Effect of leg conformation of Duroc sow longevity

Ponencia publicada en ITEA, vol.104Caracteres morfológicos como la conformación de los aplomos pueden tener un papel clave en la longevidad de las cerdas. Dentro de este contexto, se evaluó el efecto de los aplomos sobre la longevidad de 587 cerdas Duroc, analizándose tanto la supervivencia global de las cerdas (SG) como la supervivencia bajo tres causas de fallida distintas (competing risk): muerte (BM), baja productividad (BP) y baja fertilidad (BF). La conformación global de los aplomos influyó (p < 0,001) la longevidad de las cerdas en los análisis SG, BP y BF, aumentado el riesgo de fallida a medida que empeoraban los aplomos. El crecimiento anormal de las pezuñas (p < 0,001) y la presencia de golpes o bultos en las patas (p < 0,05) incrementaba el riesgo de fallida en los análisis SG, BP y BF. Las cerdas plantígradas tenían un riesgo mayor de fallida en los análisis SG (p < 0,001) y BP (p < 0,05), las cerdas con hiperextensión de las patas tenían un riesgo mayor en el análisis BF (p < 0,05), mientras que la presencia de pies abiertos aumentaba el riesgo de fallida en el análisis SG (p < 0,05). Las estimaciones de heredabilidad para la longevidad de las cerdas fueron de 0,07 (análisis SG), 0,02 (análisis BP) y 0,08 (análisis BF).Morphologic traits such as leg conformation can play a key role on sow longevity. Within this context, the effect of leg conformation was evaluated on longevity data from 587 Duroc sows, longevity being characterized as overall longevity (OS) or sow failure due to death (DE), low productivity (LP) or low fertility (LF; competing risk analyses). Overall leg conformation score influenced (P < 0.001) sow longevity in OS, LP and LF analyses, impairing sow longevity when leg conformation got worse. Abnormal hoof growth (P < 0.001) and presence of bumps or injuries in legs (P < 0.001) increased the risk of failure in OS, LP and LF analyses. Plantigrade sows showed a higher culling risk in OS (P < 0.001) and LP (P < 0.05) analysis, sows with sickle-hooked leg had a higher culling risk in the LF analysis (P < 0.05), whereas splayed feet increased sow failure in the OS analysis (P < 0.05). Estimates of heritability for sow longevity were 0.07 (GS analysis), 0.02 (LP analysis) and 0.08 (LF analysis)

Epitaxial growth of "infinite layer” thin films and multilayers by rf magnetron sputtering

We report on the preparation and characterization of epitaxial ACuO2 (A = Sr, Ca, Ba) thin films and multilayers with the so- called infinite layer (IL) structure, by rf magnetron sputtering. Films and multilayers without Ba have a remarkable crystal quality, whereas those containing this large ion are often multiphased and unstable. In spite of the excellent crystalline quality of these samples, obtaining thin films having both IL structure and displaying superconducting properties has not succeeded; our pure IL samples display semiconducting behavior, and the different procedures tried in order to dope them—annealings, introduction of disorder or cation vacancies, artificial layering—have failed. These results support that the pure IL structure ACuO2 (A = alkaline earth) cannot superconduc

CGM properties in VELA and NIHAO simulations; the OVI ionization mechanism: dependence on redshift, halo mass and radius

We study the components of cool and warm/hot gas in the circumgalactic medium (CGM) of simulated galaxies and address the relative production of OVI by photoionization versus collisional ionization, as a function of halo mass, redshift, and distance from the galaxy halo center. This is done utilizing two different suites of zoom-in hydro-cosmological simulations, VELA (6 halos; $z>1$) and NIHAO (18 halos; to $z=0$), which provide a broad theoretical basis because they use different codes and physical recipes for star formation and feedback. In all halos studied in this work, we find that collisional ionization by thermal electrons dominates at high redshift, while photoionization of cool or warm gas by the metagalactic radiation takes over near $z\sim2$. In halos of $\sim 10^{12}M_{\odot}$ and above, collisions become important again at $z<0.5$, while photoionization remains significant down to $z=0$ for less massive halos. In halos with $M_{\textrm v}>3\times10^{11}~M_{\odot}$, at $z\sim 0$ most of the photoionized OVI is in a warm, not cool, gas phase ($T\lesssim 3\times 10^5$~K). We also find that collisions are dominant in the central regions of halos, while photoionization is more significant at the outskirts, around $R_{\textrm v}$, even in massive halos. This too may be explained by the presence of warm gas or, in lower mass halos, by cool gas inflows

