The Neogene and Quaternary deposits of the Barcelona city through the high-speed train line

A total of 208 boreholes with continuous core sampling, drilled for the construction of the high-speed train line through the city of Barcelona and other nearby infrastructures, were studied. The correlation of the lithologic logs of these boreholes allows identifying five main depositional sequences bounded by sharp erosional surfaces: i) lower Miocene, of alluvial origin; ii) middle Miocene, of deltaic-lacustrine origin; iii) lower Pliocene, of beach-shelf origin; iv) Pleistocene, of alluvial origin and v) Holocene, of deltaic origin. The erosive surfaces that separate thesesequences represent important erosive hiatus linked to prolonged sea level falls at regional scale, which eliminated the upper part of each one. Sedimentation took place during decreasing intensity of extensional tectonic activity that mainly affected the Miocene deposits. The Plio-Quaternary units show their original structure apparently without tectonic alterations. Some new biostratigraphic data based on foraminifer assemblages allowed making accurate estimate of the age of the deposits

Decentralized Manufacturing Supply Chains Coordination under Uncertain Competitiveness

AbstractThe coordination of decentralized multi-product manufacturing SCs is achieved through negotiations based on expected win-win principles in an uncertain competitive environment. Based on non-symmetrical roles of the different actors, the client (as leader) is supposed to propose coordination contracts according to its best expected conditions, taking into account the uncertain reaction of the provider (follower). This uncertain reaction is modeled as a probability of acceptance, computed according to the overall scenario conditions, which include the presence of 3rd parties. Different negotiation scenarios are analyzed considering cooperative and non-cooperative cases. The resulting MINLP tactical models are illustrated using a case study with different providers (follower SC) around a client (leader SC) interacting in a global decentralized scenario. The negotiations based on non-cooperative cases proves to identify the situation with higher independent profit expectations. Moreover, the proposed approach shows the importance of considering the uncertainty associated with the response of the follower to the leader's decisions, resulting from a wider knowledge of its options

Re-examination of the thalamostriatal projections in the rat with retrograde tracers

Topographical arrangements of thalamostriatal projection neurons was examined in the rat by the retrograde tract-tracing method. After injecting Fluoro-Gold (FG) and/or cholera toxin beta-subunit (CTB) in different regions of the caudate-putamen (CPu), distribution of retrogradely labeled neurons was observed in the thalamus. The main findings were as follows: (1) Retrogradely labeled neurons were seen in the midline-intralaminar thalamic nuclei in all rats examined in the present study. Neurons in the ventral lateral and posterior thalamic nuclear groups were also labeled in the rats which were injected with the tracer into the dorsal part of Cpu, but not in the rats which were injected with the tracer into the nucleus accumbens (Acb) and its adjavent regions in the ventromedial part of the Cpu. (2) Topographical organization was observed in the projections from the midline-intralaminar thalamic nuclei to the CPu. After the tracer injection into the dorsal part of the CPu or the ventral part of the CPu (including the Acb), labeled neurons in the midline-intralaminar thalamic nuclei were distributed predominantly in the lateral part of the intralaminar nuclei or the midline nuclei, respectively. On the other hand, after the tracer injection into the medial or the lateral part of the CPu, labeled neurons in the midline-intralaminar nuclei were distributed mainly in the dorsal or the ventral part of these nuclei, respectively. (3) Topographical organization was also observed in the thalamostriatal projections from the ventral and Pos. After the tracer injection into the rostral part of the CPu, labeled neurons were distributed mainly in the rostral part of the ventral nuclear group. On the other hand, after the tracer injection into the caudal part of the CPu, labeled neurons were distributed mainly in the caudal part of the ventral nuclear group, as well as in the posterior nuclear group

Relationships between thalamostriatal neurons and pedunculopontine projections to the thalamus: a neuroanatomical tract-tracing study in the rat

