443 research outputs found
Ireland, Northern Ireland and Western Scotland cross corder territorial cooperation programme 2007–2013 : Development of a Joint Strategic Approach on Behalf of Scottish Partners, First Interim Report to Scotland Europa, Glasgow
Examines the development of the Ireland, Northern Ireland and Western Scotland cross corder territorial cooperation programme between 2007and 2013
The 2007-13 operational programmes: a preliminary assessment: Spring – Autumn 2005
A preliminary assessment of the 2007-13 operational programmes on EU cohesion policy
Topology optimization of flexoelectric metamaterials with apparent piezoelectricity
The flexoelectric effect, coupling polarization and strain gradient as well
as strain and electric field gradients, is universal to dielectrics, but, as
compared to piezoelectricity, it is more difficult to harness as it requires
field gradients and it is a small-scale effect. These drawbacks can be overcome
by suitably designing metamaterials made of a non-piezoelectric base material
but exhibiting apparent piezoelectricity. We develop a theoretical and
computational framework to perform topology optimization of the representative
volume element of such metamaterials by accurately modeling the governing
equations of flexoelectricity using a Cartesian B-spline method, describing
geometry with a level set, and resorting to genetic algorithms for
optimization. We consider a multi-objective optimization problem where area
fraction competes with four fundamental piezoelectric functionalities
(stress/strain sensor/ actuator). We computationally obtain Pareto fronts, and
discuss the different geometries depending on the apparent piezoelectric
coefficient being optimized. In general, we find competitive estimations of
apparent piezoelectricity as compared to reference materials such as quartz and
PZT ceramics. This opens the possibility to design devices for sensing,
actuation and energy harvesting from a much wider, cheaper and effective class
of materials
Algorithmic Properties of Sparse Digraphs
The notions of bounded expansion [Nesetril and Ossona de Mendez, 2008] and nowhere denseness [Nesetril and Ossona de Mendez, 2011], introduced by Nesetril and Ossona de Mendez as structural measures for undirected graphs, have been applied very successfully in algorithmic graph theory. We study the corresponding notions of directed bounded expansion and nowhere crownfulness on directed graphs, introduced by Kreutzer and Tazari [Kreutzer and Tazari, 2012]. The classes of directed graphs having those properties are very general classes of sparse directed graphs, as they include, on one hand, all classes of directed graphs whose underlying undirected class has bounded expansion, such as planar, bounded-genus, and H-minor-free graphs, and on the other hand, they also contain classes whose underlying undirected class is not even nowhere dense. We show that many of the algorithmic tools that were developed for undirected bounded expansion classes can, with some care, also be applied in their directed counterparts, and thereby we highlight a rich algorithmic structure theory of directed bounded expansion and nowhere crownful classes
The Agenda for Cohesion Policy in 2019-2024 : Key Issues for the REGI Committee
This study reviews current and emerging issues for Cohesion Policy to support the work agenda of the European Parliament’s Committee for Regional Development during its new mandate for 2019-2024. The analysis focuses on issues relating to the committee’s competences and concludes by highlighting key policy themes and political questions for the debate on Cohesion Policy in 2021-27
Co-Adaptive Control of Bionic Limbs via Unsupervised Adaptation of Muscle Synergies
Objective: In this work, we present a myoelectric interface that extracts natural motor synergies from multi-muscle signals and adapts in real-time with new user inputs. With this unsupervised adaptive myocontrol (UAM) system, optimal synergies for control are continuously co-adapted with changes in user motor control, or as a function of perturbed conditions via online non-negative matrix factorization guided by physiologically informed sparseness constraints in lieu of explicit data labelling. Methods: UAM was tested in a set of virtual target reaching tasks completed by able-bodied and amputee subjects. Tests were conducted under normative and electrode perturbed