On the variation of the fractional mean curvature under the effect of C1,α perturbations

In this brief note we study how the fractional mean curvature of order s 08 (0, 1) varies with respect to C1,\u3b1 diffeomorphisms. We prove that, if \u3b1>s, then the variation under a C1,\u3b1 diffeomorphism \u3c8 of the s-mean curvature of a set E is controlled by the C0,\u3b1 norm of the Jacobian of \u3c8. When \u3b1 = 1 we discuss the stability of these estimates as s \u2192 1- and comment on the consistency of our result with the classical framework

Welfare assessment: correlations and integration between a Qualitative Behavioural Assessment and a clinical/health protocol applied in veal calves farms

This study is aimed at finding correlations and possible integration among Qualitative Behavioural Assessment (QBA) and a specific protocol of clinical/health evaluation. Both welfare assessment methods were based on direct animal observation and were applied in 24 Italian veal calves farms at 3 weeks (wks) of rearing. Principal component analysis (PCA) summarized 20 QBA descriptors on two main components (PC1 and PC2) with eigenvalues above 4 and explaining 29.6 and 20.3% of the variation respectively. PCA on residuals obtained after correcting for housing condition yielded highly similar results, indicating that the rearing environment of the calves was not an important determinant of the observer reliability of QBA. A relationship was found between QBA PC2 and the presence of signs of cross-sucking recorded during the clinical visit (presence PC2=1.11 vs. absence PC2=-1.55,

Effect of Finnsheep crossbreeding on Lamon sheep performance: post-mortem traits

This experiment was conducted in order to study the effects of crossbreeding of the local breed Lamon (L) with Finnsheep (F),on the post-mortem performance of F, lambs (F x L). Nine L and 8 F x L ram-lambs were fattened with a diet (11.6 MJ M.E./kg d.m.) based on maize silage, dried sugar beet pulp and soybean meal, and slaughtered at 40.5 ± 5.9 kg live weight at the age of 22 weeks. Genotype did not affect dressing percentage on empty body weight (E.B.W.) but the crossbred lambs showed a lower incidence of the pelt (18,4 vs 20.2 % on E.B.W.;

Optical coherence tomography and optical coherence tomography angiography in uveitis : a review

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) has dramatically changed the understanding and management of uveitis and other ocular conditions. Currently, OCT angiography (OCTA) combines structural information with the visualization of blood flow within the imaged area. The aim of this review is to present the basic principles of OCT and OCTA interpretation and to investigate the role of these imaging techniques in the diagnosis and management of uveitis. Common complications of intraocular inflammation such as macular oedema and inflammatory choroidal neovascularization are often diagnosed and followed with OCT/OCTA scans. However, uveitis specialists can obtain much more information from tomographic scans. This review provides a comprehensive description of typical OCT/OCTA findings characterizing different ocular structures in uveitis, proceeding from the cornea to the choroid. A careful interpretation of OCT/OCTA images can help in the differential diagnosis, the prediction of clinical outcomes, and the follow-up of patients with uveitis

Comparison of wide field optical coherence tomography angiography with extended field imaging and fluorescein angiography in retinal vascular disorders

Purpose To compare swept source OCTA device, with and without the extended field imaging (EFI) technique, to standard fluorescein angiography (FA) in the clinical practice. Methods Consecutive patients with vascular disorder patients underwent FA with 55-degree lens (Spectralis Heidelberg Engineering, Heidelberg, Germany) and OCTA with the prototype PlexElite (Carl Zeiss Meditec, Dublin, CA) using a 12 mm x 12 mm volume scan pattern centered on the fovea and a prototype of + 20.00-diopter designed specifically by Zeiss. The imaging methods were compared for visible field of view, extension of non-perfused areas, presence and number of neovessels, vessel density (VD) and fractal dimension (FD). Results Forty-three eyes of 27 patients were included. The mean extension ratio of EFI SS-OCTA compared to SS-OCTA without EFI and FA were 1.97 \ub1 0.02 and 0.85 \ub1 0.01. The mean extension of non-perfused areas with EFI SS-OCTA (34.22 \ub1 33.4 mm 2 ) was significantly higher than SS-OCTA without EFI (20.46 \ub1 18.70 mm 2 ), and with FA (27.55 \ub1 4.4 mm 2 ). The mean VD and FD of EFI SS-OCTA were significantly different compared to SS-OCT without EFI. Conclusions EFI SS-OCTA captured larger areas than SS-OCTA without EFI and FA. OCTA in a single shot is able to obtain more information of the retina without the use of montage techniques. Despite the determination of retinal ischemia seems to be easier and more accurate using EFI SS-OCTA, FA offers more details of the perfusion status of the retina

