8,269 research outputs found
Resource efficiency and economic implications of alternatives to surgical castration without anaesthesia
This paper presents an analysis of the economic implications of alternative methods to surgical castration without anaesthesia. Detailed research results on the economic implications of four different alternatives are reported. castration with local anaesthesia, castration with general anaesthesia, immunocastration and raising entire males. The first three alternatives have been assessed for their impact on pig production costs in the most important pig-producing Member States of the EU. The findings on castration with anaesthesia show that cost differences among farms increase if the anaesthesia cannot be administered by farmers and when the veterinarian has to be called to perform it. The cost of veterinarian service largely affects the total average costs, making this solution economically less feasible in small-scale pig farms. In all other farms, the impact on production costs of local anaesthesia is however limited and does not exceed 1 (sic)ct per kg. General anaesthesia administered by inhalation or injection of Ketamin in combination with a sedative (Azaperone, Midazolan) is more expensive. These costs depend heavily on farm size, as the inhalation equipment has to be depreciated on the largest number of pigs possible. The overall costs of immunocastration - including the cost of the work load for the farmer - has to be evaluated against the potential benefits derived from higher daily weight gain and feed efficiency in comparison with surgical castrates. The economic feasibility of this practice will finally depend on the price of the vaccine and on consumer acceptance of immunocastration, The improvement in feed efficiency may compensate almost entirely for the cost of vaccination. The main advantages linked to raising entire males are due to the higher efficiency of feed conversion, to the better growth rate and to the higher leanness of carcass. A higher risk of boar taint on the slaughter line has to be accounted for Raising entire males should not generate more than 2.5% of boar taint among slaughter pigs, in order to maintain the considerable economic benefits of better feed efficiency of entire males with respect to castrates
Il movimento ritradotto. Uno studio sull’uso e la produzione delle immagini nell’ambito della cinematica nella psicologia sperimentale
Scopo di questo articolo è di proporre un quadro di analisi concernente il
ruolo e lo statuto che hanno le immagini all’interno degli esperimenti di cinematica del
movimento in psicologia sperimentale. L’intento del nostro saggio è quello innanzi tutto
di presentare una sintesi del dibattito all’interno degli science studies relativo allo
studio delle immagini scientifiche; in secondo luogo di sottolineare il ruolo della semiotica
all’interno di questo dibattito; ed infine di fornire, riguardo all’oggetto specifico del
nostro saggio, vale a dire lo studio delle procedure sperimentali in psicologia, uno
schema generale di analisi ed i primi risultati relativi ai modi di costruzione delle immagini,
all’interno delle procedure di allestimento di questo tipo di pratiche sperimentali.
Questo anche in vista di ulteriori e possibili approfondimenti, relativi, in particolare,
alla retorica e agli usi argomentativi che vengono fatti di queste immagini all’interno
delle diverse forme di comunicazione scientifica, e, in secondo luogo, relativi ad un’osservazione
etnografica, anche basata su strumenti semiotici, di questo tipo di pratiche
scientifiche.The intent of this essay is first to offer a synthesis of the debate
in science studies about the study of scientific images; second, to underline the
critical role of semiotics in this debate; and finally to provide a general pattern of
analysis and first results about the modes of construction of images within researches
of experimental psychology, which are the very subject of our essay. This
general pattern of analysis can eventually lead to further insights regarding the
rhetoric and the argumentative procedures in which these images are used within
different forms of scientific communication and regarding the ethnographic observation,
based also on semiotic tools, of this kind of scientific experiences.
English keywords Kinematics; experimental psychology; images; semiotics
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The relationship between charge distribution, charge packet formation and electroluminescence in XLPE under DC
Different reports describing the internal distribution of space charge in cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) under DC field have been published recently. The most striking fact observed is the organization of the space charge into charge packets that cross the insulation. All models for charge packet formation imply that carrier recombination will occur. As the recombination region is potentially a luminescence one it is of interest to record the electroluminescence in this regime. This topic is addressed in this paper
SN/GRB connection: a statistical approach with BATSE and Asiago Catalogues
Recent observations suggest that some types of GRB are physically connected
with SNe of type Ib/c. However, it has been pointed out by several authors that
some GRBs could be associated also with other types of core-collapse SNe (type
IIdw/IIn). On the basis of a comphrensive statistical study, which has made use
of the BATSE and Asiago catalogues, we have found that: i) the temporal and
spacial distribution of SNe-Ib/c is marginally correlated with that of the
BATSE GRBs; ii) we do not confirm the existence of an association between GRBs
and SNe-IIdw/IIn.Comment: Proceeding of the 4th workshop on Gamma Ray Bursts in the Afterglow
Era, Rome, 2004; 4 page
Error-correcting code on a cactus: a solvable model
An exact solution to a family of parity check error-correcting codes is
provided by mapping the problem onto a Husimi cactus. The solution obtained in
the thermodynamic limit recovers the replica symmetric theory results and
provides a very good approximation to finite systems of moderate size. The
probability propagation decoding algorithm emerges naturally from the analysis.
