bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Model-based analysis of the limits of recycling for its contribution to climate change mitigation
Authors: Schäfer Philipp , Schmidt Mario
Published: November 2021

The concept of Circular Economy (CE) and its main strategy recycling are seen as one of the most important measures to achieve sustainable development. Meanwhile, however, concerns are being raised in the scientific community about the conceptualization and orientation of CE. One major issue is that CE is in danger of becoming an end in itself, with the goal of completely closed material cycles. Its contribution to sustainable development is gradually fading into the background. To contribute to this ongoing discussion, we focus in our article on the recycling of metals as part of CE and its contribution to climate protection, as one of the main aspects of sustainable development. Based on life cycle assessment and substance flow modelling carried out in our previous works, we show that metal recycling in most cases requires much less energy and therefore results in much lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions than primary production. However, this is by no means without limitations. We show empirically that metal concentration is a significant factor that determines the energy required for recycling. If the metals are too diluted in the technosphere, as it is indeed the case for several metal applications, their recycling require much more energy than the alternative primary production, and thus intensifying rather than mitigating climate change.
The concurrent stimulation of Wnt and FGF8 signaling induce differentiation of dental mesenchymal cells into odontoblast-like cells
Authors: Kimura Motoyoshi , Saito Akiko , Onodera Shoko , Nakamura Takashi , Suematsu Makoto , Shintani Seikou , Azuma Toshifumi
Published: November 2021

Fibroblast growth factor 8 (FGF8) is known to be a potent stimulator of canonical Wnt/β-catenin activity, an essential factor for tooth development. In this study, we analyzed the effects of co-administration of FGF8 and a CHIR99021 (GSK3β inhibitor) on differentiation of dental mesenchymal cells into odontoblasts. Utilizing Cre-mediated EGFP reporter mice, dentin matrix protein 1 (Dmp1) expression was examined in mouse neonatal molar tooth germs. At birth, expression of Dmp1-EGFP was not found in mesenchymal cells but rather epithelial cells, after which Dmp1-positive cells gradually emerged in the mesenchymal area along with disappearance in the epithelial area. Primary cultured mesenchymal cells from neonatal tooth germ specimens showed loss of Dmp1-EGFP positive signals, whereas addition of Wnt3a or the CHIR99021 significantly regained Dmp1 positivity within approximately 2 weeks. Other odontoblast markers such as dentin sialophosphoprotein (Dspp) could not be clearly detected. Concurrent stimulation of primary cultured mesenchymal cells with the CHIR99021 and FGF8 resulted in significant upregulation of odonto/osteoblast proteins. Furthermore, increased expression levels of runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2), osterix, and osteocalcin were also observed. The present findings indicate that coordinated action of canonical Wnt/β-catenin and FGF8 signals is essential for odontoblast differentiation of tooth germs in mice.
A reformulation-linearization technique for optimization over simplices
Authors: Selvi Aras , den Hertog Dick , Wiesemann Wolfram
Published: November 2021

We study non-convex optimization problems over simplices. We show that for a large class of objective functions, the convex approximation obtained from the Reformulation-Linearization Technique (RLT) admits optimal solutions that exhibit a sparsity pattern. This characteristic of the optimal solutions allows us to conclude that (i) a linear matrix inequality constraint, which is often added to tighten the relaxation, is vacuously satisfied and can thus be omitted, and (ii) the number of decision variables in the RLT relaxation can be reduced from $${\mathcal {O}} (n^2)$$

O
(

n
2

)

to $${\mathcal {O}} (n)$$

O
(
n
)

. Taken together, both observations allow us to reduce computation times by up to several orders of magnitude. Our results can be specialized to indefinite quadratic optimization problems over simplices and extended to non-convex optimization problems over the Cartesian product of two simplices as well as specific classes of polyhedral and non-convex feasible regions. Our numerical experiments illustrate the promising performance of the proposed framework.
Convergence of the Nelder-Mead method
Authors: Galántai Aurél
Published: November 2021

We develop a matrix form of the Nelder-Mead simplex method and show that its convergence is related to the convergence of infinite matrix products. We then characterize the spectra of the involved matrices necessary for the study of convergence. Using these results, we discuss several examples of possible convergence or failure modes. Then, we prove a general convergence theorem for the simplex sequences generated by the method. The key assumption of the convergence theorem is proved in low-dimensional spaces up to 8 dimensions.
Efficient techniques for fault detection and location of multiple controlled Toffoli-based reversible circuit
Authors: Kheirandish Davar , Haghparast Majid , Reshadi Midia , Hosseinzadeh Mehdi
Published: November 2021

