Prevalence, survival and subsequent fertility of dairy and beef cows with uterine prolapse

The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of uterine prolapse in cows and assess its effects on survival and subsequent fertility. Of 33,450 calving cows considered retrospectively, 216 (0.6%) developed uterine prolapse. A higher prevalence was found in beef cows (n 5 57/5,700 cows, 1%) compared to dairy cows (n 5 157/27,750 cows, 0.6%). Treatment consisted of cleaning and replacing the uterus with local administration of antibiotics, and applying a harness for uterine containment. The recovery rate was 81.9% (n 5 177), similar in dairy (n 5 129; 81.1%) and beef (n 5 48; 84.2%) cows. Of the 216 cows with uterine prolapse, 18 (8.3%) died before or immediately after treatment; 21 cows (9.7%) were voluntarily culled for economic reasons (low milk yield, low fertility, insufficient weight gain). All recovered dairy cows were artificially inseminated with semen of proven fertility after a voluntary waiting period of 50 days; the beef cows were naturally mated. Among the 172 inseminated/mated cows, 84.7% (n 5 150) became pregnant (83.7% dairy cows, 87.5% beef cows), while 15.2% (n 5 27) did not conceive. Recurrence of uterine prolapse at subsequent calvings was recorded in one dairy cow. Based upon the data presented here, treated cows with uterine prolapse showed high chances of survival and conception, and a low risk of recurrence

Welcome on board: A note on gender quotas regulation in Europe

Using a diff-in-diff approach, we compare the impact on board and directors’ characteristics of mandatory vs advisory regulations on gender quotas in corporate boards. We focus on the experience of three European countries: France and Italy (mandatory regime) vs UK (advisory regime). Our results show that while the percentage of Women on Boards (WoB) generally increases after the introduction of the regulation, this effect is stronger in mandatory regimes. We also find that the quality of the board, measured by several indicators such as size, busyness, qualifications, independence, generally improves more in mandatory regimes. Finally, we also document that gender quotas have had no effect on the likelihood of appointing female executives and board chairwomen in either regime

The survey and mapping of sand-boil landforms related to the Emilia 2012 earthquakes: preliminary results.

Sand boils, which are also known as sand blows or sand volcanoes, are among the most common superficial effects induced by high-magnitude earthquakes. These generally occur in or close to alluvial plains when a strong earthquake (M >5) strikes on a lens of saturated and unconsolidated sand deposits that are constrained between silt-clay layers, where the sediments are converted into a fluid suspension. The liquefaction phenomena requires the presence of saturated and uncompacted sand, and a groundwater table near the ground surface. This geological\u2013geomorphological setting is common and widespread for the Po Plain (Italy). The Po Plain (ca. 46,000 km2) represents 15% of the Italian territory. It hosts a population of about 20 million people (mean density of 450 people/km2) and many infrastructures. Thus, the Po Plain is an area of high vulnerability when considering the liquefaction potential in the case of a strong earthquake. Despite the potential, such phenomena are rarely observed in northern Italy, because strong earthquakes are not frequent in this region; e.g., historical data report soil liquefaction near Ferrara in 1570 (M 5.3) and in Argenta 1624 (M 5.5). In the Emilia quakes of May 20 and 29, 2012, the most widespread coseismic effects were soil liquefaction and ground cracks, which occurred over wide areas in the Provinces of Modena, Ferrara, Bologna, Reggio Emilia and Mantov

The survey and mapping of sand-boil landforms related to the Emilia 2012 earthquakes: preliminary results.

Sand boils, which are also known as sand blows or sand volcanoes, are among the most common superficial effects induced by high-magnitude earthquakes. These generally occur in or close to alluvial plains when a strong earthquake (M >5) strikes on a lens of saturated and unconsolidated sand deposits that are constrained between silt-clay layers, where the sediments are converted into a fluid suspension. The liquefaction phenomena requires the presence of saturated and uncompacted sand, and a groundwater table near the ground surface. This geological–geomorphological setting is common and widespread for the Po Plain (Italy). The Po Plain (ca. 46,000 km2) represents 15% of the Italian territory. It hosts a population of about 20 million people (mean density of 450 people/km2) and many infrastructures. Thus, the Po Plain is an area of high vulnerability when considering the liquefaction potential in the case of a strong earthquake. Despite the potential, such phenomena are rarely observed in northern Italy, because strong earthquakes are not frequent in this region; e.g., historical data report soil liquefaction near Ferrara in 1570 (M 5.3) and in Argenta 1624 (M 5.5). In the Emilia quakes of May 20 and 29, 2012, the most widespread coseismic effects were soil liquefaction and ground cracks, which occurred over wide areas in the Provinces of Modena, Ferrara, Bologna, Reggio Emilia and Mantov

The survey and mapping of sand-boil landformsrelated to the Emilia 2012 earthquakes: preliminary results

