Use of maize silage in beef cattle feeding during the finishing period

The research investigated the use of maize silage (MS) in beef cattle diets during the finishing period by monitoring a sample of 406 commercial farms located in the Po Valley. Farms were selected in order to cover the most diverse rearing situations, in terms of farm size and cattle genotype, in which MS was fed to beef cattle during the finishing period. Each farm was visited to collect information about the feeding regimen and representative samples of total mixed ration (TMR) and MS were collected for chemical and physical analysis. Two specific classification factors of the farm population were created for statistical analysis of experimental data. The former considered the quantity of MS included in the TMR and the latter was based on the content of long particles of MS (>13 mm). Regardless of chop length, the quality of MS population was satisfactory both by a nutritional and a preservation standpoint, as indicated by the dry matter (DM) (350 ± 38 g/kg of fresh weight) and the high starch content (310 ± 28 g/kg DM) and lactic acid concentration (49 ± 12 g/kg DM). Physical analysis of MS samples showed a wide range of particle size, as result of the different chopping lengths during harvest. The average content of long particles retained by a 13-mm screen was 143 ± 73 g/kg of fresh weight. On average, MS accounted for 33.4% to the total dietary DM but a large standard deviation (11.4%) was observed across farms. The decision about the amount of MS to be included in the TMR has shown to be independent on both chemical composition and particle size of the roughage. In diets with a high quantity of MS the risk of occurrence of rumen acidosis due to the additional starch brought by this silage is balanced either by a significant reduction in the amount of other starch sources or by the higher NDF content and the coarser size of the dietary particles which should promote a prolonged rumination. The analysis of TMR particle size showed that in more than 30% of the farms MS was damaged during diet preparation with a loss of long particles. A logistic analysis demonstrated that the relative risk of MS damage was significantly increased either by a larger inclusion of the roughage in the TMR or by the use of silage with coarse particles

Fourth generation effects in rare exclusive B -> K^* l^+ l^- decay

Influence of the fourth generation, if ever exists, on the experimentally measurable quantities such as invariant dilepton mass distribution, lepton forward-backward asymmetry, and the ratio (Gamma_L/Gamma_T) of the decay widths when K* meson is longitudinally and transversally polarized, is studied. Using the experimental results on the branching ratios for the (B -> X_s) gamma and semileptonic (B -> X_c l nu) decays, the two possible solutions of the 4x4 Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa factor (V_{t's} V_{t^'b}) are obtained as a function of the t'-quark mass. It is observed that the results for the above-mentioned physical quantities are essentially different from the standard model predictions only for one solution of the CKM factor. In this case the above-mentioned physical quantities can serve as efficient tools in search of the fourth generation. The other solution yields almost identical results with the SM.Comment: 19 pages, 10 postscripted figures, LaTeX formatte

Comparing the Prevalence of Polypharmacy and Potential Drug-Drug Interactions in Nursing Homes and in the Community Dwelling Elderly of Emilia Romagna Region

Backround: We aimed at assessing the prevalence of polypharmacy and potential drug-drug interactions (DDIs) with clinical relevance in elderly patient on Emilia Romagna area. Both outpatients and residents in nursing homes were assessed, with only partially overlapping strategies. Methods: We defined a list of 190 pairs of potentially interacting drugs, based on literature appraisal and availability of therapeutic alternatives. January-June 2018 data on drug use in patients over 65 years-old were collected from nine Local Health Authorities of Emilia Romagna: data on community-dwelling subjects were extracted from archives of reimbursed prescriptions, while drug use in a sample of nursing homes was recorded from clinical charts in one index day within the same semester. The frequency of polypharmacy (at least five or at least 10 concurrent drugs) and of each DDI was calculated. Results: In line with different rates of polypharmacy (80% vs 16%), the risk of exposure to at least one interaction was 53.7% in nursing homes and 26.4% in outpatients. Among DDIs, in nursing homes antidepressants—anxiolytics (11.9%) ranked first, followed by antidepressants—aspirin (7.4%). In outpatients, ACE-inhibitors—non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) reached 7.2% followed by the calcium channel blockers—α-blockers (2.4%). Discussion: Polypharmacy and risk of DDIs appeared very different in the two settings, due to both technical and clinical reasons. In order to reduce use of benzodiazepines, NSAIDs, antidepressants and relevant DDIs, 1) defining alternative options for pain relief in elderly outpatients, and 2) implementing non-pharmacological management of insomnia and anxiety in nursing homes should be prioritized