The present study aimed to investigate whether the pedunculopontine projection to the thalamus overlaps with identified thalamostriatal neurons. These projections were studied using a dual tract-tracing procedure combining anterogradely transported biotinylated dextran amine (pedunculopontine projections) and retrogradely transported Fluoro-Gold (thalamostriatal projections). Overlapping thalamic territories between thalamostriatal neurons and the axon terminals arising from the pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus were observed in the midline (paraventricular) and in the intralaminar (centrolateral, central medial, paracentral and parafascicular) thalamic nuclei. Other thalamic nuclei, such as the ethmoid, intermediodorsal, mediodorsal, paratenial, posteromedian, ventromedian, ventrolateral and rhomboid thalamic nuclei, displayed a lesser degree of overlap. These observations suggest the existence of presumptive contacts between thalamostriatal neurons and axons emerging from the pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus, therefore supporting the possible existence of feedback circuits in the rat basal ganglia in which the tegmento-thalamic projection would play a major role

Striatal input from the ventrobasal complex of the rat thalamus

We have analyzed whether caudal regions of the caudate putamen receive direct projections from thalamic sensory relay nuclei such as the ventrobasal complex. To this aim, the delivery of the retrograde neuroanatomical tracer Fluoro-Gold into the caudal caudate putamen resulted in the appearance of retrogradely labeled neurons in the ventral posteromedial and ventral posterolateral thalamic nuclei. These projections were further confirmed with injections of the anterograde tracers biotinylated dextran amine or Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin into these thalamic nuclei, by showing the existence of axonal terminal fields located in the caudal striatum. These results support the existence of direct projections linking the thalamic ventrobasal complex and the caudal striatum in the rat, probably via collateralization of thalamocortical axons when passing through the caudate putamen, and therefore supporting the putative involvement of the caudal striatum in sensory-related functions

Multiple axonal tracing: simultaneous detection of three tracers in the same section

Multiple neuroanatomical tract-tracing methods are important tools for elucidating the connectivity between different populations of neurons. Evaluation of the question as to whether two specific fiber inputs converge on a particular, identified population of projection neurons requires the application of a triple-staining procedure that allows the unequivocal detection of three markers in a single section. The present report deals with a combination of tracing methods using anterogradely transported Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin and biotinylated dextran amine in conjunction with retrogradely transported Fluoro-Gold. These tracers were simultaneously detected according to a three-color paradigm, which includes the use of three different peroxidase substrates (nickel-enhanced diaminobenzidine, diaminobenzidine, and Vector VIP), thus resulting in three distinct precipitates: black, brown, and purple. We illustrate this method by showing convergence of projections arising from neurons located in two separate basal ganglia-related nuclei onto identified thalamostriatal projection neurons

Effects of dietary beef tallow on performance, rumen fermentation, carcass traits and meat quality of growing lambs

Growing lambs were evaluated for the effect of increasing dietary levels of beef tallow (BT) on performance, rumen fermentation, and carcass and meat characteristics. Twenty-one 5-month-old male Rambouillet lambs were assigned randomly to one of three diets with 0, 20, and 40 g BT/kg dry matter (DM) and similar energy and protein contents. Lambs were adapted to the diets for 15 days, followed by a 45-day evaluation trial. Data were analysed using a mixed model. Growth, feed intake and ruminal fermentation were not affected by the dietary level of BT. Daily metabolizable energy intake (MEI), carcass yield and degree of fatness, increased linearly as the BT level increased. Carcass classification and muscle conformation were not affected by BT. Most meat characteristics (texture, pH, myoglobin, protein content, colour, cathepsins, and chemical composition) five and eight days post-mortem were not affected, except for fat content in meat, which increased linearly as diet BT level increased. Fatty acid (FA) profiles of the meat from lambs fed the three diets were similar. In conclusion, addition of BT at 20 and 40 g/kg DM to diets for growing lambs allowed reduced grain usage and increased forage levels (from 0 to 270 g/kg DM), increasing energy intake, carcass yield and fatness, and intramuscular fat without causing harmful effects on growth, feed intake or ruminal fermentation characteristics. Keywords: dietary fat, fatty acids, meat colour, shee