It is very important to detect and correct faults for ensuring the validity and reliability of these circuits. In this regard, a comparative study with related existing techniques is undertaken. Two techniques to achieve the testability of reversible circuits are introduced that have been improved in terms of quantum cost and fault coverage rate. Considering this aspect, the main focus of these techniques is on the efficient detection and location of faults with 100% accuracy. These techniques for fault detection in reversible circuit design, in addition to being able to produce the correct outputs, can also provide information for fault location that has already been done at a higher cost. Proposed approaches have been successfully tested for all types of SMGF, MMGF, PMGF, RGF, and SBF. In order to verify the functional correctness of the proposed scheme, it also has executed the testing over a reversible full adder circuit, and findings are checked. In the following, the proposed approach of reversible sequential circuits is presented for the first time so far. The cost metrics are evaluated for all the proposed designs and compared the estimated results against some existing design approaches of reversible circuits for better understanding.
Biochar Capacity to Mitigate Acidity and Adsorb Metals—Laboratory Tests for Acid Sulfate Soil Drainage Water
Authors: Kinnunen Niko , Laurén Annamari Ari , Pumpanen Jukka , Nieminen Tiina M. , Palviainen Marjo
Published: November 2021

A 96-h laboratory experiment was conducted to assess the potential of biochar as a water protection tool for acid sulfate soil runoff. Acid sulfate soils pose a risk to water bodies due to acid, metal-rich runoff, especially in drained peatland forests. New water protection methods, such as adsorption with biochar, are needed. We investigated the capability of spruce and birch biochar to adsorb metals and reduce acidity in the water. Water from an acid sulfate site was stirred with biochar, biochar with lime, and biochar with ash. We determined water Al, S, Fe, Cu, Co, Cd, Ni, and Zn concentrations periodically, as well as pH and total organic carbon at the beginning and the end of the experiment. The studied substances are considered the most abundant and environmentally harmful elements in the acid sulfate soils in Finland. Biochar surface characteristics were analyzed with FTIR spectroscopy. Concentration changes were used to parametrize adsorption kinetics models. Biochar adsorbed metals and increased pH, but lime and ash additives did not always improve the adsorption. Spruce biochar and ash addition had generally higher adsorption than birch biochar and lime addition. The adsorption was dominated by Al and Fe at lower pH, while increasing pH improved the adsorption of Cd and Zn. The results show that biochar can increase the water pH, as well as adsorb Al, Fe, Co, Cd, Ni, and Zn. Further work could include an actual-scale biochar reactor in a laboratory and field conditions.
Jugendliche und ihre Berufswahlpraktika: Determinanten des sozialen Status der gewählten Praktikaberufe
Authors: Hofmann Jan , Neuenschwander Markus P.
Published: November 2021

Dieser Beitrag untersucht die Determinanten des sozialen Status jener Berufe, welche Jugendliche in Berufswahlpraktika ausprobieren (Praktikaberufe). Für die Auswertung wurde eine Längsschnittstichprobe von 232 Jugendlichen verwendet, die im fünften, siebten und neunten Schuljahr befragt wurden. Pfadmodelle zeigen, dass das Bildungsniveau und die beruflichen Aspirationen der Jugendlichen in Abhängigkeit der Operationalisierung des Bildungsniveaus teils einen direkten Einfluss auf den sozialen Status der gewählten Praktikaberufe haben. Der sozioökonomische Status der Eltern und die kognitiven Fähigkeiten der Jugendlichen haben hauptsächlich einen indirekten Einfluss auf den sozialen Status der Praktikaberufe über die schulischen Leistungen (Schulnoten), elterlichen Bildungserwartungen, die beruflichen Aspirationen und das Bildungsniveau. Bivariate Korrelationsanalysen verweisen auf einen hohen Zusammenhang zwischen dem sozialen Status der absolvierten Praktikaberufen und dem sozialen Status jener Berufe, welche die Jugendlichen in der beruflichen Grundbildung ausüben. Die Studie leistet einen Beitrag zur Erklärung des individuellen Erwerbsprozesses eines beruflichen Status in der ersten Berufswahl.
Effects of Zinc Glycinate on Growth Performance, Serum Biochemical Indexes, and Intestinal Morphology of Yellow Feather Broilers
Authors: Zhu Xiaoping , Shang Xiuguo , Lin Guozhao , Li Haojie , Feng Xin , Zhang Huihua
Published: November 2021

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of zinc glycinate (Gly-Zn) on growth performance, serum biochemical index, intestinal morphology, and hepatic metallothionein (MT) mRNA expression in the liver of yellow feather broilers. A total of 540 18-day-old yellow feather broilers were randomly divided into three groups: control group (basal diet), ZnSO4 group (basal diet plus 60 mg Zn/kg from ZnSO4), and Gly-Zn group (basal diet plus 60 mg Zn/kg from zinc glycinate). Each treatment group had 6 replicates with 30 birds in each replicate. The experiment lasted for 42 days (18 to 59 days of age). The results showed that Gly-Zn supplementation significantly improved the average daily gain (ADG) and average daily feed intake (ADFI) of broilers during 18 to 39 days of age compared with that in the control group (P < 0.05) but not different from the ZnSO4 group. The Gly-Zn group had higher glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) (P < 0.05) and lower malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations than the broilers in the control and ZnSO4 group. It was also observed that zinc content in the tibia of Gly-Zn group broilers was higher than the control and ZnSO4 group (P < 0.05). The results of intestinal morphology parameters showed that the Gly-Zn group significantly increased the villus height in duodenum and jejunum (P < 0.05) and decreased crypt depth in duodenum and ileum compared to the control group. However, there were no significant differences between the Gly-Zn group and ZnSO4 group in duodenum and ileum regarding intestinal morphology parameters. The Gly-Zn group significantly increased mRNA expression of MT in the liver than both control and ZnSO4 groups (P < 0.05). Collectively, the results indicated that supplementing 60 mg Zn/kg through zinc glycinate improved growth performance and serum indexes as well as intestinal morphology of yellow feather broilers. It also regulates MT gene expression more effectively than the ZnSO4 group at the transcriptional level.
Arrival or Return? Temporality and Materiality of Transit Sites in Overlapping Displacement Context in Border Cities of the Lake Chad Basin Region
Authors: Oginni Oyewole Simon
Published: November 2021