A phase transition between decoding success and failure phases is found to
coincide with an information-theoretic upper bound. The method is employed to
compare Gallager and MN codes.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures, with minor correction
An overview of trends in the regulation of clinical ethics committee; an opinion from the Italian National Bioethics Committee [Una visión general de las tendencias en la regulación por los comités de ética clínica: una opinión del Comité Nacional Italiano de Bioética]
In 2017, the Italian National Bioethics Commttee (INBC) released an opinion paper titled "Clinical ethics committees". Said document advocates for the creation of "clinical bioethics committees" in every suitable setting and lays out a set of guidelines aimed at regulationg such committees' function. The recommendations deal primarily with the independence, requirements for counselling, structures, composition, tasks, placement, coordination, requisite competences, regulations. In the opinion's contents there are: a) the need to entrust counselling and training on ethical issues within clinical practice to different committees than those that deal with ethical assessment of scientific trial and experimentation; b) the laying out of all the various functions and related competences required of the ethics committes' members; c) the necessity that all counselling pratices be carried out by each committee as a whole, rather than a single expert member; d) Committee's independece. The authors elaborate on each one of the above mentioned aspects and highlight the importance of INBC's recommendations in order to improve the quality standards of care delivered "to each patient's bed".En el 2017, el Comité Nacional Italiano de Bioética (CNIB) publicó un artículo de opinión titulado “Comités de Ética Clínica”. Dicho documento aboga por la creación de “comités clínicos de bioética” en cada
entorno adecuado, y establece un conjunto de directrices destinadas a regular las funciones de tales comités. Las recomendaciones se refieren principalmente a la independencia, los requisitos para el asesoramiento, las estructuras, la composición, las tareas, la ubicación, la coordinación, las competencias requeridas,
las regulaciones. En los contenidos de la opinión se plantean: a) la necesidad de confiar el asesoramiento
y la capacitación en cuestiones éticas dentro de la práctica clínica a diferentes comités que aquellos que
se ocupan de las evaluaciones éticas de los ensayos científicos y la experimentación; b) la presentación de las diversas funciones y competencias requeridas por los miembros de los comités de ética; c) la necesidad
de que todas las prácticas de asesoramiento sean llevadas a cabo por cada comité como un todo, y no por
un solo miembro experto; d) independencia del comité. Los autores detallan cada uno de los aspectos
mencionados anteriormente y resaltan la importancia de las recomendaciones de CNIB para mejorar los
estándares de calidad de la atención brindada “a la cabecera de la cama de cada paciente”
The GRB Variability/Peak Luminosity Correlation: new results
We report test results of the correlation between time variability and peak
luminosity of Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs), using a larger sample (32) of GRBs with
known redshift than that available to Reichart et al. (2001), and using as
variability measure that introduced by these authors. The results are puzzling.
Assuming an isotropic-equivalent peak luminosity, as done by Reichart et al.
(2001), a correlation is still found, but it is less relevant, and inconsistent
with a power law as previously reported. Assuming as peak luminosity that
corrected for GRB beaming for a subset of 16 GRBs with known beaming angle, the
correlation becomes little less significant.Comment: 11 pages, 10 figures, MNRAS, accepte
The effect of voltage distortion on ageing acceleration of insulation systems under partial discharge activity
The features of harmonic distortion which may affect significantly the reliability of typical ac-power network equipment, such as low-voltage self-healing capacitors used for reactive power and harmonic compensation are investigated. Moreover, the effect of high-frequency pulse-like voltage generated by adjustable speed drives (ASD) on electrical machine insulation is also investigated, resorting to life tests carried out on different insulating materials of the standard and "corona resistant" type, at electrical field levels able to incept partial discharges (PD)
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