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Abstract The MEG II experiment, based at the Paul Scherrer Institut in Switzerland, reports the result of a search for the decay $$\upmu ^+ \rightarrow {\textrm{e}}^+ \upgamma $$ μ + → e + γ from data taken in the first physics run in 2021. No excess of events over the expected background is observed, yielding an upper limit on the branching ratio of $${\mathcal {B}} (\upmu ^+ \rightarrow {\textrm{e}}^+ \upgamma ) < 7.5 \times 10^{-13}$$ B ( μ + → e + γ ) < 7.5 × 10 - 13 (90% CL). The combination of this result and the limit obtained by MEG gives $${\mathcal {B}} (\upmu ^+ \rightarrow {\textrm{e}}^+ \upgamma ) < 3.1 \times 10^{-13}$$ B ( μ + → e + γ ) < 3.1 × 10 - 13 (90% CL), which is the most stringent limit to date. A ten-fold larger sample of data is being collected during the years 2022–2023, and data-taking will continue in the coming years.

This work presents the materials selection process, the design and the dimensioning process of a latent heat storage tank that works between a high temperature heat pump and an Organic Rankine Cycle unit. The selected heat storage material is the S117 Phase Change Material that has a melting point at 117°C matches the operational temperature of the system at approximately 120°C. The tank configuration is selected for optimised heat transfer process, resulted from practical experience of the project partners and it is described in details in the document. The simulation results from the Computational Fluid Dynamic study of the tank are also presented here. This work should be useful for engineers designing compact heat storage tanks for medium temperature applications.

The paper shows the studies carried out within the framework of two research agreements for the census of abandoned enlisted assets owned by public bodies in the Provinces of Piacenza, Parma and Reggio Emilia, stipulated with the respective Heritage Departments. The purpose of this research is to increase the cognitive framework of cultural assets in a state of abandonment, and then to transfer the results to the dedicated WebGIS platform, with the aim of identifying the ones which are most in need of a conservation and reuse intervention, in order to return them back to their community. Afterwards, as a result of the cataloguing carried out, it was possible to make some critical considerations and statistical reworkings of the collected data. The data analysis, performed through the design of a GIS database, finds out a higher frequency of abandonment for some specific building types and with recurring locations. The research also highlights, once again, the importance of defining common ontologies, which are essential for statistical data processing and interoperability between different existing databases.

Integrated total pelvic floor ultrasound is a combination of endoanal, transperineal, and endovaginal ultrasound used for the static and dynamic assessment of the entire pelvic floor. It can be used as a screening investigation for defaecatory dysfunction so that defaecatory radiological imaging may be avoided. It enables assessment of concomitant pelvic floor disorders such as anterior and middle compartment dysfunctions. Other advantages include the ability to perform in the outpatient rooms in a one stop clinic, alongside clinical assessment, and anorectal physiology, whilst avoiding separate radiology appointments and radiation exposure. Moreover, it has the potential to be used as a visual biofeedback tool.Integrated total pelvic floor ultrasound is user dependent and currently there are no fixed protocols for performance or reporting protocols. As integrated total pelvic floor ultrasound becomes more commonplace this is something which should be addressed.This article outlines the clinical utility, practicalities, and guidance for the interpretation of imaging which may be used. It is the basis for integrated total pelvic floor ultrasound workshops which have been held at the International Continence Society conference over the last 5 years.

Abstract Background Up to now, information on the levels of maternally-derived antibodies (MDA) against PCV-2 in suckling piglets born to sows vaccinated with different strategies is scarce in the literature. In the present observational study, the PCV-2-specific MDA titres from piglets from 109 farms (thirty 3-day-old and thirty 21-day-old piglets per farm) across four different European countries (France n = 30, Germany n = 27, Italy n = 22 and Spain n = 30) using different sow vaccination strategies (during gestation, as a gilt, as a piglet or never) were assessed. Results In all four countries, mean log PCV-2 MDA titres were higher in 3-day-old piglets than in the 3-week-old ones, being significant in most of all the comparisons performed. Within each country, the highest PCV-2-specific MDA titres were observed in the 3-day-old piglets born to sows vaccinated during gestation. Indeed, in the four countries, more than 60% of this subpopulation (3-day-old piglets from sows vaccinated during pregnancy) had the highest log PCV-2 titres detectable with the ELISA technique used in this study. The lowest MDA titres were more variable. Whereas in France and Germany the lowest titres corresponded to 21-day-old piglets born from sows vaccinated as a piglet, in Italy, they corresponded to 21-day-old piglets derived from sows vaccinated as a gilt and in Spain to 21-day-old piglets born from non-vaccinated sows. In this study, PCV-2-specific MDA titres at 3 and 21 days of age were not affected by sow parity. Conclusions Data obtained could be considered as a European global overview of PCV-2-specific MDA titres present in the pre-vaccinated piglet populations in different European countries, with titres tending to be higher in younger piglets, but with values variable among countries and sow vaccination strategies.