Since over a decade of conflicts in the Lake Chad Basin region, different measures have been adopted to regulate the mobility of displaced persons in border cities. Mubi—like other transit sites—is both a place of care and control, of incentivization and eviction and of inclusion and exclusion. To nuance these contradictions, I argue that we might have to pay attention to arrival practices in transit sites, particularly the encounter with infrastructures, which are intertwined and profoundly co-constitutive of the displaced persons’ realities. In transit sites, arrival is practised and lived temporally and relationally among the displaced persons, despite the conditions of exile and immobility. Urban infrastructures (such as marketplaces, transit camps and living rooms) transform and enact the strategy adopted by the displaced persons to navigate daily life and to ‘move on’ from conditions of exile and confinement. Moving on, in this sense, is a strategy to overcome the disruption of the temporality of arrival practices from the Nigerian state regulation of mobility through incentivization and encampment policies. I demonstrate that both incentivization and encampment aim towards a common goal, which is to render displaced persons invisible in urban centres while becoming a raw material for capital production. The regulation enables a new form of unplanned spaces to emerge that are hyper-visible and super-precarious at the urban margins. This paper calls for a critical perspective on humanitarian urbanism in the Global South.
Kupeantha yabassi (Coffeeae-Rubiaceae), a new Critically Endangered shrub species of the Ebo Forest area, Littoral Region, Cameroon
Authors: Alvarez-Aguirre Maria G. , Cheek Martin , Sonké Bonaventure
Published: November 2021

A new species to science of evergreen forest shrub, Kupeantha yabassi M.G.Alvarez & Cheek (Coffeeae - Rubiaceae), is described, illustrated and compared morphologically with the closely similar species K. pentamera. Restricted so far to a single site in evergreen lowland forest near the Ebo Forest, Yabassi, Littoral Region, Cameroon, this species is Critically Endangered using the IUCN 2012 standard due to habitat clearance driven mainly by agriculture, adding to the growing list of threatened species resulting from anthropogenic pressure on Cameroon forests. A revised key to the six species of Kupeantha is presented. Two distinct geographical and ecological species groupings within the genus are identified and discussed. Notes are given on other narrowly endemic and threatened species in the Ebo Forest area, a threatened centre of diversity important for conservation in the Littoral Region.
A Range and Performance Optimized Version of the Computer-Aided Speckle Interferometry Algorithm for Real-Time Displacement-Strain Field Monitoring
Authors: Keene L.
Published: November 2021

This work presents an optimized implementation of the Computer-Aided Speckle Interferometry algorithm which enables full-field determination of displacements and strains on commodity Graphics Processing Units at high resolution and frame rates. By combining careful control of the average speckle size in a laser speckle pattern with a simple sampling rate conversion scheme, a compact representation of the optical speckle is achieved. This allows for optimal use of Graphics Processing Unit architecture with robust range extension. The optimal mapping of the Computer-Aided Speckle Interferometry algorithm to Graphics Processing Unit architecture is shown in detail, and a straightforward method for disambiguating large displacements is illustrated. Lastly, this paper demonstrates a two-step subimage-tapering modification to the original algorithm that enables robust range enhancement while maintaining resolution. Results from numerical simulations on synthetic speckle patterns are shown, and runtime performance metrics are provided, with performance ranging up to 60 frames per second in some cases. The method is suitable for interactive experimental mechanics research, process and testing or any application where real-time high-resolution displacement-strain monitoring is needed. A .NET Framework class library enabling the incorporation of the algorithm into 3rd -party applications is available for download.
Evaluation of Phase One Scan Station for Analogue Aerial Image Digitisation
Authors: Schulz Joachim , Cramer Michael , Herbst Theresa
Published: November 2021

Historical aerial photographs represent a special cultural asset for preserving information about land cover and land use change in the twentieth century with a high spatial and temporal resolution. A current topic is the digitisation of historical images to make them accessible to a wider range of users and to preserve them from age deterioration. For a photogrammetric evaluation, a high geometric stability and accuracy during the digitization process is required. In this work, the resolving power and geometric quality of a Phase One iXM-MV150F high-performance camera was investigated, which is used at the Landesamt für Geoinformation und Landentwicklung Baden-Württemberg in the project ‘Digitaler Luftbildatlas Baden-Württemberg’ for the digitisation of historical aerial photographs. The resolving power of the system was empirically measured and analysed. The required modulation transfer function was determined using Siemens stars. With this method, the significant influence of the focus setting and deviations of the plane-parallel alignment could be determined. Using a digitised aerial survey of the Vaihingen/Enz test field, the impact of the above-mentioned effects and the influence of the geometry of the scanning camera on the quality of the derived data products was shown in comparison to a photogrammetric scanner. The comparison showed that dedicated photogrammetric scanners still achieve a higher accuracy, even if a high-quality optical system is used for the digitising stand with the document camera. Further investigations are justified to improve the accuracy and stability of digitising the aerial image with a document camera.
Cosmological Vlasov–Poisson equations for dark matter
Authors: Rampf Cornelius
Published: November 2021