Personalizing Cancer Pain Therapy: Insights from the Rational Use of Analgesics (RUA) Group

Introduction: A previous Delphi survey from the Rational Use of Analgesics (RUA) project involving Italian palliative care specialists revealed some discrepancies between current guidelines and clinical practice with a lack of consensus on items regarding the use of strong opioids in treating cancer pain. Those results represented the basis for a new Delphi study addressing a better approach to pain treatment in patients with cancer. Methods: The study consisted of a two-round multidisciplinary Delphi study. Specialists rated their agreement with a set of 17 statements using a 5-point Likert scale (0 = totally disagree and 4 = totally agree). Consensus on a statement was achieved if the median consensus score (MCS) (expressed as value at which at least 50% of participants agreed) was at least 4 and the interquartile range (IQR) was 3–4. Results: This survey included input from 186 palliative care specialists representing all Italian territory. Consensus was reached on seven statements. More than 70% of participants agreed with the use of low dose of strong opioids in moderate pain treatment and valued transdermal route as an effective option when the oral route is not available. There was strong consensus on the importance of knowing opioid pharmacokinetics for therapy personalization and on identifying immediate-release opioids as key for tailoring therapy to patients’ needs. Limited agreement was reached on items regarding breakthrough pain and the management of opioid-induced bowel dysfunction. Conclusion: These findings may assist clinicians in applying clinical evidence to routine care settings and call for a reappraisal of current pain treatment recommendations with the final aim of optimizing the clinical use of strong opioids in patients with cancer

The beam and detector of the NA62 experiment at CERN

NA62 is a fixed-target experiment at the CERN SPS dedicated to measurements of rare kaon decays. Such measurements, like the branching fraction of the K+ → π+ ν bar nu decay, have the potential to bring significant insights into new physics processes when comparison is made with precise theoretical predictions. For this purpose, innovative techniques have been developed, in particular, in the domain of low-mass tracking devices. Detector construction spanned several years from 2009 to 2014. The collaboration started detector commissioning in 2014 and will collect data until the end of 2018. The beam line and detector components are described together with their early performance obtained from 2014 and 2015 data

Towards the Optimal Mineral N Fertilization for Improving Peeled Tomato Quality Grown in Southern Italy

Nitrogen (N) fertilization has often been used in excess by farmers to improve commercial yield and the profitability of processing tomato crops. However, N fertilizers greatly affect the overall tomato quality, including technological traits, nutritional characteristics, and mineral fruit composition. The aim of this work was to study the effects of increasing mineral N fertilization rates on processing tomato yield and quality when grown in Southern Italy conditions. The study was carried out at Battipaglia (Southern Italy) cropping cultivar “Messapico”, suitable for peeled tomato, and fruit quality was evaluated at the ripening stage. Results showed that N fertilization reduced sunburned fruits and resulted in increasing total yield, average fruit weight, as well as other fruit parameters (size, firmness, color indexes, pH, N, and calcium content). On the other hand, N fertilization negatively affected other fruit traits, such as dry matter and soluble solids content, total sugar index, ascorbic acid, and sodium content, while it had no effect on potassium and magnesium concentration in tomato fruits. Our results show that, in the investigated area, 200 kg N ha−1 is the best compromise to satisfy farmers and processors expectations, improve yield, and at the same time maintain good fruit quality attributes