SAM multipliers and subsystems: Structural analysis of the Basilicata’s agri-food sector

Local agri-food products are conceived as a form of cultural capital, representing potentially fruitful resources for rural development. Italy and its regions offer a rich and diverse agricultural and food heritage that has led to the creation of numerous quality agri-food systems. Despite their ability to absorb disturbances and maintain their functions, it is important to develop economic models targeted to analyse the relationships among the components of food systems, in order to identify their strengths and weaknesses and drive the implementation of sectoral policies. In view of the new Rural Development Programme (2014-2020), the aim of this work is to analyse the structure of the Basilicata’s agri-food system using a multi-sector model based on a two-region SAM, specifically developed for Basilicata, an Italian region charac-terised by a highly specialised agri-food sector. Results show that the availability of a highly disaggregate multi-sector model of the regional economy may be a valuable supporting tool to design regional policies for innovation and for the development of rural areas, laying the foundation for further analysis

Boy with crackling neck

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MACRO constraints on violation of Lorentz invariance

The energy spectrum of neutrino-induced upward-going muons in MACRO has been analysed in terms of relativity principles violating effects, keeping standard mass-induced atmospheric neutrino oscillations as the dominant source of $\nu_{\mu} \to \nu_{\tau}$ transitions. The data disfavor these exotic possibilities even at a sub-dominant level, and stringent 90% C.L. limits are placed on the Lorentz invariance violation parameter $|\Delta v| < 6 \times 10^{-24}$ at $\sin 2{\theta}_v$ = 0 and $|\Delta v| < 2.5 \div 5 \times 10^{-26}$ at $\sin 2{\theta}_v$ = $\pm$1. These limits can also be re-interpreted as upper bounds on the parameters describing violation of the Equivalence Principle.Comment: 3 pages, 2 figures. Presented at NOW 2006: Neutrino Oscillation Workshop, Conca Specchiulla, Otranto, Italy, Sep 2006. To be published in Nucl. Phys. B (Proc. Suppl.

Growth performance, cleanliness and lameness of finishing Charolais bulls housed in littered pens of different design

The fattening of beef cattle in Italy is mainly carried out under intensive rearing conditions. The main features of the Italian beef farms are the high stocking rate and the loose housing of the animals in multiple pens indoors. The pen with fully slatted floor is the most frequent housing solution because it does not require any bedding material and it has a lower labour cost to remove slurry

Essays on macroeconomic models of crime and the labor market.

This thesis develops three dynamic quantitative equilibrium models with heterogeneous agents, tackling issues related to the criminal participation of individuals and the labor market. The first chapter studies the effect of hard drugs addiction on property crimes and hard drugs selling in the US. A dynamic equilibrium model quantifying how much of the observed property crime rate is accounted for by hard drugs addiction is specified and estimated. The model is framed in both a rational addiction and a rational crime participation environment. The results show that a substantial part of property crimes, approximately 26%, is accounted for by predatory crime to finance addiction. The estimated model is in turn used to quantify the economic consequences of a compulsory drug treatment scheme for all arrested felons, and the effects of a legalization policy. The first policy experiment suggests a decrease in the property crime rate by 11%, while under the new legal regime the property crime rate is found to decrease by 18%. The second chapter studies the effects of both labor market conditions and asset poverty on the property crimes involvement of American males. The property crimes arrest rate has consistently been four times higher for black males if compared to white ones. Another set of stylized facts show for the first demographic group lower educational levels and worse labor market performances. A dynamic equilibrium model is developed, exploiting these facts to quantitatively assess the race crime gap. The model is calibrated relying on US data and solved numerically. Simulation results show that the observed poverty and labor market outcomes account for as much as 90% of the arrest rates ratio. Finally, the model is used to compare two alternative policy experiments aimed at reducing the aggregate crime rate: increasing the expenditure on police seems to be cost effective, when compared to an equally expensive lump-sum subsidy targeted to the high school dropouts. The last chapter studies the equilibrium welfare effects of introducing mandated severance payments in a labor market with costly mobility, where self-insurance through a riskless asset is the only way to smooth fluctuations in labor income due to unemployment shocks. The framework allows for wage flexibility at the level of the individual firm-worker match. Wages vary with both tenure and productivity of the workers. When severance payments are introduced, the firm can potentially undo their effect by modify ing the wage profile. Workers entry wages fall by the expected present value of the future payment. However, because of incomplete markets, workers are unlikely to be indifferent about the slope of the wage profile. The model is solved numerically and calibrated to the US economy. We compare a welfare measure for the baseline economy, i.e. without severance payments, to those of a series of counterfactual economies where the severance payments are introduced at increasing levels. Welfare gains and costs are heterogeneous in the population but seem to be quantitatively small for plausible values of the severance payments