Managing variability in decision making in swine growing-finishing units

peer-reviewedAnalysis of data collected from pig farms may be useful to understand factors affecting pig health and productive performance. However, obtaining these data and drawing conclusions from them can be done at different levels and presents several challenges. In the present study, information from 688 batches of growing-finishing (GF) pigs (average initial and final body weight of 19.1 and 108.5 kg respectively) from 404 GF farms integrated in 7 companies was obtained between July 2008 and July 2010 in Spain by survey. Management and facility factors associated with feed conversion ratio (FCR) and mortality were studied by multiple linear regression analysis in each single company (A to G) and in an overall database (OD). Factors studied were geographic location of the farm, trimester the pigs entered the farm, breed of sire and sex segregation in pens (BREGENSEG), use of circovirus vaccine, number of origins the pigs were obtained from, age of the farm, percentage of slatted floor, type of feeder, drinker and ventilation, number of phases and form of feed, antibiotic administration system, water source, and number and initial weight of pigs. Results In two or more companies studied and/or in OD, the trimester when pigs were placed in the farm, BREGENSEG, number of origins of the pigs, age of the farm and initial body weight were factors associated with FCR. Regarding mortality, trimester of placement, number of origins of the pigs, water source in the farm, number of pigs placed and the initial body weight were relevant factors. Age of the farm, antibiotic administration system, and water source were only provided by some of the studied companies and were not included in the OD model, however, when analyzed in particular companies these three variables had an important effect and may be variables of interest in companies that do not record them. Conclusions Analysing data collected from farms at different levels helps better understand factors associated with productive performance of pig herds. Out of the studied factors trimester of placement and number of origins of the pigs were the most relevant factors associated with FCR and mortality.This research was supported by the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (project AGL2011-29960). We also thank the Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo (MAEC-AECID) for research fellowship

Identification of Contradictory Patterns in Experimental Datasets for the Development of Models for Electrical Cables Diagnostics

International audienceThe state of health of an electrical cable may be difficult to know, without destructive or very expensive tests. To overcome this, partial discharge (PD) measurements have been proposed as a relatively economic and simple-to-apply experimental technique for retrieving information on the state of health of an electrical cable. The retrieval is based on a relationship between PD measurements and the health of the cable. Given the difficulties in capturing such relationship by analytical models, empirical modeling techniques based on experimental data have been propounded. In this view, a set of PD measurements have been collected by Enea Ricerca sul Sistema Elettrico-ERSE during past campaigns, for building a diagnostic system of electrical cable health state. These experimental data may contain contradictory information which remarkably reduces the performance of the state classifier, if not a priori identified and possibly corrected. In the present paper, a novel technique based on the Adaboost algorithm is proposed for identifying contradictory PD patterns within an a priori analysis aimed at improving the diagnostic performance. Adaboost is a bootstrap-inspired, ensemble-based algorithm which has been effectively used for addressing classification problems

Entropic force, noncommutative gravity and ungravity

After recalling the basic concepts of gravity as an emergent phenomenon, we analyze the recent derivation of Newton's law in terms of entropic force proposed by Verlinde. By reviewing some points of the procedure, we extend it to the case of a generic quantum gravity entropic correction to get compelling deviations to the Newton's law. More specifically, we study: (1) noncommutative geometry deviations and (2) ungraviton corrections. As a special result in the noncommutative case, we find that the noncommutative character of the manifold would be equivalent to the temperature of a thermodynamic system. Therefore, in analogy to the zero temperature configuration, the description of spacetime in terms of a differential manifold could be obtained only asymptotically. Finally, we extend the Verlinde's derivation to a general case, which includes all possible effects, noncommutativity, ungravity, asymptotically safe gravity, electrostatic energy, and extra dimensions, showing that the procedure is solid versus such modifications.Comment: 8 pages, final version published on Physical Review

marker tracking for local strain measurement in mechanical testing of biomedical materials

Local strain measurement is one of the key aspects in tensile tests of biomedical materials and biological tissues, especially if aimed at developing appropriate constitutive formulations to describe mechanical behavior. The measurement of strain as the ratio between the current and the initial length of the sample can be coupled with markers recognition via non-contact video extensometer for characterizing the local mechanical behavior. A crucial point in video extensometer measurement is the selection of the most appropriate markers and technique of their application on the sample surface. This work promotes understanding the effect of markers on material mechanical response. Different solutions were taken into account, as paint markers, namely a commercial lacquer and an acrylic paint, or physical markers attached with the use of adhesives, i.e. cyanoacrylate or medical spray band. Tensile tests revealed that markers can modify the mechanical response of the tested materials, inducing a local stiffening of the samples. The use of cyanoacrylate, as marker adhesive, affects not only the local but also the overall mechanical response, at least for the sample size considered in this work. These effects are more pronounced with higher material compliance. Based on these results, caution is recommended with the use of cyanoacrylate for attaching markers on biomedical polymers

High-grade vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia and risk of progression to vaginal cancer. a multicentre study of the Italian Society of Colposcopy and Cervico-Vaginal Pathology (SICPCV)