A Computer Application to Predict Adverse Events in the Short-Term Evolution of Patients With Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common chronic disease. Exacerbations of COPD (eCOPD) contribute to the worsening of the disease and the patient’s evolution. There are some clinical prediction rules that may help to stratify patients with eCOPD by their risk of poor evolution or adverse events. The translation of these clinical prediction rules into computer applications would allow their implementation in clinical practice. Objective: The goal of this study was to create a computer application to predict various outcomes related to adverse events of short-term evolution in eCOPD patients attending an emergency department (ED) based on valid and reliable clinical prediction rules. Methods: A computer application, Prediction of Evolution of patients with eCOPD (PrEveCOPD), was created to predict 2 outcomes related to adverse events: (1) mortality during hospital admission or within a week after an ED visit and (2) admission to an intensive care unit (ICU) or an intermediate respiratory care unit (IRCU) during the eCOPD episode. The algorithms included in the computer tool were based on clinical prediction rules previously developed and validated within the Investigación en Resultados y Servicios de Salud COPD study. The app was developed for Windows and Android systems, using Visual Studio 2008 and Eclipse, respectively. Results: The PrEveCOPD computer application implements the prediction models previously developed and validated for 2 relevant adverse events in the short-term evolution of patients with eCOPD. The application runs under Windows and Android systems and it can be used locally or remotely as a Web application. Full description of the clinical prediction rules as well as the original references is included on the screen. Input of the predictive variables is controlled for out-of-range and missing values. Language can be switched between English and Spanish. The application is available for downloading and installing on a computer, as a mobile app, or to be used remotely via internet. Conclusions: The PrEveCOPD app shows how clinical prediction rules can be summarized into simple and easy to use tools, which allow for the estimation of the risk of short-term mortality and ICU or IRCU admission for patients with eCOPD. The app can be used on any computer device, including mobile phones or tablets, and it can guide the clinicians to a valid stratification of patients attending the ED with eCOPD.Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria (PI 06\1010, PI06\1017, PI06\714, PI06\0326, PI06\0664) Departamento de Salud del Gobierno Vasco (2012111008) Departamento de Educación, Política Lingüística y Cultura del Gobierno Vasco (IT620-13) Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad del Gobierno Español and FEDER (MTM2013-40941-P and MTM2016-74931-P) the Research Committee of the Hospital Galdakao the thematic networks -REDISSEC (Red de Investigación en Servicios de Salud en Enfermedades Crónicas) - of the Instituto de Salud Carlos III

Sildenafil restores cognitive function without affecting β-amyloid burden in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease

Abstract BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Inhibitors of phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE5) affect signalling pathways by elevating cGMP, which is a second messenger involved in processes of neuroplasticity. In the present study, the effects of the PDE5 inhibitor, sildenafil, on the pathological features of Alzheimer's disease and on memory-related behaviour were investigated. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: Sildenafil was administered to the Tg2576 transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer's disease and to age-matched negative littermates (controls). Memory function was analysed using the Morris water maze test and fear conditioning tasks. Biochemical analyses were performed in brain lysates from animals treated with saline or with sildenafil. KEY RESULTS: Treatment of aged Tg2576 animals with sildenafil completely reversed their cognitive impairment. Such changes were accompanied in the hippocampus by a reduction of tau hyperphosphorylation and a decrease in the activity of glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β) and of cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (CDK5) (p25/p35 ratio). Moreover, sildenafil also increased levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and the activity-regulated cytoskeletal-associated protein (Arc) in the hippocampus without any detectable modification of brain amyloid burden. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Sildenafil improved cognitive functions in Tg2576 mice and the effect was not related to changes in the amyloid burden. These data further strengthen the potential of sildenafil as a therapeutic agent for Alzheimer's disease

Thalamic interaction between the input and the output systems of the basal ganglia

The striatal return through the thalamus is largely neglected in current studies dealing with basal ganglia function, and its role within this circuitry remains obscure. In this contribution the thalamus is regarded as an important place of interaction between the input and the output organization of the basal ganglia. In support of this idea, a brief overview is provided of some of the most recent findings concerning the thalamus in relation to the basal ganglia circuitry. In particular, we have focused on the thalamostriatal projections themselves, on the output of the basal ganglia to the thalamus and also on the overlapping territories between the thalamic projection of the output nuclei and the thalamostriatal neurons. These data support the existence of several thalamic feedback circuits within the basal ganglia neural system. Finally, some considerations are provided upon the functional significance of these thalamic feedback circuits in the overall organization of the basal ganglia