Audio recordings dataset of grazing jaw movements in dairy cattle.

This dataset is composed of correlated audio recordings and labels of ingestive jaw movements performed during grazing by dairy cattle. Using a wireless microphone, we recorded sounds of three Holstein dairy cows grazing short and tall alfalfa and short and tall fescue. Two experts in grazing behavior identified and labeled the start, end, and type of each jaw movement: bite, chew, and chew-bite (compound movement). For each segment of raw audio corresponding to a jaw movement we computed four well-known features: amplitude, duration, zero crossings, and envelope symmetry. These features are in the dataset and can be used as inputs to build automated methods for classification of ingestive jaw movements. Cow's grazing behavior can be monitored and characterized by identifying and analyzing these masticatory events

An online method for estimating grazing and rumination bouts using acoustic signals in grazing cattle

The growth of the world population expected for the next decade will increase the demand for products derived from cattle (i.e., milk and meat). In this sense, precision livestock farming proposes to optimize livestock production using information and communication technologies for monitoring animals. Although there are several methodologies for monitoring foraging behavior, the acoustic method has shown to be successful in previous studies. However, there is no online acoustic method for the recognition of rumination and grazing bouts that can be implemented in a low-cost device. In this study, an online algorithm called bottom-up foraging activity recognizer (BUFAR) is proposed. The method is based on the recognition of jaw movements from sound, which are then analyzed by groups to recognize rumination and grazing bouts. Two variants of the activity recognizer were explored, which were based on a multilayer perceptron (BUFAR-MLP) and a decision tree (BUFAR-DT). These variants were evaluated and compared under the same conditions with a known method for offline analysis. Compared to the former method, the proposed method showed superior results in the estimation of grazing and rumination bouts. The MLP-variant showed the best results, reaching F1-scores higher than 0.75 for both activities. In addition, the MLP-variant outperformed a commercial rumination time estimation system. A great advantage of BUFAR is the low computational cost, which is about 50 times lower than that corresponding to the former method. The good performance and low computational cost makes BUFAR a highly feasible method for real-time execution in a low-cost embedded monitoring system. The advantages provided by this system will allow the development of a portable device for online monitoring of the foraging behavior of ruminants.Fil: Chelotti, Jose Omar. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Instituto de Investigación en Señales, Sistemas e Inteligencia Computacional. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias Hídricas. Instituto de Investigación en Señales, Sistemas e Inteligencia Computacional; ArgentinaFil: Vanrell, Sebastián Rodrigo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Instituto de Investigación en Señales, Sistemas e Inteligencia Computacional. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias Hídricas. Instituto de Investigación en Señales, Sistemas e Inteligencia Computacional; ArgentinaFil: Martínez Rau, Luciano Sebastián. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Instituto de Investigación en Señales, Sistemas e Inteligencia Computacional. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias Hídricas. Instituto de Investigación en Señales, Sistemas e Inteligencia Computacional; ArgentinaFil: Galli, Julio Ricardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias Agrarias de Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias Agrarias de Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Planisich, Alejandra. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; ArgentinaFil: Utsumi, Santiago A.. Michigan State University; Estados UnidosFil: Milone, Diego Humberto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Instituto de Investigación en Señales, Sistemas e Inteligencia Computacional. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias Hídricas. Instituto de Investigación en Señales, Sistemas e Inteligencia Computacional; ArgentinaFil: Giovanini, Leonardo Luis. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Instituto de Investigación en Señales, Sistemas e Inteligencia Computacional. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias Hídricas. Instituto de Investigación en Señales, Sistemas e Inteligencia Computacional; ArgentinaFil: Rufiner, Hugo Leonardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Instituto de Investigación en Señales, Sistemas e Inteligencia Computacional. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias Hídricas. Instituto de Investigación en Señales, Sistemas e Inteligencia Computacional; Argentin

Transgovernmental networks and rationalist outputs? The partial social construction of EU foreign policy

This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in European Security on 31 October 2016, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/09662839.2016.1236791.The European Union (EU) foreign policy has gone beyond intergovernmentalism. It is largely formulated by (Brussels-based) national officials, in a process characterised by a high number of cooperative practices, diffuse sentiments of group loyalty and possibly argumentative procedures. Yet, in many cases, the most likely output of this process reflects the lowest common denominator of states’ positions or the preferences of the biggest states. The article intends to investigate this puzzle. In the first part, it corroborates its existence by using answers from an original database of 138 questionnaires and 37 interviews with EU negotiators. Next, it argues that cooperative practices remain often subordinated to nationally oriented ways of doing things. Consequentialist practices perform an anchoring function, in that they define the parameters around which (social) practices operate. The last section looks more closely at the sites of and meanings attached to EU foreign policy-making. By discussing national diplomats’ conspicuous leeway in Brussels, it also argues that negotiating practices are performed through a mix of partial agency and persistence of national dispositions. On the whole, changing practices is difficult, even in dense and largely autonomous settings such as EU foreign policy. The social construction of EU foreign policy occurs only to a partial extent