conditions to gauge control robustness with comparisons to non-adaptive and supervised adaptive myocontrol schemes. Furthermore, UAM was used to interface an amputee with a multi-functional powered hand prosthesis during standardized Clothespin Relocation Tests, also conducted in normative and perturbed conditions. Results: In virtual tests, UAM effectively mitigated performance degradation caused by electrode displacement, affording greater resilience over an existing supervised adaptive system for amputee subjects. Induced electrode shifts also had negligible effect on the real world control performance of UAM with consistent completion times (23.91 +/- 1.33 s) achieved across Clothespin Relocation Tests in the normative and electrode perturbed conditions. Conclusion: UAM affords comparable robustness improvements to existing supervised adaptive myocontrol interfaces whilst providing additional practical advantages for clinical deployment. Significance: The proposed system uniquely incorporates neuromuscular control principles with unsupervised online learning methods and presents a working example of a freely co-adaptive bionic interface.Peer reviewe
Combined use of monensin and virginiamycin to improve rumen and liver health and performance of feedlot-finished steers
Monensin and virginiamycin are included in beef cattle finishing diets as prophylaxis to minimize the incidence of ruminal acidosis and liver abscesses. Due to different and probably complementary modes of action, this study aimed to determine the effects of a combination of monensin and virginiamycin, both included in the diet at recommended doses, on ruminal health, the occurrence of liver abscesses, and growth performance of feedlot-finished cattle. One hundred and forty-four steers (6 animals/pen) were fed 1 of 3 corn-based finishing diets containing 30 mg of monensin (MN), 25 mg of virginiamycin (VM), or 30 and 25 mg of monensin and virginiamycin (MN + VM), respectively, per kilogram of dry matter. Ruminal pH probes were inserted into two animals per pen and set to record pH every 10 min. On d 100, animals were slaughtered, and rumens and livers were recovered, on which occurrence and degree of ruminal damage, prevalence and number of liver abscesses, and liver scores (A−: livers with no more than two small abscesses; A+: livers with at least one large abscess or more than four medium abscesses; A: any other abscessed liver) were determined. Simultaneous inclusion of monensin and virginiamycin resulted in a 4.3% decrease (P 0.13) average daily body weight gain (ADG; 1.49 ± 0.021 kg/d) and hot carcass weight (HCW; 269 ± 1.7 kg), compared with feeding diets containing one additive or the other. Therefore, in terms of ADG, a 9.4% improvement (P < 0.01) in feed efficiency was observed in MN + VM-fed animals. Backfat thickness (5.6 ± 0.08 mm) and ribeye area (69.9 ± 0.53 cm2) remained unaffected (P ≥ 0.74), as well as the minimum (4.98 ± 0.047), mean (6.11 ± 0.037), and maximum ruminal pH (7.23 ± 0.033) values and the time (125 ± 22.3 min/d), area (57.67 ± 12.383 pH × h), and episodes (22 ± 3.8 bouts) of pH below 5.6 (P ≥ 0.12). Overall, prevalence (24 ± 3.4%) and the number of liver abscesses (1.6 ± 0.14 abscesses/abscessed liver), liver scores (20 ± 3.1% of A− and 4 ± 1.8% of A livers), and prevalence (67 ± 3.5%) and degree of damage to the ruminal epithelium (2.5 ± 0.22% affected surface) were similar (P ≥ 0.18) across treatments; however, the occurrence of ruminal lesions tended (P ≤ 0.07) to be associated with that of liver abscesses and reduced ADG when feeding monensin alone.EEA General VillegasFil: Ceconi, Irene. Instituto Nacional de TecnologÃa Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria General Villegas; ArgentinaFil: Viano, Sergio. Instituto Nacional de TecnologÃa Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria General Villegas; ArgentinaFil: Méndez, Daniel. Instituto Nacional de TecnologÃa Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria General Villegas; ArgentinaFil: González, Lucas. Instituto Nacional de TecnologÃa Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria General Villegas; ArgentinaFil: Davies, Patricio. Instituto Nacional de TecnologÃa Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria General Villegas; ArgentinaFil: Elizalde, J. C. Actividad privada; ArgentinaFil: Bressan, Elbio. Phibro Animal Health; ArgentinaFil: Grandini, Danilo. Phibro Animal Health; BrasilFil: Nagaraja, T.G. Kansas State University. Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology; Estados UnidosFil: Tedeschi, Luis O. Texas A&M University. Department of Animal Science; Estados Unido