The cosmic large-scale structures of the Universe are mainly the result of the gravitational instability of initially small-density fluctuations in the dark-matter distribution. Dark matter appears to be initially cold and behaves as a continuous and collisionless medium on cosmological scales, with evolution governed by the gravitational Vlasov–Poisson equations. Cold dark matter can accumulate very efficiently at focused locations, leading to a highly non-linear filamentary network with extreme matter densities. Traditionally, investigating the non-linear Vlasov–Poisson equations was typically reserved for massively parallelised numerical simulations. Recently, theoretical progress has allowed us to analyse the mathematical structure of the first infinite densities in the dark-matter distribution by elementary means. We review related advances, as well as provide intriguing connections to classical plasma problems, such as the beam–plasma instability.
Current status of simulation-based training tools in general surgery: A systematic review
Authors: Shah Salonee , Aydin Abdullatif , Fisher Rebecca , Ahmed Kamran , Froghi Saied , Dasgupta Prokar
Published: November 2021

ABSTRACT

Background:

The use of simulation-based training tools within surgery is rapidly increasing and has demonstrated promising alternative training modalities allowing for surgical skill enhancement despite workplace pressures. Whilst many simulators have been investigated for their validity, this has not been demonstrated across all domains. This review aims to identify the status of simulation-based training tools in general surgery in the current literature, assess their validity and determine their effectiveness.

Methods:

OVID Medline and Embase databases were searched for English language articles describing the validation of a simulator for general surgery-specific procedures between 2000 and 2020. Studies were reviewed according to Messick's validity framework and rated in each domain. A modified version of translational outcomes described by McGaghie et al. were used to determine the level of effectiveness (LoE) of each simulator.

Results:

A total of 9653 articles were screened and 97 articles were identified to determine the LoE of the simulators. The highest rating for each validity domain was achieved by 30 models/training courses for content validity, 48 for response processes, 5 for internal structure, 40 for relations to other variables and 10 for consequences. Two simulators gained LoE >2 showing skill transfer downstream of the simulator.

Conclusion:

The varying ratings across each validity domain for the simulators show that evidence of complete validity is poor. Only 2 simulators were awarded LoE >2, indicating further research is needed in order to substantiate the use of simulation in improving patient outcomes.

Highlights
The Basilica Ulpia, Early Christian Churches and the Roman Double Truss
Authors: Robison Elwin C.
Published: November 2021

The most prominent and long-lasting of the timber truss-roofed buildings from imperial Roman times was the Basilica Ulpia, the interior of which has been reconstructed by recent writers but with little agreement regarding the upper sections. The reconstruction that best passes the test of engineering viability is shown here to be the one published by James E. Packer in 1997, but Packer’s reconstruction is unconvincing with regard to the roof. The argument advanced now is that the roof was constructed with double trusses of the kind once found in the early Christian basilicas of Old St Peter’s and San Paolo fuori le Mura, and then recorded in the eighteenth century by Jean-Baptiste Rondelet, which were very similar in size to those used for the Basilica Ulpia. The spacing of roof trusses was determined by the nave column spacing. Engineering analysis determines that the trusses had sufficient capacity to support the roof and that the double-truss arrangement was critical to avoid overloading the stone architraves. The article speculates that doubling the Roman truss may have been a previous innovation. It argues that the later early Christian basilicas relied on the Roman double truss because of its proven performance, and that this continuity was recognised by Auguste Choisy and others who considered their use to be a reflection of earlier Roman practice.
Age-stage two-sex life table analysis ofEristalinus aeneus(Diptera, Syrphidae) reared with two different larval media
Authors: Campoy Andrés , Lutsyk Mariya , Pérez-Bañón Celeste , Rojo Santos
Published: November 2021

Eristalinus aeneus(Scopoli, 1763) is a suitable candidate for artificial rearing due to its pollination efficiency and subcosmopolitan distribution. However, the high mortality found at the larval stage of this species needs to be overcome. In this research, two different larval media were used to study the life cycle ofE. aeneus: brewery spent grain (BSG) from a local craft-beer factory and soaked oat grains (SOG). The age-stage, two-sex life table method was used to analyze the results, which were compared using the paired bootstrap test. The greatest mortality was found at the larval stage with both media. Individuals fed on SOG presented a shorter preadult developmental time (22.05 days) than those reared with BSG (26.97 days). This fact had a direct impact on the total preoviposition period, it being shorter with SOG (34.36 days) than BSG (38.29 days), although the second provided a larger total number of eggs (19,242 eggs) and a faster adult maturation (10.67 days). The population parameters indicated that both populations will display a positive growth under the studied conditions, being the mean generation time (T) significantly shorter when using SOG (38.71 days) than BSG (45.95 days). Despite the preadult results pointing to SOG being a more efficient medium, the promising fecundity values provided by BSG, as well as it's lower cost and ecological benefits, suggest that this second medium could be improved and used as an alternative to SOG in the near future.
The influence of infection status and parasitism risk on host dispersal and susceptibility to infection inDrosophila nigrospiracula
Authors: Brophy Taylor , Luong Lien T.
Published: November 2021

