Sex Differences in Group Composition and Habitat Use of Iberian Free-Range Pigs

The aim of the present work was to study group size, group composition and habitat use of Iberian pigs along the year when reared outdoor. This consists of a regimen in which animals are reared free range from 2 months of age until at least 14 months of age. In a first stage, animals are supplemented with concentrates, and in a second, called montanera, pigs eat just natural resources in areas with no more than two pigs per hectare. In these systems, males are castrated to avoid boar taint and females spayed to avoid the attraction and mounting by wild boars. The study was carried out in five different farms allocated in the south-west of Spain during 2 consecutive years, from March 2012 to February 2014, under the montanera regimen, and with a total of 995 animals observed (498 males and 497 females). The data were analyzed with SAS by means of general models and proc mixed. Mean group size along the year was of 17 ± 12.9 individuals, but this was significantly lower (P < 0.05) during the montanera (12 ± 0.8) and at midday (13 ± 0.8). Groups were bigger (P < 0.05) when they were more than 50 m from a tree (23 ± 1.8), or <10 m from the shelter (25 ± 1.5), the feeding area (31 ± 3.1) and the water-bath area (25 ± 1.5). Nine percent of the groups were solitary animals, being higher (P = 0.0286) during the montanera (11%) than the rest of the year (8%) and being formed in 68% by males. Males were less involved in mixed groups than were females (75% vs. 91%), especially in spring, where the largest (P < 0.0001) male groups were found. Female groups were less frequent and smaller (P < 0.0001) than were male and mixed groups. In conclusion, although males were castrated at a very young age, they showed a different behavior than females, forming in bachelor groups during the spring and being less involved in mixed groups and with more solitary animals. During the montanera, when animals were feeding on acorns and other natural resources, groups were smaller and closer to the trees, solitary males reaching a maximum percent.

MEAN NUSSELT NUMBER CORRELATION FOR TISE HEATSINK THERMAL DESIGN

This work was developed from a review of the technical literature for the thermal design of parallel plates heat sinks with uniform cross section cooled by airflow with the TISE (Top Inlet Side Exit) configuration. Due to an observed lack of agreement of the literature correlations among themselves and also with the available experimental results, numerical simulations were then performed to evaluate the forced convective heat transfer in the channels of these heat sinks with the TISE configuration. The simulations encompassed a range of heatsink airflow rates, considering distinct channel sizes and also the effect of a partial opening for the airflow entrance at the heat sink top. The obtained numerical results were employed to evaluate the average convective heat transfer coefficient inside the heatsink’s channels, based on the flow mixed mean temperature. A new empirical correlation was then proposed for the average Nusselt number as a function of the airflow Reynolds number and three dimensionless channel geometric parameters. The new correlation was compared with available experimental data.

Schur convexity of mixed mean of n variables involving three parameters

In this paper, we discuss the Schur convexity, the Schur geometric convexity and Schur harmonic convexity of the mixed mean of n variables involving three parameters. As an application, we have established some inequalities of the Ky Fan type related to the mixed mean of n variables, and the lower bound inequality of Gini mean for n variables is given.

Magnetic Resonance Arthrography, a valuable pre-operative imaging modality in femoro-acetabular impingement

Background The diagnostic accuracy of MR arthrography in preoperative assessment of labral tears and chondral abnormalities in femoroacetabular impingement patients. A non-randomized control study including 31 FAI patients (17 male and 14 females, mean age 31.9 years). All patients underwent MR arthrography after US-guided intra-articular contrast injection. Conventional and MR arthrography images were evaluated for bone abnormalities (including alpha angle and acetabular depth measurements), labral tears, and chondral abnormalities. The results were correlated to arthroscopy as the gold standard. Sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV in the detection of labral tears and chondral abnormalities were statistically calculated. Results The included FAI patients presented cam (mean age 30.4 years ± 6.8 years), pincer (mean age 33.6 years ± 9.8 years), and mixed (mean age 36.6 years ± 12.9 years) types with the predominance of cam type. Cam type predominated in the male, while pincer and mixed types predominated in female patients. MR arthrography detected 41 labral tears in 23 patients with 87.5%, 71.4%, 91.3%, and 62.5% sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV, respectively, and detected chondral abnormalities in 13 patients with 66.7%, 92.3%, 92.3%, and 66.7% sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV, respectively. Conclusion MR arthrography is a valuable imaging modality in preoperative assessment of FAI patients. Besides identifying the type of impingement through alpha angle and acetabular depth measurements, it detects labral tears with high sensitivity and PPV. Although less sensitive in detection of chondral abnormalities, our results showed high specificity.

A Kernel Recursive Maximum Versoria-Like Criterion Algorithm for Nonlinear Channel Equalization

In this paper, a kernel recursive maximum Versoria-like criterion (KRMVLC) algorithm has been constructed, derived, and analyzed within the framework of nonlinear adaptive filtering (AF), which considers the benefits of logarithmic second-order errors and the symmetry maximum-Versoria criterion (MVC) lying in reproducing the kernel Hilbert space (RKHS). In the devised KRMVLC, the Versoria approach aims to resist the impulse noise. The proposed KRMVLC algorithm was carefully derived for taking the nonlinear channel equalization (NCE) under different non-Gaussian interferences. The achieved results verify that the KRMVLC is robust against non-Gaussian interferences and performs better than those of the popular kernel AF algorithms, like the kernel least-mean-square (KLMS), kernel least-mixed-mean-square (KLMMN), and Kernel maximum Versoria criterion (KMVC).

Quantification of urinary sodium concentrations in term infants

Background Infants with gastrointestinal conditions and poor weight gain are administered sodium supplementation based on urinary sodium concentrations. However, the reference range of urinary electrolytes is unknown. The aim of this study was to ascertain the normal values of urinary electrolytes in healthy, term infants. Secondary aims were to establish the relationship between urinary electrolytes with weight velocity and feeding practices. Methods Healthy, term (≥37 weeks’ gestation) infants were recruited. Parental questionnaires were completed before discharge and at six weeks. Electrolytes were quantified from a urine sample at six weeks. t-Tests and Mann-Whitney U tests were conducted for parametric and non-parametric electrolytes, respectively. Results A total of 200 infants were recruited before discharge. Twenty-nine follow-up questionnaires and urine samples were returned (nine female; mean gestational age 39 + 6 weeks [SD 9.9 days]; mean birthweight 3350 g [SD 483 g]; 17 breastfed, nine formula and three mixed; mean change in Z score for weight –0.914 [SD 0.814]). Majority (25/29) of infants had urinary sodium <20 mmo/L. Change in Z score for weight was similar between infants with sodium <20 mmol/L and >20 mmol/L ( P = 0.78). All exclusively breastfed infants had sodium <20 mmol/L, however, not statistically dissimilar to formula-fed infants ( P = 0.27). Conclusion Most term infants in this study had urinary sodium values <20 mmol/L with no identified relationship to weight velocity. Lower concentrations of sodium could be not quantified reliably because of the limitations of the analytical method that were used. More evidence is required to identify candidates for sodium supplementation.