Array Analyses of Low-Frequency (0.1-0.5 Hz) Ambient Noise in Central Italy

In the framework of the seismological studies related to the activity of the Alto Tiberina Fault (ATF), a seismic array composed by 9 stations was deployed in the vicinity of Gubbio, central Italy

Nutritive value of sugarcane treated with sodium hydroxide and added of ground corn ears

O objetivo deste trabalho foi determinar o valor nutritivo de cana-de-açúcar tratada com 1,0% de hidróxido de sódio e acrescida de 0, 40, 80 e 120 kg de rolão-de-milho/t de cana-de-açúcar. O experimento foi conduzido no Instituto de Zootecnia, em Nova Odessa, SP, e o delineamento utilizado foi o de blocos ao acaso, com quatro repetições. O teste de consumo e digestibilidade foi efetuado com ovelhas em períodos de 10, 10 e 5 dias, que corresponderam, respectivamente, aos períodos de adaptação, controle do consumo e coleta de fezes e urina. O consumo de matéria seca e o coeficiente de digestibilidade da matéria seca aumentaram linearmente com a adição de rolão-de-milho. A ingestão de nutrientes digestíveis totais não foi alterada com a adição de rolão-de-milho.The objective of this work was to determine the nutritive value of sugarcane treated with 1,0% of sodium hydroxide plus 0, 40, 80 and 120 kg of ground corn ears/ton of chopped sugarcane. The experiment was carried out at Instituto de Zootecnia, in Nova Odessa, SP, Brazil, in a randomized complete block design, with four replications. Intake and digestibility trials were conducted in 10, 10 and 5 day periods, corresponding respectively to adaptation, intake and feces collection of female sheep. Dry matter intake and dry matter digestibility increased linearly with the addition of ground corn ears. Total digestible nutrients was not altered with the addition of ground corn ears

Finite volume effects for the pion mass at two loops

We evaluate the pion mass in finite volume to two loops within Chiral Perturbation Theory. The results are compared with a recently proposed extension of the asymptotic formula of Luscher. We find that contributions, which were neglected in the latter, are numerically very small at the two-loop level and conclude that for Mpi*L>2, L>2fm the finite volume effects in the meson sector are analytically well under control.Comment: 26 pages, 6 figure

Fiber degradability of sugar cane bagasse treated by alkaline solutions, through the “in situ” nylon bag technique

O bagaço de cana-de-açúcar (BCA) foi submetido a três tratamentos, sendo imerso em uma das seguintes soluções: (A) de NaOH (2% peso/volume), (B) de cinzas de madeira (30% peso/volume) e (C) em água. E constituiu 60% da matéria seca das dietas, junto com 40% de concentrados (milho, grão de soja e farelo de algodão), fornecidas em ensaios de degradabilidade ruminal para 6 bovinos com fístulas ruminais. O delineamento foi o “change-ovei” (3x3), adotando-se a técnica de sacos de náilon “in situ". A degradabilidade da MS às 48h foi (p<0,05): (A) = 75,14%, (B) = 34,20%, (C) = 24,26%. A degradabilidade da fração FDN do BCA foi sempre maior (p<0,05) no tratamento (A) do que nos demais; já a degradabilidade no tratamento B foi maior (p<0,05) do que no C, às 72 e 96h. A degradabilidade da FDN às 48h de incubação foi: (A) = 74,01%, (B) = 41,61% e (C) = 35,72%. Concluiu-se que os tratamentos alcalinos (soda e cinzas de madeira) melhoram a degradabilidade ruminal do BCA, sendo a soda superior às cinzas.Sugar cane bagasse was treated by immersion in one of these solutions: A) NaOH 2% volume/weigth; B) wood ash solution 30% volume/weight and C) water alone. Treated bagasse made up 60% of dry matter ration, and the remaining 40% constituted of concentrate (corn, full fat soybean and cotton meal). Six fistulated steers in a change-over design 3x3 were used, for evaluation of fiber degradability in the rumen, through the “in situ” nylon bag technique. Dry matter degradability at 48h incubation time was: A = 75.1%; B = 34.2% and C = 24.2%; NDF degradability of NaOHtreated bagasse (A) was higher than in B or C treatments; degradability of B was higher than in C at 72h and 96h of incubation time. NDF degradability at 48 hour incubation time showed the following results: A = 74.0%; B = 41.6% and C = 35.7%. In conclusion, alkaline (NaOH and wood ash) treated sugar cane bagasse improves ruminal degradability, and NaOH is better than wood ash

Options on Baskets

The aim is to devise fast, accurate methods to determine the value if options on baskets as well as the correct associated hedges. The method employed is a perturbation procedure based on a small volatility assumption

