484 research outputs found
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
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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
CLIMATIC INFLUENCE ON THE BREEDING BIOLOGY IN A WILD BOAR (Sus scrofa) POPULATION IN "PARCO NATURALE DELLE CAPANNE DI MARCAROLO" (AL)
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