Technical note: Rapid mineral determination in forages by X-ray fluorescence

A large portion of the cow's ration is composed of forages that can vary greatly in mineral concentrations, which may affect animal performance and health. Current methods for mineral analysis require sample destruction either through wet or dry ashing and complex analytical techniques for individual minerals. Energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) is a nondestructive, multi-mineral, spectroscopy technique, which makes mineral quantification simple, direct, and affordable. The study objective was to evaluate the prediction performance of EDXRF of Na, Mg, P, S, Cl, Ca, K, Mn, Fe, Cu, and Zn concentrations in forages. Twelve certified plant samples with a wide range in mineral concentrations were used to develop calibrations, and 35 forages (18 alfalfa hays, 10 grass hays, 7 corn silages) with measured mineral concentrations, which were collected over several years from 3 proficiency programs, were used as an independent validation set. All the samples were previously dried and finely ground and were prepared by compressing them into a round dense pellet, 40 mm in diameter, using a 40-ton pneumatic laboratory press. Samples were scanned using an EDXRF instrument enhanced for lighter minerals like Na and Mg. Samples were scanned at 20 keV and at 40 KeV associated with an Al filter, for a total analysis time of approximately 6 min. Calibrations were developed with Bruker SpectraEDX (Bruker, Hamburg, Germany) software and optimized to minimize the standard error of calibration. All of the minerals had acceptable calibration performance with coefficient of determination ranging from 0.93 (P) and 0.99 (Cl, Ca, and Mn) and coefficients of variation within 5 to 14%, which are similar to the coefficients of variation of the reference analysis. The coefficients of variation for Na was an exception, with a coefficients of variation of 29%. The validation set obtained similar statistical results as that observed in calibration. The root mean square error of prediction corrected for bias was similar to the standard error of calibration, indicating that it is possible to build a robust calibrations that performed well across different type of forages by using 12 reference samples with a sufficient range in mineral concentrations that were determined accurately. A bias correction was necessary to improve prediction accuracy only for K (−0.23% dry matter) and Ca (−0.16% dry matter). Energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence demonstrated the ability to be an accurate, direct, and simple technique for forage mineral analysis

Moral reasoning behind the veil of ignorance: An investigation into perspective-taking accessibility in the context of autonomous vehicles

Perspective-taking (PT) accessibility has been recognized as an important factor in affecting moral reasoning, also playing a non-trivial role in moral investigation towards autonomous vehicles (AVs). A new proposal to deepen this effect leverages the principles of the veil of ignorance (VOI), as a moral reasoning device aimed to control self-interested decisions by limiting the access to specific perspectives and to potentially biased information. Throughout two studies, we deepen the role of VOI reasoning in the moral perception of AVs, disclosing personal and contingent information progressively throughout the experiment. With the use of the moral trilemma paradigm, two different VOI conditions were operationalized, inspired by the Original Position theory by John Rawls and the Equiprobability Model by John Harsanyi. Evidence suggests a significant role of VOI reasoning in affecting moral reasoning, which seems not independent from the order in which information is revealed. Coherently, a detrimental effect of self-involvement on utilitarian behaviours was detected. These results highlight the importance of considering PT accessibility and self-involvement when investigating moral attitudes towards AVs, since it can help the intelligibility of general concerns and hesitations towards this new technology

Clinical decision making in paramedic practice. A qualitative study exploring the challenges of responding to mental health needs.