The primary challenge of agriculture and livestock production is to face the growing competition between food, feed, fibre, and fuel, converting them from resource-intensive to resource-efficient. A circular economy approach, using agricultural by-products/co-products, in the livestock production system would allow to reduce, reuse, and redistribute the resources. Former food products (FFPs), also named ex-foods, could represent a valid option in strengthening resilience in animal nutrition. FFPs have a promising potential to be included regularly in animal diets due to their nutritive value, although their potential in animal nutrition remains understudied. A thorough investigation of the compositional and dietary features, thus, is essential to provide new and fundamental insights to effectively reuse FFPs as upgraded products for swine nutrition. Safety aspects, such as the microbial load or the presence of packaging remnants, should be considered with caution. Here, with a holistic approach, we review several aspects of FFPs and their use as feed ingredients: the nutritional and functional evaluation, the impact of the inclusion of FFPs in pigs’ diet on growth performance and welfare, and further aspects related to safety and sustainability of FFPs.

Even in the context of increasing digitisation, the construction sector continues to be characterised by redundancy, multiplication and, at the same time, a lack of transparency and disaggregation of data and information, leading to ineffective management of the time, costs and quality of the project life cycle. This paper shows the results of the development of an ICT application, TRL 4-5, based on the integration of Building Information Modeling and blockchain technologies and designed to foster digitisation processes in the supply chain, in the direction of greater transparency of information flows, knowledge-based organisations and decision-making processes based on unambiguous ordered data. Starting from a broader industrial research collaboration, the project involves a university spin-off, companies operating as system integrators and leaders in the customisation of BIM solutions for the Italian construction market. The project, launched as part of a network of public and private stakeholders established in 2019 and developed between September 2020 and March 2021, is part of a territorial development strategy financed by European Structural Funds. As a result, the research output is a prototype of ICT tool, which implements the Common Data Environment, CDE, making the life cycle management unambiguous, certified and clear. In this regard, the results of the project are meant to respond to the supply chain's need to encourage the digitisation and automation of processes, as well as to encourage the acquisition of unambiguous data, according to a big data approach.

Awareness of the need to improve the sustainability of livestock by reducing the loss of natural resources has increased significantly. This study investigated the effects of two categories of food industry leftovers, also referred to as former foodstuff products (FFPs), on pig gut microbiota and intestinal volatile fatty acid (VFA) production. Thirty-six female postweaning piglets (28 days old, Large White × Landrace, 6.5 ± 1.1 kg) were separated into three groups and fed a conventional diet (CTR), and diets in which cereals were partially replaced (30% w/w) by sugary confectionery products (FFPs-C) or salty bakery products (FFPs-B), respectively. After 42 days of dietary treatments, faeces were collected from the rectal ampulla, snap-frozen, and used for next-generation sequencing to analyse the composition and the alpha and beta diversity indexes of the microbial population. The concentration of VFAs in the intestinal content collected at the slaughterhouse was also analysed. The study demonstrated that balanced diets can be obtained by the inclusion of both FFPs-C and FFPs-B, with a similar chemical composition compared to traditional diets. Neither the FFPs-C nor FFPs-B diets affected the abundance and biodiversity indexes of the microbial community. Only a few taxa, normally attributed to a healthy gut, increased with FFPs-C and FFPs-B compared to the CTR. The experimental diets had no impact on the production of the VFAs in the faeces. Lastly, the inclusion at 30% (w/w) of both categories of FFP diets slightly affected the faecal microbiota. FFPs could thus be used as a promising alternative to traditional ingredients in pig diets; however, additional analyses are needed to further investigate the presence of potentially pathogenic bacteria. The effects of such ingredients on other markers of gut health, and on product quality when used in the fattening period also need to be investigated.