In this report, we present preliminary results using methods to map the detailed micro-morphology of some representative liquefaction features that normally disappear for the aforementioned reasons, or that are recorded only in qualitative terms. Field surveys and activities were conducted a few days after the May 20 and 29, 2012, mainshocks (M 5.9, M 5.8, respectively). The surveys were carried out using global position system (GPS) and reflex digital cameras. GPS acquisition (tracklog) was used to record the topographic positions of the features and to automatically geolocate/geotag the numerous digital photos acquired. The field data, geomorphological features, and sand-boil location were loaded into a geodatabase and mapped using geographic information systems (GIS). Photogrammetric surveys were carried out on several sand boils using digital reflex cameras with calibrated 20-mm fixed lenses. To build high resolution digital elevation models (DEMs), images were taken from multiple angles to cover the entire areas of the features of interest

The face of Glut1-DS patients : A 3D craniofacial morphometric analysis

Introduction - Glut1 deficiency syndrome (Glut1-DS) is a neurological and metabolic disorder caused by impaired transport of glucose across the blood brain barrier (BBB). Mutations on the SCL2A1 gene encoding the glucose transporter protein in the BBB cause the syndrome, which encompasses epilepsy, movement disorders and mental delay. Such variability of symptoms presents an obstacle to early diagnosis. The patients seem to share some craniofacial features, and identification and quantification of these could help in prompt diagnosis and clinical management. Materials and method - We performed a three-dimensional morphometric analysis of the faces of 11 female Glut1-DS patients using a stereophotogrammetric system. Data were analyzed using both inter-landmark distances and Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Results - Compared to data collected from age-, sex- and ethnicity-matched control subjects, common and homogenous facial features were identified among patients, which were mainly located in the mandible and the eyes. Glut1-DS patients had a more anterior chin; their mandibular body was longer but the rami were shorter, with a reduced gonial angle; they had smaller and down-slanted eyes with a reduced intercanthal distance. Conclusions - This study highlights the importance of morphometric analysis for defining the facial anatomical characteristics of the syndrome better, potentially helping clinicians to diagnose Glut1-DS. Imnproved knowledge of the facial anatomy of these patients can provide insights into their facial and cerebral embryological development, perhaps further clarifying the molecular basis of the syndrome

The survey and mapping of sand-boil landforms related to the Emilia 2012 earthquakes: preliminary results

Sand boils, which are also known as sand blows or sand volcanoes, are among the most common superficial effects induced by high-magnitude earthquakes. These generally occur in or close to alluvial plains when a strong earthquake (M >5) strikes on a lens of saturated and unconsolidated sand deposits that are constrained between silt-clay layers [Ambraseys 1988, Carter and Seed 1988, Galli 2000, Tuttle 2001, Obermeier et al. 2005], where the sediments are converted into a fluid suspension. The liquefaction phenomena requires the presence of saturated and uncompacted sand, and a groundwater table near the ground surface. This geological– geomorphological setting is common and widespread for the Po Plain (Italy) [Castiglioni et al. 1997]. The Po Plain (ca. 46,000 km2) represents 15% of the Italian territory. It hosts a population of about 20 million people (mean density of 450 people/km2) and many infrastructures. Thus, the Po Plain is an area of high vulnerability when considering the liquefaction potential in the case of a strong earthquake. Despite the potential, such phenomena are rarely observed in northern Italy [Cavallin et al. 1977, Galli 2000], because strong earthquakes are not frequent in this region; e.g., historical data report soil liquefaction near Ferrara in 1570 (M 5.3) and in Argenta 1624 (M 5.5) [Prestininzi and Romeo 2000, Galli 2000]. In the Emilia quakes of May 20 and 29, 2012, the most widespread coseismic effects were soil liquefaction and ground cracks, which occurred over wide areas in the Provinces of Modena, Ferrara, Bologna, Reggio Emilia and Mantova (Figure 1). These were the causes of considerable damage to buildings and the infrastructure. The soil liquefaction and ground cracks were accompanied by sand boils, which are described in this report. The spatial distribution and geomorphological setting of sand boils and ground cracks are also described here. A detailed three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction of these features is also presented, which was carried out using terrestrial photogrammetry. Since archeological times, fluvial ridges, and in general sandy deposits on low plains have been the preferred sites for human infrastructure, colonial houses, roads, etc. Therefore, it is very important to understand how the local topography/ morphology interacts in the liquefaction processes. Numerous distinctive seismic landforms were generated by the May 2012 strong earthquakes (seven with M >5), and in particular, sand boils and ground fractures. The sand-boil landforms, also known as sand craters or sand volcanoes, are formed by low mounds of sand that have been extruded from fractures [Tuttle 2001]. The cone is a generally shortlived structure that naturally collapses, starting from the center holes that mark the water retreat back into the fracture. Sand boils also occurred along larger cracks (with decimetric lateral and vertical displacements). Here, the upper scarps block the formation of craters and allow the deposition of a sandy layer several centimeters thick (e.g. ca. 4 cm in the San Carlo crack), on the lower side of the steep slope. These landforms are highly vulnerable to erosion. After a few weeks, they are washed out by rain, destroyed by human activity, or masked by growing crops. Thus, ground surveys that investigate these events have to be carried out as soon as possible [Panizza et al. 1981]. In this report, we present preliminary results using methods to map the detailed micro-morphology of some representative liquefaction features (Figure 2) that normally disappear for the aforementioned reasons, or that are recorded only in qualitative terms