Phonon dynamics for light dark matter detection

The search for low-mass dark matter (DM) goes in parallel with the identification of new detection channels and the development of suitable detectors. Detection of the resulting small energy depositions is challenging: it requires extremely high sensitivity, only achievable by cryogenic thermal detectors, which might be put to the limit. Understanding the processes which can limit performances of these detectors can be thus crucial for evaluating the feasibility of the proposed new detection schemes and to design the detectors and tune their performance. In this paper we focus on a promising detection scheme, the excitation of single optical phonons in polar materials, to evaluate one of the possible limiting factors of cryogenic thermal detectors, i.e. the phonon dynamics in the target/absorber. We present a detailed theoretical analysis, within an entirely ab initio scheme, of the downconversion and propagation processes undergone by optical phonons, created by the interaction of a low-mass DM particle in an Al2O3 target, until they reach the interface with a phonon Al collector. After a preliminary methodological survey that reveals the limitations of any Relaxation Time Approximation based method, we developed a 3D beyond-RTA phonon Monte Carlo that allowed us to introduce the spatial dimension of the device and address questions about impact of target size and scattering position. We analyse also the effect of the phonon energy and wavevector and show that isotopes can, perhaps counterintuitively, result in a larger heat flux by providing transport channels of higher velocities, thus favoring detection. Our results suggest that, though challenging, the direct detection of light DM via athermal phonon generation appears feasible, and that the phonon downconversion followed by quasi-ballistic propagation does not appear to be a major bottleneck in terms of reducing the signal.Comment: 16 pages, 11 figure

Kinematics of symmetric Galactic longitudes to probe the spiral arms of the Milky Way with Gaia

Aims. We model the effects of the spiral arms of the Milky Way on the disk stellar kinematics in the Gaia observable space. We also estimate the Gaia capabilities of detecting the predicted signatures. Methods. We use both controlled orbital integrations in analytic potentials and self-consistent simulations. We introduce a new strategy to investigate the effects of spiral arms, which consists of comparing the stellar kinematics of symmetric Galactic longitudes (+l and −l), in particular the median transverse velocity as determined from parallaxes and proper motions. This approach does not require the assumption of an axisymmetric model because it involves an internal comparison of the data. Results. The typical differences between the transverse velocity in symmetric longitudes in the models are of the order of ~2 km s-1, but can be larger than 10 km s-1 for certain longitudes and distances. The longitudes close to the Galactic centre and to the anti-centre are those with larger and smaller differences, respectively. The differences between the kinematics for +l and −l show clear trends that depend strongly on the properties of spiral arms. Thus, this method can be used to quantify the importance of the effects of spiral arms on the orbits of stars in the different regions of the disk, and to constrain the location of the arms, main resonances and, thus, pattern speed. Moreover, the method allows us to test different origin scenarios of spiral arms and the dynamical nature of the spiral structure (e.g. grand design versus transient multiple arms). We estimate the number of stars of each spectral type that Gaia will observe in certain representative Galactic longitudes, their characteristic errors in distance and transverse velocity, and the error in computing the median velocity as a function of distance. We will be able to measure the median transverse velocity exclusively with Gaia data, with precision smaller than ~1 km s-1 up to distances of ~4-6 kpc for certain giant stars, and up to ~2-4 kpc and better kinematic precision (≲0.5 km s-1) for certain sub-giants and dwarfs. These are enough to measure the typical signatures seen in the models. Conclusions. The Gaia catalogue will allow us to use the presented approach successfully and improve significantly upon current studies of the dynamics of the spiral arms of our Galaxy. We also show that a similar strategy can be used with line-of-sight velocities, which could be applied to Gaia data and to upcoming spectroscopic surveys

The effect of a high monounsaturated fat diet on body weight, backfat and loin muscle growth in high and medium-lean pig genotypes

