by gender.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of gender to coping strategies of patients on hemodialysis. DESIGN: Nonexperimental, retrospective. SAMPLE/SETTING: A stratified random sample of 15 male and 15 female hemodialysis subjects was obtained from two privately owned outpatient hemodialysis centers in North Carolina. METHOD: All subjects completed a demographic data form and the Jalowiec Coping Scle. A t-test was performed on the overall mean scores for the total coping scale. RESULTS: There was not a statistically significant difference between gender and coping strategies of patients on hemodialysis. However, the data suggest that male and female hemodialysis patients predominately used emotion-focused coping strategies. Patients on hemodialysis less than 8 years, between the ages of 50 and 60, and who had an educational level less than twelfth grade, used more emotion-focused coping strategies. CONCLUSIONS: No significant difference was noted between the overall coping scores for men and women. The variables of length of time on hemodialysis, age, and education could have an education on the choice of coping strategies and coping scores for men and women.