In this paper, an integrated analysis of the geometric and photogrammetric surveys on a 19th century bridge is proposed as an instrument for the comprehension of the historical evolution of its structural disorders, of its present conservation status and as a reliable base to define future interventions. The studied 20 arches brick masonry bridge in Northern Italy, that reaches the length of nearly 600 meters, constitutes a very interesting case study, not only for the technical and structural issues related to its restoration and use (with increased traffic loads) but also for its geometry, that has strict connections with the design methods that lead its construction, based on proportions, and whose changes in time embody the present symptoms of possible structural illnesses. Moreover, the bridge shows many decay phenomena, whose treatment will require a large part of the restoration resources. For this reason, a precise quantification of the affected surfaces, also in the curved parts, is important for the definition of conservative interventions. To this aim, possible methods of mapping and measuring the decay phenomena starting from the photogrammetric survey are also discussed.

Objective: Exposure to airborne pollutants during pregnancy appears to be associated with uterine growth restriction and adverse neonatal outcome. Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type (PCSK9), the key modulator of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) metabolism, increases following particulate matter (PM10) exposure. Because maternal cholesterol is required for fetal growth, PCSK9 levels could be used to evaluate the potential impact of airborne pollutants on fetal growth. Design: A cohort of 134 healthy women during early pregnancy (11–12 weeks of gestational age) was studied. Results: A significant association between circulating PCSK9 levels and three tested air pollutants (PM10, PM2.5, nitric oxide (NO2)) was found. Of importance, gestational age at birth was reduced by approximately 1 week for each 100 ng/mL rise in circulating PCSK9 levels, an effect that became more significant at the highest quartile of PM2.5 (with a 1.8 week advance in delivery date for every 100 ng/mL rise in circulating PCSK9; p for interaction = 0.026). This finding was supported by an elevation of the odds ratio for urgent cesarean delivery for each 100 ng/mL rise in PCSK9 (2.99, 95% CI, 1.22–6.57), similar trends being obtained for PM10 and NO2. Conclusions: The association between exposure to air pollutants during pregnancy and elevation in PCSK9 advances our understanding of the unforeseen influences of environmental exposure in terms of pregnancy associated disorders.

Here, Smalleyet al. demonstrate luminescent hyperbolic metasurfaces wherein quantum heterostructures simultaneously function as the emission source and constituent dielectric. The design enables extreme polarization anisotropy of photoluminescence and efficient extraction of in-plane surface modes.

The suitability of Hyalella pseudoazteca as a test organism for sediment toxicity bioassays and the employment of the sediment from Las Flores stream as a solid control matrix were evaluated. The animals were collected from Las Flores stream and acclimated to the conditions of the laboratory. The toxicity of spiked sediments with two concentrations of Cu2+ (25 y 75 mg Cu2+/Kg dry sediment) was tested. The samples used were physicochemically analyzed and their contaminants content determined. The assay was run with five replicates on each treatment at constant temperature and photoperiod (23±1ºC; 16L/8D). The exposition time lasted ten days and for each replicate it was determined survival, biomass (dry weight) and length increase rates as end points. On the assay’s initial and final time, hardness, pH, DO, NH4 + concentration, and conductivity were measured. The statistical significance relative to control was evaluated by means of ANOVA and Tukey’s comparison test. No effect on survival was registered. There was a significant decrease of the biomass of the animals exposed to 75 mg Cu2+/Kg. The length showed a tendency to decrease in both concentrations. From the obtained results it could be concluded that Hyalella pseudoazteca is a sensitive species for the assessment of spiked sediment toxicity assays with Cu2+, being this toxic apt as reference in assays with this species. Las Flores stream’s sediment proved to be adequate as negative control sediment because of its negligible level of chemical pollution and its granulometric composition.

