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Twelve rams were used to confirm whether rams sexually activated in spring by light treatment increase social and sexual activities of non-treated rams in the presence of ewes. Males were divided into 2 groups: light-treated rams (group L, n = 6), which were exposed to artificial long days (16 h light) for 2 months (1 Nov-31 Dec), or non-exposed, control rams (group C, n = 6), exposed to the natural photoperiod. At the end of the long-day period, light-treated rams were returned to the natural photoperiod, groups isolated from each other. In mid-Feb, 3 rams from each group were put together such that 4 experimental groups were created: the remaining light-treated rams (L, n = 3), the remaining control rams (C, n = 3), and the other treated (L-mixed n = 3) and non-treated (C-mixed, n = 3) rams, exposed to 30, 30, and 60 ewes, respectively, in 3 separate paddocks. To identify each ram, large (30-cm-high) numbers were painted on the sides and rump of the males with washable sheep spray paint. Behaviors were documented by 4 video cameras using 6 30-minute segments from 1600 to 1800 h the following day (27 hours). C rams presented the lowest proportion of activities (P < 0.01), and C-mixed rams exhibited proportions similar to L and L-mixed rams. C rams exhibited the fewest fight attempts (P < 0.001), fighting (P < 0.05), pushing (P < 0.001), and sniffing another ram. The groups differed significantly (P < 0.001) in pushing, pawing, flehmen, and attempt mounting, and C rams had the fewest interactions. In conclusion, rams exposed to 2 months of long days at late-autumn early-winter increased social and sexual activities of unexposed rams. These observations can be explained by a "ram-to-ram effect", which can enhance the endocrine activity of rams in sexual rest if they are joined with rams who have been made sexually active by a photoperiodic treatment. These findings suggest that socio-sexual interactions could be used to restrict out-of-season reproduction in this species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presently, there has been a noticeable rise in the consumption of poultry meat within the general population, particularly focusing on poultry sourced from alternative rearing systems as opposed to intensive ones. This study evaluated the impact of incorporating house cricket (Acheta domesticus, AD) larvae meal into the diet of 2 slow-growing chicken strains on their carcass traits and meat quality. A total of 256 one-day-old male chicks were utilized, with 128 belonging to the Red (R) strain and 128 to the Naked Neck (NN) strain. Chicks from each strain were randomly assigned to 16 replicates of 8 chicks each. Eight replicates were allocated to 2 distinct treatments (n = 64 chicks/treatment) based on the diet employed: the control treatments for the Red (R-C) and Naked Neck (NN-C) strains were fed soybean meal, while the other 2 treatments were fed AD meal (R-AD and NN-AD). Three different rations were used throughout the growth cycle of the animals, tailored to meet the nutritional needs of the birds. All chickens were slaughtered at 95 d of age, and eight chickens per treatment were randomly chosen to assess carcass traits and meat quality. Near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) was employed to classify meat based on the feed and the chick strain, achieving a correct discrimination of 100% of the samples. The carcass traits exhibited significant alterations due to the inclusion of insect larval meal in the diet, resulting in reduced values across all parameters for chickens consuming AD meal, irrespective of genotype. The pH and cooking losses were generally higher for chicks fed cricket meal, as occurred with moisture. However, protein content was lower in the meat of chicks consuming cricket meal. Fat content showed lower values for NN chickens. There were minimal differences in the fatty acid profile, with lower C18:3n-3 values for chickens fed cricket meal. Therefore, including Acheta domesticus meal in the diets of slow-growing chick strains is a viable alternative to replace soybean meal. It provides meat quality characteristics comparable to those obtained in conventional systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable poultry meat production involves the use of slow-growing chick strains and the utilization of new protein sources as an alternative to the current monopoly of soybean meal. In this scenario, a study was conducted to assess the effect of replacing soybean meal with domestic cricket (Acheta domesticus) meal on the developing cycle of slow-growing chicks. To this end, a total of 128 one-day-old male chicks (Colorield) were randomly assigned into 16 experimental units, each consisting of 8 chicks, which in turn were grouped into 2 groups fed isoproteic and isoenergetic diets in which the protein source differed: the control group (C) fed soybean meal and the Acheta group (AD) fed Acheta domesticus insect meal as the main protein