A haplotype of the phosphodiesterase 4D (PDE4D) gene is associated with myocardial infarction and with cardiometabolic parameters

The phosphodiesterase family is involved in a wide spectrum of diseases, including ischemic stroke. However, few studies have analyzed the relationship between phosphodiesterase 4D (PDE4D) and myocardial infarction (MI). Therefore, the aim of this research was to evaluate the association of the PDE4D gene polymorphisms with MI, and with cardiometabolic parameters in the Mexican population. Six polymorphisms (rs2910829, rs1423246, rs966221, rs4502776, rs13172481, and rs6869495) were genotyped in 1023 MI patients and 1105 healthy controls. A similar distribution of the six polymorphisms was observed in both studied groups. However, after evaluating the linkage disequilibrium, we detected a risk haplotype for MI (AGAGAA; OR = 1.148; P = 0.025). In addition, the polymorphisms were associated with the presence of some clinical and metabolic parameters (central obesity, hypertriglyceridemia, Aspartate transaminase >p75, Lipoprotein (a) >30 mg/dL, TAT >p75, fatty liver, and vitamin D <30 ng/dL) in healthy controls. The results suggest that in the Mexican population, a PDE4D haplotype is associated with increased risk of developing MI, and that PDE4D polymorphisms are independently associated with the presence of cardiometabolic parameters

Interleukin 6 (rs1800795) gene polymorphism is associated with cardiovascular diseases

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are group of complex and multifactorial pathologies, in which interleukin-6 (IL- 6) gene polymorphisms have been associated with several components of the CVD. Thus, in this study, we thoroughly reviewed and meta-analyzed evidence on the association between the IL-6 (rs1800795) gene polymorphism and CVD. We systematically searched in the PubMed, Web of Sciences, and Scopus databases. The analyses were performed using five study groups based on (1) a combined pool of the overall populations, (2) the country of birth, (3) the continent of birth, (4) the diagnosis and (5) both location (country or continent) and diagnosis. The analysis included the allelic, homozygote, heterozygote, dominant and recessive models. The meta-analysisshowed that -174G>C (rs1800795) is a risk factor for CVD (allelic: OR=1.06, CI 95%=1.02-1.10. Z p value C (rs1800795) polymorphism have an increase in the risk of coronary artery disease under the hereditary models assessed in the study. Using robust data, we found that IL-6 (rs1800795) -174G>C gene polymorphism is associated with CVD risk

Design and baseline characteristics of the finerenone in reducing cardiovascular mortality and morbidity in diabetic kidney disease trial

Background: Among people with diabetes, those with kidney disease have exceptionally high rates of cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality and progression of their underlying kidney disease. Finerenone is a novel, nonsteroidal, selective mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist that has shown to reduce albuminuria in type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) while revealing only a low risk of hyperkalemia. However, the effect of finerenone on CV and renal outcomes has not yet been investigated in long-term trials. Patients and Methods: The Finerenone in Reducing CV Mortality and Morbidity in Diabetic Kidney Disease (FIGARO-DKD) trial aims to assess the efficacy and safety of finerenone compared to placebo at reducing clinically important CV and renal outcomes in T2D patients with CKD. FIGARO-DKD is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, event-driven trial running in 47 countries with an expected duration of approximately 6 years. FIGARO-DKD randomized 7,437 patients with an estimated glomerular filtration rate >= 25 mL/min/1.73 m(2) and albuminuria (urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio >= 30 to <= 5,000 mg/g). The study has at least 90% power to detect a 20% reduction in the risk of the primary outcome (overall two-sided significance level alpha = 0.05), the composite of time to first occurrence of CV death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, or hospitalization for heart failure. Conclusions: FIGARO-DKD will determine whether an optimally treated cohort of T2D patients with CKD at high risk of CV and renal events will experience cardiorenal benefits with the addition of finerenone to their treatment regimen. Trial Registration: EudraCT number: 2015-000950-39; ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02545049

The use of chromium oxide to estimate the digestibility of a feedlot ration fed at three levels of intake to Nelore steers