Effect of Cervitec (R) on mutans streptococci in plaque and on caries formation on occlusal fissures of erupting permanent molars

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of Cervitec(R) on the abundance of mutans streptococci (MS) in occlusal dental plaque and on 2-year caries increment of partly erupting first permanent molars. Sixteen healthy schoolchildren aged 6-8 years, with at least 2 sound contralateral partly erupted permanent molars, received diet counselling and daily parental supervised toothbrushing with a fluoride dentifrice. Stimulated saliva samples were collected at baseline and after 1 year to evaluate MS levels. In a split-mouth design, Cervitec varnish was applied to one of the teeth at baseline and after 3 and 6 months, while the other tooth in the same jaw was a control. At the 9-month follow-up the teeth were in occlusal contact. At this time, varnish was not applied. At 3 and 6 months after the first application of varnish a significant suppression of MS was observed in plaque. Caries investigations, performed at baseline and every 3 months during the 2 years after the start of the study, showed that all the teeth treated with the varnish were free of caries after 2 years, whereas 8/16 control teeth developed incipient caries. In conclusion, our results suggest that treatment with Cervitec reduces MS in plaque on erupting permanent molars and can lead to a significant decrease in caries incidence. Copyright (C) 2002 S. Karger AG, Basel

In vivo genotoxic interactions among three phenolic benzene metabolites.

Three benzene metabolites, hydroquinone (HQ), cathecol (CAT) and phenol (PHE) were studied to define their possible interaction in inducing micronuclei (Mn) in mouse bone marrow polychromatic erythrocytes (PCEs). HQ and CAT, administered separately, induced Mn while PHE showed no genotoxic effects. Binary and ternary mixtures of two or three metabolites gave different results, causing considerable increase or decrease in Mn induction. HQ and PHE, in binary mixtures, as well as PHE and CAT, increased Mn synergistically, while HQ and CAT interacted negatively. The genotoxicity of ternary mixtures was mainly the consequence of two metabolites: HQ and CAT. The maximal effect obtained is far below the induction of Mn consequent to benzene treament. These data suggest that toxic and genotoxic effects of benzene alone could be the result of more complex interactions among these and other metabolites

Histopathological study of furcation lesions on primary molars,Estudo Histopatológico de Lesões da Furca de Molares Decíduos

Objective: To evaluate histopathologically the tissues present in resorption areas on the furcation region of primary teeth with pathological pulpal processes and radiolucent radiographic images suggestive of an interadicular lesion. Method: This study used 20 primary molars with clinical signs of caries, such as coronal destruction or an extensive restoration associated with a radiolucent radiographic image on the furcation region, suggestive of a chronic periapical or interadicular lesion. The teeth extracted under local anesthesia were immediately fixed in a 10% formalin solution for 24 hours, and then decalcified in a 5% formic acid solution and kept under continuous agitation for approximately 15 days, until complete decalcification, which was periodically checked radiographically. The decalcified fragments were then processed for inclusion in paraffin and semi-serially cut in 5-μm-thick slices. After preparation of slides, the cuts were stained with hematoxylin and eosin for histopathologic analysis. For the microscopic analysis were used 40X and 100X magnifications. The findings were documented on photomicrographs. Results: The cell elements found in the furcation region characterized an unspecific chronic inflammatory process in most cases. As much as 45% of the samples presented proliferating odontogenic epithelium stimulated by the local inflammatory process, forming anastomosed chords and showing a cystic potential for lesions associated with pulpal pathologic processes. Conclusion: In the lesions located in the furcation regions of primary molars, there were cell elements related to an unspecific chronic inflammatory process and the presence of odontogenic epithelial rests either latent or proliferating was frequent

LA GRAN BRETAGNA DOPO LA BREXIT

La Brexit ha scoperchiato un vaso di Pandora, mettendo a nudo diverse tensioni nella democrazia britannica, e portando Theresa May a succedere a David Cameron a Downing Street. Il volume analizza l\u2019esito e le implicazioni del referendum del giugno 2016 partendo da un focus approfondito sulle elezioni politiche britanniche del 2015. Quale significato hanno avuto la sconfitta laburista e il cambio di leadership da Ed Miliband a Jeremy Corbyn, oltre agli exploit dei nazionalisti scozzesi e dello UK Independence party per un sistema politico sempre pi\uf9 frammentato? In quale contesto si \ue8 svolto il negoziato di Cameron con l\u2019Europa \u2013 che ha spaccato in due i conservatori \u2013 per arrivare al referendum? Come hanno reagito gli elettori tra timori di marginalizzazione e aspirazioni di recupero di sovranit\ue0? Quali scenari si prospettano ora per il paese verso l\u2018Ue e sullo scacchiere internazionale? A questi ed altri interrogativi il volume risponde grazie al contributo di autorevoli scienziati politici italiani e britannici