source. Chicks were slaughtered at 95 d of age. Three different diets (F1, F2 and F3) were used for each experimental group according to the nutritional needs of the birds during their growth. The F1 diet (1–29 d) resulted in higher feed and water intake and higher body weight gain for group C, but a lower feed conversion rate. On the contrary, during F2 (29–60 d) no differences in productive performances were observed between the 2 groups, except for a higher water intake for group C. Finally, during the period corresponding to diet F3 (60–95 d) there were only differences in feed intake, which was higher for the AD group. In conclusion, the substitution of soybean meal for Acheta domesticus meal caused a decrease in feed intake during the first month and consequently a lower body weight. During the first 4 weeks of life of the chicks, a partial replacement of soybean meal may be recommended, since high inclusions of A. domesticus meal in this period seem to be detrimental in young chicks. Given the absence of relevant differences in productive performances between both groups, it could be concluded that the use of A. domesticus cricket meal can be a potential protein alternative to soybean meal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

GPS collars are a technology that is used extensively to monitor livestock due to its versatility. In this study, the main objective was to confirm whether they can detect the circadian rhythmicity that modulates the behavior of free-grazing sheep. The Churra-breed flock that was monitored grazed an approx. 166-ha fenced area within a dehesa ecosystem in the northwestern Iberian Peninsula. Geolocations were recorded every 30 min for two years. Animal activities were categorized based on the speed; an animal was "moving" if the speed was > 0 m/s (the analyzed category), and "resting" if the speed was 0 m/s. Sheep grazing activity in terms of their speed, azimuth, and distance traveled, was subjected to a circadian adjustment derived from the online Cosinor tool. Results reveal that the flock activity, whether based on speed, distance traveled, or azimuth, fit a circadian rhythmicity (p < 0.05). In the summer, particularly July and August, sheep exhibited a significant advance in the acrophase (the time at which the peak of a rhythm occurs), which might have been caused by day length and temperature. In all seasons, flock activity was significantly higher in the diurnal period, while the lowest activity was found in all cases at night, although in the summer sheep activity was high at dawn. In addition, in the day, sheep activity was significantly higher in the fall than it was at other times of the year. The preferred grazing direction of the sheep was non-random, since it was modulated by the contour orientation and the limits of the grazing area. It could be concluded that GPS geolocations allow to demonstrate that free-grazing sheep activity is modulated by a circadian rhythmicity. • GPS devices detect sheep behavioural patterns in grazing activity. • Sheep grazing activity is modulated by a circadian rhythmicity. • Sheep follow spatial patterns related to the topography. • A preferred grazing direction that coincides with contour orientation was found. • Sheep might follow a "cognitive map" of the grazing area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A time series of more than two years of continuous measurements of EC, OC and TC obtained with a Rupprecht and Patashnick (R&P) thermal analyzer at a suburban site in Madrid has been evaluated in this work. Correction factors obtained from intercomparison exercises with thermo-optical methods were applied to the original measurements. Corrected OC and EC mean values are 3.7 and 1.3 μg m−3 respectively. The highest individual values have been recorded in winter. No seasonal variation has been observed in OC, whereas a slight decrease of EC is observed in summer, leading to higher OC/EC ratios. The mean value of the OC/EC ratio is 4.9. Daily patterns show maximum EC and OC associated to traffic rush hours, with a delay of the OC peak related to the formation of SOC. Daily oscillation is more pronounced in winter. Hourly estimations of SOC production have been obtained by the primary OC/EC ratio approach, after discounting the OC, EC background contamination. A mean primary ratio value of 0.59 has been used for SOC short-term estimations throughout the entire time period. As expected, the highest SOC production is observed in summer, related to the increasing in photochemical activity, which also influences daily patterns and the time of the daily SOC maximum. In summer the daily SOC production ranges from 80 to 92%, whereas in the winter months it varies from 70 to 84%. These SOC estimations do not discount primary biogenic or natural contributions to OC and are therefore maximum values. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Latest generation remote sensing instruments (called hyperspectral imagers) are now able to generate hundreds of images, corresponding to different wavelength channels, for the same area on the surface of the Earth. In previous work, we have reported that the scalability of parallel processing algorithms dealing with these high-dimensional data volumes is affected by the amount of data to be exchanged through the communication network of the system. However, large messages are common in hyperspectral imaging applications since processing algorithms are pixel-based, and each pixel vector to be exchanged through the communication network is made up of hundreds of spectral values. Thus, decreasing the amount of data to be exchanged could improve the scalability and parallel performance. In this paper, we propose a new framework based on intelligent utilization of wavelet-based data compression techniques for improving the scalability of a standard hyperspectral image processing chain on heterogeneous networks of workstations. This type of parallel platform is quickly becoming a standard in hyperspectral image processing due to the distributed nature of collected hyperspectral data as well as its flexibility and low cost. Our experimental results indicate that adaptive lossy compression can lead to improvements in the scalability of the hyperspectral processing chain without sacrificing analysis accuracy, even at sub-pixel precision levels. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this work, neural network-based models involved in hyperspectral image spectra separation are considered. Focus is on how to select the most highly informative samples for effectively training the neural architecture. This issue is addressed here by several new algorithms for intelligent selection of training samples: (1) a border-training algorithm (BTA) which selects training samples located in the vicinity of the hyperplanes that can optimally separate the classes; (2) a mixed-signature algorithm (MSA) which selects the most spectrally mixed pixels in the hyperspectral data as training samples; and (3) a morphological-erosion algorithm (MEA) which incorporates spatial information (via mathematical morphology concepts) to select spectrally mixed training samples located in spatially homogeneous regions. These algorithms, along with other standard techniques based on orthogonal projections and a simple Maximin-distance algorithm, are used to train a multi-layer perceptron (MLP), selected in this work as a representative neural architecture for spectral mixture analysis. Experimental results are provided using both a database of nonlinear mixed spectra with absolute ground truth and a set of real hyperspectral images, collected at different altitudes by the digital airborne imaging spectrometer (DAIS 7915) and reflective optics system imaging spectrometer (ROSIS) operating simultaneously at multiple spatial resolutions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Introduction: The gradual aging of the population results in increased incidence of osteoporotic bone fractures. In a good quality bone, the fixation with the usual methods is adequate, but not in osteoporotic bone, in which consolidation delays and other complications are common, with failure rates for screws up to 25%.Objective: To test fibronectin loaded hydroxyapatite as a complementary treatment for osteoporotic fractures.Material and Methods: This study was performed in a vivo model; 42 female osteoporotic adult rabbits 4-5kg (White New Zealand) were used. Two groups (hydroxyapatite and fibronectin loaded hydroxyapatite) and a control group were tested. 3 time points 24h, 48h and 5days were studied. Defects were created in both femurs, in one of them, a cannulated screw (4mm) and a biocompatible material were placed; in the other femur a screw was inserted without supplemented material forming the control group. Osteoporosis was induced from models already known throughout administration of steroids. Samples were analyzed histologically and through imaging (micro Ct).Results: Basal levels of BMD are observed below to normal when compared to other studies (0.25/0.3 instead of 0.4). Global and dependent of time analysis of samples, show no significant differences for samples analyzed. However, an important trend was noted for variables that define the trabecular bone microarchitecture. Indices that define trabecular microarchitecture in the comparative analysis found to have statistical differences (p<0.01).Discussion: Osteosynthesis in an osteoporotic bone is a challenge for the surgeon, due to a reduced bone mineral density and different bone architecture. The main finding was the verification of the hypothesis that the trabecular bone parameters increases with our augmentation material in weak rabbit bone quality. Also, the histological analyses of samples show an increase of non inflammatory cells in protein samples (OHAp-Fn) from the first 24hours.Conclusion: An early response of rabbit osteroporotic bone to a complementary treatment with fibronectin loaded hydroxyapatite has been observed. This response is reflected