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to analyse the women with high grade vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia (HG-VaIN), in order to identify a subset of women at higher risk of progression to invasive vaginal cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The medical records of all the women diagnosed with HG-VaIN, and subsequently treated, from January 1995 to December 2013 were analyzed in a multicentre retrospective case series. The rate of progression to invasive vaginal cancer and the potential risk factors were evaluated. RESULTS: 205 women with biopsy diagnosis of HG-VaIN were considered, with a mean follow up of 57 months (range 4-254 months). 12 cases of progression to vaginal squamocellular cancer were observed (5.8%), with a mean time interval from treatment to progression of 54.6 months (range 4-146 months). The rate of progression was significantly higher in women diagnosed with VaIN3 compared with VaIN2 (15.4% vs. 1.4%, p < 0.0001). Women with HG-VaIN and with previous hysterectomy showed a significantly higher rate of progression to invasive vaginal cancer compared to non-hysterectomised women (16.7% vs. 1.4%, p < 0.0001). A higher risk of progression for women with VaIN3 and for women with previous hysterectomy for cervical HPV-related disease was confirmed by multivariable logistic regression analysis. CONCLUSIONS: A higher rate of progression to vaginal cancer was reported in women diagnosed with VaIN3 on biopsy and in women with previous hysterectomy for HPV-related cervical disease. These patients should be considered at higher risk, thus a long lasting and accurate follow up is recommended

Diseño, construcción y calibración de un calorímetro de solución de precisión media

Se descrit)en los criterios de diseño, la construcción y la calibración de un calorímetro isoperit and gt; ólico de solución de precisión media y de bajo costo. Se miden los cambios térmicos mediante un termistor de 15.000 otimios a 293 K, cuya calibración permite encontrar la expresión AT = -52,495 log,o (Rf/Ri) para el cambio de temperatura en función de la resistencia, en el rango de trabajo, 297 a 299 K, La sensibilidad termométríca es 0,00158 K/otimio. El error relativo máximo en las medidas calorimétricas con el sistema de calibración benceno-cíclotiexano es de 3%. el de la capacidad calorífica es de 2,74% y el correspondiente a la diferencia de temperatura es de 1,66%, Se encuentran problemas por la gran pendiente de pérdidas de calor, 0,048 K/mln. (valor máximo observado). El coeficiente de transferencia de calor de las paredes del vaso calorimétrico resultó elevado aunque cumple las especificaciones exigidas

Trend of decreasing length of cervical cone excision during the last 20 years

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present investigation was to evaluate the cervical conizations performed in the last 20 years in a single institution, with a particular interest in analyzing the trend of the length of cone excisions.PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective cohort study of women who underwent a CO2-laser cervical conization between January 1996 and December 2015. Cytological abnormalities on referral pap smear, colposcopic findings and pertinent clinical and socio-demographic characteristics of each woman were collected. In particular, the length of cone specimen was evaluated, taking into account all the factors potentially influencing the length of excision.RESULTS: A total of 1270 women who underwent cervical conization from January 1996 to December 2015 were included in the analysis. A mean cone length of 15.1 \ub1 5.7 mm was reported, and we observed a significant decrease in the length of cone excisions over the whole study period. Age (rpartial = 0.1543, p < 0.0001), see & treat procedure (rpartial = -0.1945, p < 0.0001) and grade II colposcopic findings (rpartial = 0.1540, p < 0.0001) were significantly associated with the length of cone excision on multivariate analysis.CONCLUSIONS: In the last 20 years, a significant decrease in the length of cone excision was observed. In our opinion, this can be due to the acquired awareness by the gynecologists of the potential disadvantages of wide cone excision in term of adverse obstetric outcomes in future pregnancies

The rest-frame KK-band luminosity function of galaxies in clusters to z=1.3z=1.3

We derive the rest-frame $K$-band luminosity function for galaxies in 32 clusters at $0.6 < z < 1.3$ using deep $3.6\mu$m and $4.5\mu$m imaging from the Spitzer Space Telescope InfraRed Array Camera (IRAC). The luminosity functions approximate the stellar mass function of the cluster galaxies. Their dependence on redshift indicates that massive cluster galaxies (to the characteristic luminosity $M^*_K$) are fully assembled at least at $z \sim 1.3$ and that little significant accretion takes place at later times. The existence of massive, highly evolved galaxies at these epochs is likely to represent a significant challenge to theories of hierarchical structure formation where such objects are formed by the late accretion of spheroidal systems at $z < 1$.Comment: Accepted for publication in AJ; includes data table of k-correction

A Classic Type 2 QSO

In the Chandra Deep Field South 1Msec exposure we have found, at redshift 3.700 +- 0.005, the most distant Type 2 AGN ever detected. It is the source with the hardest X-ray spectrum with redshift z>3. The optical spectrum has no detected continuum emission to a 3sigma detection limit of ~3 10^{-19} ergs/s/cm^2/AA and shows narrow lines of Ly_alpha, CIV, NV, HeII, OVI, [OIII], and CIII]. Their FWHM line widths have a range of ~700-2300 km/s with an average of approximately ~1500 km/s. The emitting gas is metal rich (Z ~2.5-3 Z_solar). In the X-ray spectrum of 130 counts in the 0.5-7 keV band there is evidence for intrinsic absorption with N_H > 10^{24} cm^{-2}. An iron K_alpha line with rest frame energy and equivalent width of ~6.4 keV and ~1 keV, respectively, in agreement with the obscuration scenario, is detected at a 2sigma level. If confirmed by our forthcoming XMM observations this would be the highest redshift detection of FeK_alpha. Depending on the assumed cosmology and the X-ray transfer model, the 2-10 keV rest frame luminosity corrected for absorption is ~10^{45 +- 0.5} ergs/s, which makes our source a classic example of the long sought Type 2 QSOs. From standard population synthesis models, these sources are expected to account for a relevant fraction of the black-hole-powered QSO distribution at high redshift.Comment: 24 LaTeX pages including 6 postscript figures. Revised version, accepted by Ap