For many organisms, habitat avoidance provides the first line of defence against parasitic infection. Changes in infection status can shift the cost-benefit ratio of remaining in a given habitatvsdispersing. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that the propensity to disperse inDrosophila nigrospiraculais mediated by current parasite load and the risk of further infection by an ectoparasitic mite (Macrocheles subbadius). An activity monitor was used to assess dispersal propensity among infected and uninfected flies. The activity level of uninfected females increased threefold upon exposure to a mite, whereas the activity among uninfected males increased by 17-fold in the presence of a questing mite. Among infected flies, the risk of further infection also generated a change in activity, but the magnitude of the response was dependent on host sex. Current infection status influenced the probability of acquiring more parasites due to increased susceptibility to infection with mite load. The probability of acquiring additional mites among males increased more rapidly compared to female flies. Current infection status can potentially determine the risk of further infection, the host propensity and ability to disperse, with consequence for hosts and parasites at the individual, population and species level.
Altered social decision making in patients with chronic pain
Authors: Timm Alicja , Schmidt-Wilcke Tobias , Blenk Sandra , Studer Bettina
Published: November 2021

Background

Chronic pain affects up to 20% of the population, impairs quality of life and reduces social participation. Previous research reported that pain-related perceived injustice covaries with these negative consequences. The current study probed whether chronic pain patients responded more strongly to disadvantageous social inequity than healthy individuals.

Methods

We administered the Ultimatum Game, a neuroeconomic social exchange game, where a sum of money is split between two players to a large sample of patients with chronic pain disorder with somatic and psychological factors (n = 102) and healthy controls (n = 101). Anonymised, and in truth experimentally controlled, co-players proposed a split, and our participants either accepted or rejected these offers.

Results

Chronic pain patients were hypersensitive to disadvantageous inequity and punished their co-players for proposed unequal splits more often than healthy controls. Furthermore, this systematic shift in social decision making was independent of patients’ performance on tests of executive functions and risk-sensitive (non-social) decision making .

Conclusions

Our findings indicate that chronic pain is associated with anomalies in social decision making (compared to healthy controls) and hypersensitivity to social inequity that is likely to negatively impact social partaking and thereby the quality of life.
Are workers musicians? Kesha Sebert, Johanna Wagner and the gendered commodification of star singers, 1853–2014
Authors: Stahl Matt
Published: November 2021

The legal history of pop singer-songwriter Kesha Sebert has brought to light serious problems of gender and power in the US recording industry: it remains male dominated to its core. These contemporary problems have specific historical origins. Contextualising the 2008–2014 lawsuit between two rival producers over the exclusive right to Kesha's labour power suggests that elements of Victorian gender relations and class war were baked into the doctrine on which that 21st century case turned. Drawing empirically on court documents, and analytically on perspectives from history and sociology as well as feminist legal scholarship, this paper explains the persistent vitality of a ‘gendered erotic triangle’ in music production. By contextualising Kesha's gendered legal triangulation, and analysing a seemingly technical quibble about the interpretation of a statute of (temporal) limitation, this paper frames the commodification of singers’ labour power as central to a gendered project of class domination.
Reasoning on Multirelational Contextual Hierarchies via Answer Set Programming with Algebraic Measures
Authors: BOZZATO LORIS , EITER THOMAS , KIESEL RAFAEL
Published: November 2021

Dealing with context-dependent knowledge has led to different formalizations of the notion of context. Among them is the Contextualized Knowledge Repository (CKR) framework, which is rooted in description logics but links on the reasoning side strongly to logic programs and Answer Set Programming (ASP) in particular. The CKR framework caters for reasoning with defeasible axioms and exceptions in contexts, which was extended to knowledge inheritance across contexts in a coverage (specificity) hierarchy. However, the approach supports only this single type of contextual relation and the reasoning procedures work only for restricted hierarchies, due to nontrivial issues with model preference under exceptions. In this paper, we overcome these limitations and present a generalization of CKR hierarchies to multiple contextual relations, along with their interpretation of defeasible axioms and preference. To support reasoning, we use ASP with algebraic measures, which is a recent extension of ASP with weighted formulas over semirings that allows one to associate quantities with interpretations depending on the truth values of propositional atoms. Notably, we show that for a relevant fragment of CKR hierarchies with multiple contextual relations, query answering can be realized with the popular asprin framework. The algebraic measures approach is more powerful and enables, for example, reasoning with epistemic queries over CKRs, which opens interesting perspectives for the use of quantitative ASP extensions in other applications.
Utilizing Treewidth for Quantitative Reasoning on Epistemic Logic Programs
Authors: BESIN VIKTOR , HECHER MARKUS , WOLTRAN STEFAN
Published: November 2021