in greater values for indices that define the trabecular bone microarchitecture, thickness and separation, a greater non-inflammatory cellularity after only 24hours and an increased amount of connective tissue observed at 48hours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Compost tea-based treatments suppress Rhizoctonia solani infection in potato plants. • Compost tea application promotes advances on potato sprouting, plant growth and yield. • Tubers from compost tea-treated plants display an improvement in fried-quality parameters. • Compost tea at the lowest dose (T1) seems to be the most economically promising alternative. Compost teas (CTs) are organic extracts originated by mixing mature compost with tap water under controlled conditions. The application of these extracts could constitute a biostimulant and eco-friendly alternative for sustainable agriculture. Thus, this study was proposed to verify the contribution of different doses and Trichoderma -fortified green waste based-CT in plant susceptibility against Rhizoctonia solani infection, as well as in plant growth and tuber quality in two potato cultivars (Agria and Hermes) grown under greenhouse and field conditions. The results showed that CT-treated plants displayed a higher resistance to Rhizoctonia solani , being Hermes the most susceptible cultivar. Moreover, CT-treated plants showed an enhancement in yield, shoot number, tuber weight and tuber size, as well as an advance in potato sprouting, especially in those plants treated with the highest CT dose. A similar trend was observed in both cultivars. Furthermore, to confirm the effect of CT on sprouting, an additional study in the laboratory was carried out with Agria cultivar, in which it was observed that the advance in the crop cycle is induced by CT supply. Subsequently, the fried-quality parameters of tubers coming from potato plants grown under the different treatments in field conditions were studied. The addition of CT to potato plants reduced fried defects, total soluble solids in tubers, while increasing moisture content. However, both cultivars displayed several differences under control conditions, since Agria displayed high fried defects, as well as a reduction in total soluble solids and in the slice puncture test. Therefore, the application of CT is a dose-dependent effective approach to decrease R. solani attack, advance potato cycle and promote plant growth, as well as to obtain a better fried-quality tuber that is highly valued by the agri-food industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Trochanteric hip fractures in the United States make up nearly half of total healthcare costs for all hip fracture types. • Unstable trochanteric fractures pose significant challenges and cement augmentation has been shown to improve stability. • An economic model for closed unstable trochanteric fractures showed fixation with cement augmentation reduced per-patient costs by $754.8. • Cost savings was the main driver for fixation with cement augmentation for closed unstable trochanteric fractures being the dominant strategy. • This may support surgeons in evidence-based clinical decision making and inform policy makers regarding coverage and reimbursement. Recent clinical studies have shown favorable outcomes for cement augmentation for fixation of trochanteric fracture. We assessed the cost-utility of cement augmentation for fixation of closed unstable trochanteric fractures from the US payer's perspective. The cost-utility model comprised a decision tree to simulate clinical events over 1 year after the index fixation surgery, and a Markov model to extrapolate clinical events over patients' lifetime, using a cohort of 1,000 patients with demographic and clinical characteristics similar to that of a published randomized controlled trial (age ≥75 years, 83 % female). Model outputs were discounted costs, quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), and incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) over a lifetime. Deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed to assess the impact of parameter uncertainty on results. Fixation with augmentation reduced per-patient costs by $754.8 and had similar per-patient QALYs, compared to fixation without augmentation, resulting in an ICER of −$130,765/QALY. The ICER was most sensitive to the utility of revision surgery, mortality risk ratio after the second revision surgery, mortality risk ratio after successful index surgery, and mortality rate in the decision tree model. The probability that fixation with augmentation was cost-effective compared with no augmentation was 63.4 %, 58.2 %, and 56.4 %, given a maximum acceptable ceiling ratio of $50,000, $100,000, and $150,000 per QALY gained, respectively. Fixation with cement augmentation was the dominant strategy, driven mainly by reduced costs. These results may support surgeons in evidence-based clinical decision making and may be informative for policy makers regarding coverage and reimbursement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objective: Polyamines are essential for many cell functions, and they form part of the composition of maternal milk; despite this, their addition to infant formulas is currently under evaluation. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of milk formulas designed to resemble sow milk supplemented with polyamines at maternal physiologic milk doses on the gut maturation of early-weaned piglets. Methods: We fed 30 newborn piglets with maternal milk (n =10), a control milk formula (n =10), or a milk formula supplemented with polyamines (5 nmol/mL of spermine and 20 nmol/mL of spermidine, n =10) for 13 d (day 2 after birth through day 15). Several growth and intestinal development parameters were measured. Results: The piglets fed the formula containing polyamine at physiologic doses showed significantly increased crypt depth in the small intestine compared with those fed with the control formula. Villus length was correlated to crypt depth. Although there were no differences in the disaccharidase activities between the animals fed the two formulas, alkaline phosphatase and γ-glutamyl transferase activities tended to be higher in the jejunum of those fed the polyamine-supplemented diet. Dietary polyamines did not significantly modify the gut mucosal concentrations of putrescine, spermine, or spermidine. Conclusion: Milk formulas supplemented with polyamines at maternal milk physiologic doses slightly enhanced gut growth and maturation in neonatal piglets. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper presents a new approach to the analysis of hyperspectral images, a new class of image data that is mainly used in remote sensing applications. The method is based on the generalization of concepts from mathematical morphology to multi-channel imagery. A new vector organization scheme is described, and fundamental morphological vector operations are defined by extension. Theoretical definitions of extended morphological operations are used in the formal definition of the concept of extended morphological profile, which is used for multi-scale analysis of hyperspectral data. This approach is particularly well suited for the analysis of image scenes where most of the pixels collected by the sensor are characterized by their mixed nature, i.e. they are formed by a combination of multiple underlying responses produced by spectrally distinct materials. Experimental results demonstrate the applicability of the proposed technique in mixed pixel analysis of simulated and real hyperspectral data collected by the NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer and the DLR Digital Airborne (DAIS 7915) and Reflective Optics System Imaging Spectrometers. The proposed method works effectively in the presence of noise and low spatial resolution. A quantitative and comparative performance study with regards to other standard hyperspectral analysis methodologies reveals that the combined utilization of spatial and spectral information in the proposed technique produces classification results which are superior to those found by using the spectral information alone. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Purpose Rates of nonadherence to asthma treatment in Spain are between 24% and 76%, which results in poor disease control and increased health care costs. The main objective of this multidisciplinary consensus was to investigate the opinions of health professionals and patients regarding adherence to inhaled therapy in Spain. The results will help to identify the causes of nonadherence and to establish strategies to detect and correct the problem. Methods This research was conducted by using a modified Delphi method organized into 2 rounds and involving a panel of 64 physicians, 16 nurses, and 10 community pharmacists. In addition, 70 patients with asthma completed a simplified 1-round survey, based on the Delphi questionnaire. The items proposed to reach a consensus included topics such as impact and causes of nonadherence, as well as strategies to improve adherence to treatment. Findings Expert panelists reached a consensus on ~80% of the items proposed. They agreed that the lack of control in asthma has an important economic impact. The causes of nonadherence with more agreement were the patients’ beliefs about treatment and the complexity of the inhalation devices. Panelists agreed that the most important strategies to improve adherence were modification of patients’ beliefs, training of professionals in the management of adherence, and personalization of interventions. Most patients only agreed with items that referred to strategies to improve adherence. Implications Although the problems, impact, causes, and interventions regarding nonadherence to asthma treatment are known, adequate monitoring of adherence to treatment is not performed. A multidisciplinary and personalized approach is necessary to control and improve adherence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]