Foram conduzidos seis ensaios de digestibilidade com coleta total de fezes, sendo três em 1988/89 (3animais/tratamento) e três em 1989/90 (2 animais/tratamento), Novilho da raça Nelore com &#177; 24 meses de idade e peso vivo de &#177; 350kg foram usados como animais experimentais. Os tratamentos testados foram três níveis de ingestão (g de MS/kg PV0,75): A - nível alto (à vontade); B - nível médio (70 a 80g); C - nível baixo (55 a 60g). A ração era constituída de 60% de silagem (de milho em 88/89 e de sorgo em 89/90) e de 40% de concentrado, base seca. O teor de proteína bruta estabelecido foi de &#177; 12%, base seca. O óxido de cromo foi usado (l0g/animal/dia, fornecido em duas vezes, de manhã e ã tarde, começando 7 dias antes do primeiro dia de um período de sete dias de coleta de fezes), tanto nos ensaios de coleta total de fezes (33 animais, sendo 11 por tratamento para estimar a taxa de recuperação do óxido de cromo), como em dois ensaios de ganho de peso vivo conduzidos com animais semelhantes em 1988/89 e 1989/90 (36 animais, sendo 12 por tratamento) para estimar a quantidade de fezes e calcular a digestibilidade da ração nos três níveis de ingestão. O fornecimento do óxido de cromo foi feito através do concentrado na forma de peletes contendo 10% de óxido de cromo (100g de peletes/dia/animal). Os consumos médios de MS observados foram de 72,4; 64,4 e 51,4 em 1988/89, e de 86,7; 80,4 e 59,5g/kg PV0,75 em 89/90 para os tratamentos A, B e C respectivamente. No ensaio de coleta total de·fezes de 1988/89, o aumento do nível de ingestão provocou uma diminuição linear significativa na digestibilidade da ração (P&#8804;0,0l) para digestibilidade da MS, da MO, da PB, da FB, do ENN, da FDN e da HEMICEL.; e P&#8804;0,05 para digestibilidade do EE e da FDA. Nos respectivos ensaios de 1989/90, o nível de ingestão não afetou significativamete a digestibilidade da ração (P&#8805;0,05). A recuperação de óxido de cromo nas fezes foi baixa e não foi afetada significativamente (P&#8805;0,05) pelo nível de ingestão (60,8; 67,7 e 57,1% respectivamente para os tratamentos A. B e C). A recuperação de óxido de cromo também não foi afetada pelo dia de coleta e nem pelo horário de coleta de fezes, após o décimo dia de fornecimento na ração. A digestibilidade da MS determinada usando-se a excreção de fezes estimada através do óxido de cromo foi significativamente menor (P&#8804;0,05) do que a determinada através da coleta total de fezes (60,1 vs. 67,5% respectivamente). No ensaio de ganho de peso, a digestibilidade da MS estimada através do óxido de cromo, decresceu linearmente (P&#8804;0,05) com o aumento do nível de ingestão de MS (62,6; 60,4 e 57,1% respectivamente para os tratamentos C, B e A).Six total feces collection digestion trials were carried out, three in 1988/89 (3 animals per treatment) and three in 1989/90 (2 animals per treatment). Nelore steers 2 years old and 350kg live weight were used as experimental animals. The treatments were three levels of dry matter intake (g of DM/kg PV0,75): A - high level (ad libitum); B - medium level (70 to 80) and C - low level (55 to 60). The ration contained 60% silage (corn in 1988/89 and sorghum silage in 1989/90) and 40% concentrate, dry basis. The planned protein level was 12% dry basis. Chromium oxide was used (10g/animal/day, fed twice daily: morning and afternoon, begining 7 days before the first day of a seven days period of feces collection) in the total feces collection digestion trials (11 animals per treatment) to determine chromium oxide recovery in the feces, and in two feedlot trials (1988/89 and 1989/90) using the same kind of animals (12 anilnals per treatment) to estimate feces output and DM digestibility. Chromium oxide was fed through 100g of concentrate pellets (10% chromium oxide) per animal per day. The observed DM intakes were 72.4; 64.4 and 51.4 in 1988/89, and 86.7; 80.4 and 59.5g/kg PV0,75in 1989/90 for treatments A, B and C respectively. In the 1988/89 total feces collection trials, increasing dry matter intake decreased linearly the digestibility of the ration (P &#8804;0.0l) for the digestibilities of DM, OM, CP, CF, NFE, NDF and of hemicellulose; and P &#8804;0.05 for EE and ADF. In the 1989/90 trials, the level of intake did not affect significantly ration digestibility (P &#8805;0.05). Recovery of chromium oxide was low and was not affected (P &#8805;0.05) by the level of intake (60.8; 67.7 and 57.1% for treatments A. B and C respectively). Chromium oxide recovery was not affected also by the day of collection or by the time of collection of feces, after the tenth day of chromium oxide feeding. Dry matter digestibility determined using feces output estimated by chromium oxide concentration in the feces was significantly lower (P &#8804;0.05) than the one determined by the total feces collection method (60.1 vs. 67.5 respectively). In the feedlot trial, the DM digestibility estimated using chromium oxide decreased linearly (P &#8804;0.05) with the increase of the level of DM intake (62.6; 60.4 and 57.1% respectively for treatments C, B and A)