Extending the popular answer set programming paradigm by introspective reasoning capacities has received increasing interest within the last years. Particular attention is given to the formalism of epistemic logic programs (ELPs) where standard rules are equipped with modal operators which allow to express conditions on literals for being known or possible, that is, contained in all or some answer sets, respectively. ELPs thus deliver multiple collections of answer sets, known as world views. Employing ELPs for reasoning problems so far has mainly been restricted to standard decision problems (complexity analysis) and enumeration (development of systems) of world views. In this paper, we take a next step and contribute to epistemic logic programming in two ways: First, we establish quantitative reasoning for ELPs, where the acceptance of a certain set of literals depends on the number (proportion) of world views that are compatible with the set. Second, we present a novel system that is capable of efficiently solving the underlying counting problems required to answer such quantitative reasoning problems. Our system exploits the graph-based measure treewidth and works by iteratively finding and refining (graph) abstractions of an ELP program. On top of these abstractions, we apply dynamic programming that is combined with utilizing existing search-based solvers like (e)clingo for hard combinatorial subproblems that appear during solving. It turns out that our approach is competitive with existing systems that were introduced recently.
Effect of various treatments of urea-treated whole crop wheat on forage intake and milk production by dairy cows
Authors: Sutton J D , Phipps R H , Humphries D J
Published: November 2021

Previous experiments in this series showed that a major cause of the disappointing milk yield response to the partial replacement of grass silage by urea-treated whole crop wheat (WCW) was the low digestibility of the WCW. The present experiment was designed to investigate the effectiveness of various treatments in improving milk production from such diets. Treatments examined included pre-treatment of the WCW to improve digestibility, replacing part of the concentrates by molasses or ground wheat to increase rumen ammonia utilisation, and increasing the digestible undegradable protein (DUP) content of the concentrates.
The behavioural responses of farmed red deer to other farmed species within a simulated abattoir environment.
Authors: Goddard P.J. , Abeyesinghe S.M.
Published: November 2021

The farming of red deer (Cervus elaphus) for venison is a small but established part of the UK livestock industry. While slaughtering of deer is undertaken in commercial abattoirs, as yet there are no specific regulations governing the welfare of deer at this time. The behavioural characteristics of deer lead to the supposition that inappropriate pre-slaughter handling may adversely affect their welfare. In particular, exposure to unfamiliar species, as could occur in a multi-species abattoir, may be an area of particular concern: placing groups of unfamiliar animals next to each other has been reported to cause stress in cattle (Duchesne & Perry, 1975). Results of an experiment which investigated the location, orientation and behaviour of deer when penned between pens of unfamiliar species (i.e. modified preference testing) are presented.
Effect of ewe genotype on the behaviour of their lambs in two breeds of sheep
Authors: Dwyer C. M. , Lawrence A. B.
Published: November 2021

Human intervention and selection of sheep for production characteristics have led to the establishment of defined breeds adapted to live in diverse environmental conditions. It is also apparent that the social and foraging behaviour of different breeds can vary considerably (Arnold, 1985; Dwyer and Lawrence, 1996), even within the same environment, and variations in social behaviour may have significant effects on production (Lawrence and Wood-Gush, 1988). It remains to be established, however, whether these behavioural differences have a genetic basis, or result from the cultural transmission of information and learned behaviour. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of ewe genotype and behaviour on the behaviour of lambs of different breeds derived by embryo-transfer.
Genetic diversity in European cattle breeds
Authors: Blott S.C. , Williams J.L. , Haley C.S.
Published: November 2021

Identification of genetically unique populations is a key aim in the study of livestock breed diversity (Hall and Bradley, 1995). In this study random sampling techniques were used to test the significance of genetic distances between European cattle breeds, and to analyse the stability of breed relationships.
Genotype by diet interactions for liveweight and condition score during lactation in heifers
Authors: Koenen E.P.C. , Veerkamp R.F.
Published: November 2021

An earlier study at Langhill (Veerkamp et al, 1995) showed that selection for yield in dairy cows increases body tissue mobilisation during lactation, since high genetic merit animals had a lower average condition score (CS) compared with low genetic merit animals. However, in this study no diet effect for condition score and no interaction between diet and genetic merit was found. The reasons for this might have been that average condition scores during lactation were analysed, and therefore the objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of genotype and diet during lactation using weekly observations.
Factors influencing the risk of piglets being crushed during sow posture changes in a group farrowing system
Authors: Marchant J.N. , Corning S. , Broom D.M.
Published: November 2021

Previous work has identified crushing to be the major cause of early piglet mortality (up to 80%) in a group farrowing system, with approximately half of the crushing deaths occurring when the sow lay down from a standing position (Marchant et al., 1996). The objectives of this study were to establish what other posture changes carried a high risk of piglet injury in a communal farrowing system during early lactation and also to determine what factors influenced the risk of piglet crushing during lying down.
The effects of extrusion on the nutritive value of rape seed meal for pigs
Authors: Keady U. , O'Doherty J.V.
Published: November 2021