El nivel de engrasamiento inicial y la ganancia de peso durante la recrÃa a corral afectan los resultados fÃsicos y económicos del proceso de invernada
La recrÃa de terneros a corral es una estrategia que se ha incorporado a los sistemas de producción en los últimos seis o siete años. El manejo durante la fase de recrÃa a corral puede afectar el resultado fÃsico de todo el proceso de invernada. El objetivo de este trabajo fue evaluar el efecto del nivel de engrasamiento inicial y la ganancia de peso (GDP) durante la recrÃa a corral sobre los resultados fÃsicos y económicos del ciclo total de invernada: recrÃa a corral, engorde a pasto y terminación a pasto o a corral. Se utilizaron terneros británicos de menor (Men) y mayor (May) nivel de engrasamiento y peso inicial. Las GDP objetivo en cada grupo fueron: Rápida (R), Intermedia (I) y Lenta (L). Durante la etapa de recrÃa a corral los terneros Men consumieron menos kilos de alimento y fueron más eficientes en convertir ese alimento en carne. El menor nivel de engrasamiento al ingresar al corral y una GDP I o L durante la recrÃa determinaron un menor nivel de engrasamiento a la salida del corral de recrÃa y esto resultó en una mayor GDP y en una mayor producción por animal durante la fase subsiguiente de engorde a pasto. Asimismo, esa combinación permitió reducir el peso medio y por lo tanto incrementar la carga del sistema, afectando positivamente la producción por unidad de superficie. A su vez, el ingreso de categorÃas menos engrasadas y livianas redujo significativamente el monto de las compras, siendo éste uno de los rubros más representativos de los gastos directos. La mejor performance productiva durante las etapas de recrÃa a corral y engorde a pasto de los terneros MenI y MenL permitió obtener el mejor resultado económico, a pesar de que una mayor proporción de estos animales debió ser encerrada a corral para lograr las condiciones de terminación.In Argentina, backgrounding calves in pens is a practice that has been used in beef production systems during the last six or seven years. Management practices during this pen growing period can affect the results of the whole wintering process. The objective of this study was to evaluate
the effect of initial backfat depth and average daily weight gain (ADG) during a pen growing period on technical and economic results of the whole wintering process: a growing period in pen, a fattening period on pasture and a finishing period on pasture or in pen. British calves with lower (Men) or higher (May) initial backfat depth and weight were used. Predicted ADGs in each group were: Fast (R), Intermediate (I) and Slow (L). Men calves consumed less feed and were more efficient in turning this feed into gain. Lower initial backfat depth and I or L ADG during the pen
growing period resulted in lower backfat depth at the end of the pen growing period, thus resulting in higher ADG and individual production during the following grazing stage. In addition, this management led to a lower average body weight. This resulted in a higher stocking rate and, as a consequence, animal production per hectare was increased. Besides, entering a lighter (and thinner) calve to the system implied a lower amount of kilograms to be bought, that being one of the most significant component of the cots. The best performance of MenI and MenL during the pen growing period and the grazing phase allowed to obtain the best economic result, in spite of
the fact that a higher proportion of animals in these treatments was finished in a feedlot.EEA General VillegasFil: Ceconi, Irene. Instituto Nacional de TecnologÃa Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria General Villegas; ArgentinaFil: Davies, Patricio. Instituto Nacional de TecnologÃa Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria General Villegas; ArgentinaFil: Mendez, Daniel Gustavo. Instituto Nacional de TecnologÃa Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria General Villegas; ArgentinaFil: Elizalde, J. C. Actividad privada; ArgentinaFil: Buffarini, Miguel Angel. Instituto Nacional de TecnologÃa Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria General Villegas; Argentina
- …