The paramedic service responds to emergency calls for a variety of reasons with many relating to mental health concerns. This qualitative study aims to explore the views and experiences of student paramedics in relation to clinical decision making for mental health calls. Focus groups were utilised to investigate the participants’ perspectives. Thematic analysis was used to organise data and identify key issues. Findings suggested some disparity between what paramedic students were prepared for and the reality of public need. Clinical decision-making in relation to those with mental health problems was significantly influenced by the current provision of mental health services and the lack of mental health specific education for student paramedics. Current changes to the paramedic programme make this an opportune time for a review of curriculum content

Social differentiation and well‑being in the Italian Iron Age: exploring the relationship between sex, age, biological stress, and burial complexity among the Picenes of Novilara (8th–7th c. BC)

The restoration of the archaeological finds from Novilara was performed in the frame of the "Progetto di restauro degli oggetti di corredo rinvenuti nella necropoli picena di Novilara" (Swiss Federal Office of Culture) and with the additional financial support of Fondazione Scavolini (Italy).The possible association between “biological” and “social” status in the past is a central topic in bioarchaeological studies. For the Italian Iron Age, previous research comparing skeletal and funerary variables depicts a multifaceted scenario consistent with nuanced biocultural patterns. This calls for additional studies on a broader series of archaeological contexts and skeletal assemblages. Here, we contribute new data about the biological correlates of social differentiation during the Italian Iron Age by comparing paleopathological and funerary variables in the Picene necropolis of Novilara (Marche region, 8th–7th c. BC). Novilara is one of the largest Picene necropolises in the Italian Peninsula and one of the most important funerary sites of the Italian Iron Age. The skeletal sample includes 147 individuals (females: 70; males: 35; 10 unsexed adults; 32 non-adults). We use linear enamel hypoplasia, cribra orbitalia, porotic hyperostosis, non-specific periosteal lesions, and stature to approximate non-specific stressors and compare them with archaeological variables summarizing funerary variability by means of logistic models, Mann–Whitney and Spearman tests. Results are heterogeneous and vary according to the considered variables. On average, they however show that (a) adults featuring a more complex funerary treatment have a lower probability of showing stress-related skeletal changes, and (b) even though funerary features suggests a strong gender differentiation, frequencies of paleopathological variables do not differ between sexes. Our analyses point to a complex link between biological and social status in this population and call for a critical reflection about the theoretical and methodological issues affecting similar studies.Fondazione Scavolini (Italy

The MAGIC Experiment and Its First Results

With its diameter of 17m, the MAGIC telescope is the largest Cherenkov detector for gamma ray astrophysics. It is sensitive to photons above an energy of 30 GeV. MAGIC started operations in October 2003 and is currently taking data. This report summarizes its main characteristics, its rst results and its potential for physics.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, to be published in the Proceedings of the 6th International Symposium ''Frontiers of Fundamental and Computational Physics'' (FFP6), Udine (Italy), Sep. 26-29, 200

Communication and shared decision-making after stillbirth: Results of the ShaDeS study

Background: Shared decision-making (SDM) is included in guidelines for bereavement care after a stillbirth, as it can improve women’s long-term health and wellbeing. SDM within the stillbirth context is still not common, and Italy does not yet have standardised guidelines. Aim: The ShaDeS (Shared Decision-Making in Stillbirth) study aims to investigate how Italian women with a stillbirth perceive their own centrality in decision-making processes around bereavement care and how this might impact satisfaction of care. Methods: The ShaDeS study is a cross-sectional study based on a web survey consisted of four sections: socio- demographic information and medical history, communication of bad news and bereavement care, decisions about childbirth (SDM-Q-9, SHARED, and DCS), and decisions and communication about autopsy (CPS). Findings: 187 women answered the survey. For the 41.1% of women that did not have an emergency childbirth, the SDM-Q-9 median score was 66.6 (0–100 range), and the SHARED median score was 3.5 (1–5 range). 29.4% of participants reached the proposed cutoff of 37.5 in the DCS (0–100 range) suggesting a difficulty in reaching decisions. Satisfaction scores were lower for those with such difficulties (p < 0.0001). Of the 64.5% of women that discussed autopsy, 28.3% were involved in an SDM approach, despite this being associated with higher levels of satisfaction of care (p < 0.05). Conclusion: An SDM approach is only moderately widespread amongst our participants, despite it being signif- icantly related to higher levels of satisfaction. Further studies should investigate the tools that both patients and healthcare professionals need for an SDM approach