Europe has long been deficient in protein rich foodstuffs and relies heavily on imported soya bean meal for pig diets. Rape seed meal (RSM) represents an alternative protein source. However, nutrient availability in RSM is limited due to the presence of anti nutritional factors which may act on the nutrient themselves or cause a deleterious physiological effect on the animal. The major antinutritional factors found in RSM include glucosinolates and tannins. One method of destroying these antinutritional factors maybe by the use of heat treatment. The objective of these experiments were to examine the effect of extrusion cooking on the apparent nutrient digestibility of RSM and on the productive performance of finishing pigs fed increasing levels of both raw and extruded “00” RSM.
The effect on ovarian activity of stimulating precocious puberty in gilts of different ages with exogenous gonadotrophins
Authors: Glasgow V.L. , Edwards S.A. , Stewart A.H. , Slessor M. , Fraser H.
Published: November 2021

Embryo transfer in the pig is still very experimental but reduced generation intervals and accelerated genetic improvement could be achieved if younger gilts could be stimulated into an early puberty and used as donor animals. Stimulation of precocious puberty using a single dose injection of hCG and PMSG (PG600) has been shown to be successful (Schilling and Cerne, 1972). Pressing et al (1991) found that at 100 days gilts did not respond to pulsatile GnRH administration inferring that the pituitary-ovarian axis is not mature prior to this time. In this experiment exogenous gonadotrophins were administered to gilts between 100-180 days old in order to assess their ovarian response at both the stimulated heat and a second, natural heat.
The effect of mating sows in the early oestrus period on duration and timing of ovulation
Authors: Dawson A. , Pitt R.L. , Ward S.J. , Warren M.J. , Cameron N.D. , Peters A.R.
Published: November 2021

The duration of ovulation in pigs may contribute to embryo mortality, as later ovulated ova, which become the least mature embryos, are unable to contend with the changing uterine environment (Pope, 1992). The shorter ovulation of spontaneously ovulating sows, which were mated, compared to induced sows, which were not mated (Soede et al, 1992), suggested that the mating itself may reduce the length of ovulation. The current study determined the effect of mating in the early oestrus period on both the timing and duration in recendy weaned, spontaneously ovulating sows.
Effect of offering three amounts of maize stover to dairy cows on intake and selection
Authors: Methu J. N. , Owen E. , Abate A. , Scarr M. , Tanner J.
Published: November 2021

Several studies with barley straw (e.g. Wahed et al, 1990) and sorghum stover (e.g. Osafo, 1993) have shown improvements in intake with increasing ‘ad libitum’ amounts offered. Furthermore, these studies have demonstrated that sheep and goats offered barley straw or sorghum stover in long, unprocessed form, increase intake by selecting for leaf and leaf sheath, and against stem. This phenomenon offers a simple feeding strategy to use selective feeding behaviour to improve intake and hence production. The aim of the present experiment was to study the effect of offering increasing amounts of long maize stover on intake and selection by dairy cows.

Six, early- to mid-lactation Ayrshire and Friesian cows (live weight, M, 430 kg) were used in a double 3x3 Latin square design with 24-day (d) feeding periods. Cows were offered long (unchopped) maize stover at low, medium or high ‘ad libitum’ rates, i.e. 31, 59 or 87 g dry matter (DM)/kg M.d. Cows also received 3.2 kg DM/d of cotton seed cake (339 g/kg DM crude protein) in two meals at milking (0700 h and 1800 h). Stover was offered in one meal daily, at 0700 h, after collecting refusals from the previous day. Amounts of stover offered and refused were weighed daily. Samples of offered stover (0.5 kg) and refused stover (0.5 kg) were analysed for DM daily. All refused stover and 4.0 kg samples of offered stover were botanically fractionated, daily, into stem (S), leaf (L), sheath (Sh) and husk (H). Milk yield was recorded daily and cows weighed at the start and end of each period.
Effect of concentrate type on forage intake and milk production of dairy cows offered mixed forage diets based on maize and grass silage
Authors: Phipps R. H. , Jones A. K. , Harrison S. , Marsden S.
Published: November 2021

Earlier studies at CEDAR established the positive effects on intake and milk production when forages other than grass were incorporated into dairy cows rations. The area of forage maize and its integration in UK dairy rations continues to increase and as a result has generated considerable interest in supplementation of diets based on maize (MS) and grass silage (GS). The aim of the current study was to determine the effect of using starch (S) and fibre (F) based concentrates on feed intake and milk production of Friesian cows offered a forage mixture of MS and GS in a 3:1 DM ratio.

Forty individually fed multiparous Friesian cows were used in a continuous design study. At week 3 of lactation cows were allocated to one of four treatment groups (Table 1), in which all cows were offered ad libitum access to a forage mixture containing on a DM basis 750 g/kg MS and 250 g/kg GS and 10 kg fresh weight/d of either a starch (229 g starch and 58 g NDF kg/DM) or fibre (85 g starch and 124 g NDF/kg DM) based concentrate. Both concentrates contained 237 g CP and 13.1MJ ME/kg DM and were offered twice dairy in equal quantities.
Changes in nitrogen balance of dairy cows during the dry period and early lactation following different dry period diets
Authors: Moorby J.M. , Miles S. , Evans R.T. , Fisher W.J. , Davies D.W.R.
Published: November 2021

Increases in yields of milk and milk protein have been observed from dairy cows offered a high protein supplement during the dry period (Van Saun, Idleman and Sniffen, 1993; Moorby, Dewhurst and Marsden, 1996). One possible mechanism for this is an accumulation of maternal body protein during late pregnancy and its later release during lactation. This experiment was designed to investigate the effect of diet on the potential of dairy cows to accumulate and release body nitrogen over the course of the dry period and the first 20 weeks of lactation.