The objective of this study was to evaluate whether the use of a diet rich in oleic acid could have an effect on daily weight gain, backfat and loin muscle (Longissimus thoracis) depth. One hundred and ninety-two barrows and gilts, from two genotypes were fed a grain and soy diet (CONTROL with 28% C18:1) or a similar diet enriched with oleic acid (HO with 43% C18:1, Greedy-Grass OLIVA®). The pigs were housed in 16 pens in groups of 12 according to their sex, diet and genotype. From 75 days of age every three weeks, the pigs were weighed and the backfat and loin muscle depth were ultrasonically recorded (PIGLOG®). The inclusion of the dietary fat had no significant effect on the growth variables nor on the backfat and loin muscle depth measurements taken. However, the barrows resulted in higher live weight and backfat compared to the gilts at the end of the trial. Conversely, the gilts showed higher loin depth. Moreover, York-sired pigs were heavier than Pietrain-sired pigs during the whole trial and showed higher backfat at the last two measurements. Pietrain-sired pigs had higher loin muscle depth at the last measurements. The results of the present study suggest that the addition of a dietary fat into diets aiming at modifying the meat fatty acid profile has no detrimental effects on performance variables, or on backfat and loin muscle growth and thus, no negative economic impact for producers.The study was funded by the Spanish Government within the CDTI program (IDI 2004-683). Many thanks for the technical support of IRTA and UPB España, S.A. technicians. The authors would specially like to acknowledge the contribution of Mr. Rafa Roca, who unfortunately passed away during the final writing of this paper.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

El colesterol sigue alto. ¿Y ahora qué hacemos? Tratamiento de la hipercolesteremia no controlada a lo largo de un año

ObjetivoConocer la efectividad sobre el control lipídico del tratamiento hipolipemiante, basado en la práctica clínica habitual en atención primaria, en pacientes con hipercolesteremia manifiesta.DiseñoIntervención semiexperimental, antes-después.EmplazamientoCentro de salud urbano. Participantes: 187 pacientes dislipémicos conocidos, con colesterol total o colesterol LDL (cLDL) > 270 o 190 mg/dl, respectivamente.IntervenciónPráctica clínica habitual durante 12 meses en 9 consultas de atención primaria.Mediciones principalesSe registró el perfil lipídico y el tratamiento hipolipemiante al inicio del estudio y al cabo de 12 meses. El control lipídico (en función del cLDL) se evaluó como óptimo, aceptable y deficiente en función del riesgo cardiovascular según los criterios de la Sociedad Española de Arteriosclerosis (1994).ResultadosEn un 27% de casos no se registró ninguna visita relacionada con la hipercolesteremia por su médico. El número de pacientes tratados con hipolipemiantes creció de 50 a 98 (27 frente a 52%; p < 0,005), fundamentalmente a expensas del uso de estatinas. Tras 12 meses, se observaron descensos significativos en la concentración plasmática del cLDL (12%; IC del 95%, 9–15%) y del porcentaje de pacientes con control deficiente, que descendió del 91% inicial al 61% (p < 0,005), aunque sólo un 16% alcanzó un control óptimo.ConclusionesTras un año, con las condiciones de práctica clínica habitual, se observó un incremento en el uso de hipolipemiantes y una mejoría en el control lipídico, aunque algo más de la mitad de los pacientes (61%) con hipercolesteremia manifiesta permanecen con concentraciones tributarias de tratamiento.ObjectiveTo find the effectiveness of lipid-lowering treatment, based on normal clinical practice in primary care, on lipid control of patients with clear hypercholesterolaemia (HC).DesignSemi-experimental before-and-after intervention study.SettingUrban health centre. Participants: 187 patients known to have lipaemia, with total or LDL cCholesterol (cLDL) above 270 and 190 mg/dl, respectivelyInterventionNormal clinical practice for twelve months in nine primary care clinicsMain measurementsThe lipid profile and lipid-lowering treatment were recorded at the start of the study and after twelve months. Lipid control (as a function of cLDL) was evaluated as optimal, acceptable or deficient, as a function of the cardiovascular risk, following the criteria of the Spanish Arteriosclerosis Society (1994)ResultsIn 27% of cases, no visit relating to HC was recorded by the patient´s doctor. The number of patients treated with lipid-lowering drugs grew from 50 to 98 (27 vs 52%, p < 0,005), fundamentally at the expense of statin treatment. After twelve months, there were significant drops in the plasma concentration of cLDL (12%, 95%CI, 9 to 15%) and in the percentage of patients with deficient control, which fell from the initial 91% to 61% (p < 0.005), although only 16% reached optimal control.ConclusionsAfter a year, under conditions of normal clinical practice, there was an increase in the use of lipid-lowering drugs and improvement in lipid control, though a bit over half the patients (61%) with clear hypercholesterolaemia maintained concentrations requiring treatment