Objetivo: Establecer la concordancia de la tomografía por emisión de positrones (PET) con 18-flúor colina y la tomografía computada (TC) para la reestadificación ganglionar (N) y metastásica (M) del TNM en la recaída bioquímica del cáncer de próstata. Materiales y métodos: Se revisaron retrospectivamente historias clínicas de pacientes atendidos en Imágenes moleculares. En cada método establecimos la clasificación TNM ganglionar y metastásica. Se utilizó el índice de concordancia Kappa, categorizando los resultados según lo propuesto por Landis y Koch. Resultados: De los 32 pacientes con PET-colina y TC, en la clasificación ganglionar con PET-colina, 19 (59,4%) fueron N0 y 13 (40,6%), N1; mientras que en la TC, 28 (87,5%) fueron N0 y 4 (12,5%), N1. En la clasificación metastásica, el método PET-colina identificó M0 en 17 (53,1%) pacientes, M1a en 1 (3,1%), M1b en 5 (15,6%), M1c en 1 (3,1%), M1a + M1b en 7 (21,9%), M1b + M1c en 1 (3,1%); mientras que la TC reportó M0 en 23 (71,9%), M1a en 2 (6,25%), M1a + M1b en 2 y M1b + M1c en 5 (15,6%). La concordancia en la clasificación TNM ganglionar y metastásica entre PET-colina y TC fue de 71,88% con 0,3455 de Kappa (error estándar: 0,1336; p= 0,0049) y de 62,5% con 0,3725 de Kappa (error estándar: 0,0847; p = 0,0001), respectivamente. Discusión: El método PET-colina demostró alta exactitud diagnóstica en la extensión de la enfermedad, con respecto a los métodos convencionales. Conclusión: La concordancia entre el método PET-colina y la TC para la clasificación TNM ganglionar y metastásica no es buena.

The effects of dietary nucleotide supplementation from 9 days of age until the end of post-weaning on piglets hormonal and immune responses and on growth performance were investigated. During lactation (days 9 to 21) and post-weaning (days 22 to 55) 10 [HBI Fomeva11 × (Large White × Landrace)] litters (n = 108 piglets) had ad libitum access to two standard diets, both supplemented with 0% (T0 group) or 0.1% (T1 group) of yeast extract nucleotides. BW of piglets at days 21 (P < 0.10), 35 and 55 (P < 0.05) was greater in T1 compared with T0. Feed intake was not different between groups (P > 0.05). Cortisol content was lower in T1 than in T0 at days 28 and 35 (P < 0.05), whereas growth hormone was lower at day 35 (P < 0.05). Levels of IGF-1 were similar across groups (P > 0.05). Nucleotide-supplemented diets increased lymphocyte subpopulation CD4−CD8+high at days 21 and 35 (P < 0.05), whereas CD4+CD8− cells were higher in T1 than in T0 at day 21 (P < 0.05). Peripheral blood mononuclear cells cytokine expression was influenced by dietary nucleotide supplementation. At weaning, interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-1β expression was lower (P < 0.05) in T1 compared with T0, whereas the expression of interferon (IFN)-γ and IL-10 was higher (P < 0.05). At day 28, piglets in T1 showed higher values of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α expression than T0 and lower values of IL-10 expression (P < 0.05). Dietary nucleotide supplementation had a suppressive effect on IL-6 and IL-10 expression (P < 0.05) at day 35. On the contrary, the expression of IFN-γ, TNF-α and IL-1β was enhanced (P < 0.05). In conclusion, these results suggest that starting a dietary nucleotide supplementation before weaning can improve the adaptive capabilities of weaned piglets to the stressors, enhancing the growth performance.

La estratigrafía y la estructura del sector central del Cinturón Volcánico Mexicano (CVM) fueron investigadas para reconstruir su evolución tectónica, la dirección de los esfuerzos y sus valores relativos. Fueron reconocidos tres periodos principales caracterizados por diferentes mecanismos de deformaci6n que están limitados al CVM y pueden ser agrupados en un ciclo de deformación línico. EI periodo de deformación del Plioceno Tardio se caracteriza por el desarrollo de fallas de rumbo inducidas por un esfuerzo principal máximo (r1) horizontal y de dirección ENE-OSO y un esfuerzo principal mínimo (r3) de NNO-SSE. Desde el Pleistoceno Temprano hasta el Pleistoceno Medio se ha desarrollado un fallamiento normal izquierdo de acuerdo con el mismo r3 y con un esfuerzo principal máximo horizontal (rhmax) de dirección ENE-OSO correspondiente al esfuerzo principal intermedio (r2), que en este caso se aproxima al valor de rl. En el Pleistoceno Tardio-Holoceno ocurrió un fallamiento normal producido por un r3 con una pequeña rotación en sentido izquierdo. Las estructuras desarrolladas durante estos periodos representan la expresi6n superficial de un cizallamiento izquierdo profundo de dirección Este-Oeste inicialmente paralelo y posteriormente divergente. Esta situación cinematic a y la uniformidad de las trayectorias de esfuerzo durante el PlioCuaternario sugieren la intervención de las fuerzas producidas por movimientos debidos a la tect6nica de placas y un modelo de "rifting" pasivo. En este sentido se considera que la gran cantidad de magma extruido está relacionada con una anomalía térmica producida por el proceso de "rifting" y que afecta también a la placa subducida. doi: https://doi.org/10.22201/igeof.00167169p.1990.29.1.614