Twelve multiparous Holstein-Friesian cows were offered one of three diets for 6 weeks prior to calving, with 4 animals per diet, in an continuous design experiment. Animals were offered ad libitum access to A) grass silage only (medium protein), B) a grass silage/barley straw mix (60:40 on a dry matter basis) (low protein), or C) grass silage plus 0.5 kg/d high protein maize gluten meal (high protein). After calving, all animals were offered a standard lactation diet based on ad libitum grass silage plus 10 kg/d concentrate to week 12 of lactation, with 7 kg/d thereafter. Animals were housed in individual stalls for 6 d N-balance procedures on three separate occasions in two groups of six animals: during the dry period (at approximately 3 to 4 weeks before calving), early-lactation (weeks 7 to 8 after calving) and mid-lactation (weeks 17 to 18).
The effects of nonstructural carbohydrate and dietary protein on feed intake, ruminal fermentation and cows performance
Authors: Sommart K. , Wanapat M. , Rowlinson P. , Parker D.S.
Published: November 2021

Providing high levels of nonstructural carbohydrate (NSC) in ruminant diets tends to change fermentation lowering rumen pH and reduce milk fat content. Balancing readily available N and energy-yielding carbohydrate may enhance microbial growth rate, alter fermentation and fibre digestion in the rumen, which subsequently may have an impact on nutrient supply to host animal. Therefore, the objective of this study was to measure the effects of dietary nonstructural carbohydrate and protein level on intake, ruminal fermentation and performance of dairy cows using cassava as main energy source.

Forty-two crossbred cows (60.9% Holstein Friesian, 26.8% Danish Red, 10.2% Red Sindi) at a mean of 71.0 ± 28.5 days in milk (DIM) with a pre-treatment milk yield of 13.2 ± 2.2 kg/d and a BW 373.1 ± 33.4 kg. Cows were tethered in stalls and randomly allocated to receive one of six total mixed ration (TMR) on ad-lib basis. Isocaloric diets (ME 11.2 MJ/kg) were formulated to contain Ruzi grass silage and a concentrate mix (20:80 ratio) containing NSC (30, 35, 40%) in combination with 2 levels of crude protein (15.7, 18.4%).
Effects of travel sickness on stress hormones and meat quality in pigs
Authors: Bradshaw R. H. , Randall J. M. , Stiles M. A. , Brown S. N. , Forsling M. L. , Rodway R. , Goode J. A. , Warriss P. D. , Broom D. M.
Published: November 2021

Forsling et al. (1984) have shown that exposure to vibration and noise leads to raised concentrations of plasma lysine vasopressin (LVP) in pigs. Pigs can exhibit symptoms of travel sickness during road transport even when, following commercial practice, they are not fed before transportation. These symptoms appear to be associated with elevated concentrations of plasma LVP (Bradshaw et al. in press). We wished to establish whether concentrations of plasma LVP at exsanguination may reveal which pigs had been travel sick during the journey to slaughter and whether those pigs exhibited subsequent poor meat quality.

Fifty 90 kg slaughter pigs were transported on a lorry (25 each day for two days, food withdrawn the previous evening at 1700) for five hours (0.49 m2 per pig). RHB travelled in the main body of the vehicle scanning the individually marked pigs every 8 min for incidences of standing, lying and symptoms of travel sickness (sniffing, foaming at the mouth, chomping, retching and vomiting).
The behaviour of high and low performing pigs and location preferences in large groups of pigs housed on deep bedded straw
Authors: Penny P.C. , Stewart A. H. , English P. R.
Published: November 2021

With increasing concern over animal welfare, large straw yard accommodation is being used as a less intensive system for the finishing of pigs. The performance achieved in straw pens can exceed that of fully slatted housing (Lyons et al, 1994). Unfortunately, the main weakness of large groups in straw yards can be the high variation in performance. The objective of this study was to determine the behavioural differences between low and high performing pigs and to investigate pig location preferences in large groups of various sizes.
A delayed aversion to atmospheric ammonia in Pigs
Authors: Jones J B , Webster A J F , Wathes C M
Published: November 2021

Intensively housed pigs are continuously exposed to aerial pollutants, such as ammonia gas (e.g. Robertson 1994). The objective of this study was to determine if exposure to ammonia, for an extended period, was aversive to a pig. The three chronic choice test experiments catalogued the behavioural responses of Duroc x Landrace pigs to concentrations of ammonia recorded frequently in commercial piggeries. The first experiment established if ammonia was aversive. The remaining experiments indirectly and directly traded off the strength of any aversion against thermal comfort. In the second experiment thermal comfort could be obtained either in the absence or presence of ammonia; in the third experiment thermal comfort could only be gained in the presence of ammonia.