Since very ancient times, there has been a significant interest in “monstruous” human beings 1-2.Also, this interest has led to the ancestors of modern scientific museums: the Chambers of Wonders. While studying some naturalistic collections 2, our attention was drawn to some congenital malformations in animals.Our aim was to discriminate between modern cases which for sure had not been collected for display (e.g. stuffed animals, like the two-headed chick at the Eusebio Museum of Alba) and cases that had probably been used for scientific experiments,which were quite popular in the past, as also shown by contemporary literature. In total, two recent malformation cases (Fig.1) - shortly to be put on display in a museum - have been investigated, as well as seven cases already belonging to naturalistic collections (Fig. 2). [...]

En este trabajo se analiza la evolución post-Laramídica de un sector del Cinturón Volcánico Mexicano (CVM), comprendido entre los estados de Michoacán y Guanajuato. Se reconocieron las principales unidades estructurales por medio de análisis morfológicos y datos geológicos. En particular, se establecieron cuatro tipos de unidades morfo1ógicas: 1. Relieves pertenecientes a unidades geo!6gicas más antiguas del CVM y afectados por las deformaciones orogénicas compresivas. 2. Superficies estructurales planas precedentes a! CVM. 3. Superficies deposicionales generadas por relleno de depresiones tect6nicas post-orogénicas. 4. Superficies morfológicas del CVM. En este análisis, se reconstruyeron las etapas más importantes relacionadas con las fases tectónicas distensivas y con los eventos volcánicos principales. Una primera etapa tect6nica distensiva está asociada a la actividad volcánica de edad pre-Mioceno, en la secuencia de la Sierra Madre Occidental. En el Mioceno tardio prevalecen las directrices rumbo NNW-SSE, relacionadas con la provincia "Basin and Range", de los Estados Unidos Americanos. En el Plioceno, las primeras manifestaciones volcánicas pertenecientes al CVM se pueden relacionar posiblemente con fallas de direcci6n Califoniana NW-SE. Un cambio muy importante de lineamientos estructurales se presenta a partir del Piioceno Tardio, presentando rumbo WSW-ENE. La última etapa distensiva causa la formación de grabenes orientados N-S y NNE-SSW que cruzan y fracturan las estructuras precedentes al CVM, removilizando lineamientos relacionados con la provincia "Basin and Range". doi: https://doi.org/10.22201/igeof.00167169p.1987.26.2.1108

The water balance and the upper limit of osmotic tolerance of premetamorphic Rhinella arenarum larvae (Gosner's stage 26) was evaluated after semistatic incubation in electrolyte (NaCl) and non-electrolyte (mannitol) media following a protocol of progressively increased osmotic pressure. Wet and dry weights were measured to calculate the water content as a derived variable indicative of the hydric balance. Statistical analysis was performed using univariate and integrated multivariate analysis. Tadpoles survived in electrolyte and non-electrolyte solutions up to 200 mOsm. The discriminant function was the best tool to describe the responses of the animals to external environmental stress under experimental conditions. The results were compared with those obtained in previous studies using a protocol of acute exposure to the same media used in this study. It was concluded that a) multivariate analysis is an appropriate approach to describe the responses of tadpoles to changes in the environmental physicochemical parameters, and b) progressive and acute acclimation to the experimental solutions induced similar responses.

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The MEG II experiment, located at the Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI) in Switzerland, is the successor to the MEG experiment, which completed data taking in 2013. MEG II started fully operational data taking in 2021, with the goal of improving the sensitivity of the μ + → e + γ decay down to ∼ 6 × 10 - 14 almost an order of magnitude better than the current limit. In this paper, we describe the operation and performance of the experiment and give a new estimate of its sensitivity versus data acquisition time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]