Uso del sonido para discriminar las especies consumidas por vacas

El objetivo de este trabajo fue evaluar el potencial uso del sonido para determinar la composición de la dieta de vacas en pastoreo. La hipótesis fue que es posible identificar con precisión las diferentes especies forrajeras consumidas a través del análisis del espectro y otras variables complementarias de los sonidos producidos durante la ingestión. Se utilizaron registros de sonido de cuatro vacas Holando Argentino (620±18,3 kg) pastoreando cuatro especies forrajeras: alfalfa (Medicago sativa), trébol blanco (Trifolium repens), avena (Avena sativa) y festuca alta (Festuca arundinacea) en estado vegetativo. Las especies se ofrecieron en grupos de macetas, de a una especie por vez. Las sesiones de pastoreo se realizaron en forma individual y ordenadas al azar durante seis días consecutivos.Fil: Galli, J.. Universidad Nacional de Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Milone, Diego Humberto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Instituto de Investigación en Señales, Sistemas e Inteligencia Computacional. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias Hídricas. Instituto de Investigación en Señales, Sistemas e Inteligencia Computacional; ArgentinaFil: Cangiano, Carlos Alberto. Universidad Nacional del Litoral; ArgentinaFil: Pece, Mariela Alejandra. Universidad Nacional del Litoral; ArgentinaFil: Larripa, M.. Universidad Nacional del Litoral; ArgentinaFil: Rufiner, Hugo Leonardo. Universidad Nacional del Litoral; ArgentinaFil: Laca, E. A.. University of California; Estados Unido

Uso del sonido para discriminar los eventos masticatorios de vacas en pastoreo.

El objetivo de este trabajo fue obtener información básica para evaluar el potencial uso del sonido para discriminar los eventos masticatorios de vacas en pastoreo. La hipótesis fue que es posible identificar con precisión los diferentes tipos de eventos masticatorios a través del análisis del espectro y otras variables características de los sonidos. Se registraron los sonidos ingestivos cuatro vacas Holando Argentino (596±26,2 kg) pastoreando alfalfa (Medicago sativa) o raigrás anual (Lolium multiflorum) en lotes separados y sembrados en forma convencional.Fil: Galli, Julio Ricardo. Universidad Nacional de Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Milone, Diego Humberto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Instituto de Investigación en Señales, Sistemas e Inteligencia Computacional. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias Hídricas. Instituto de Investigación en Señales, Sistemas e Inteligencia Computacional; ArgentinaFil: Cangiano, Carlos Alberto. Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria. Centro Regional Buenos Aires Sur. Estacion Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce. Agencia de Extension Rural Balcarce.; ArgentinaFil: Pece, Mariela Alejandra. Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria. Centro Regional Buenos Aires Sur. Estacion Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce. Agencia de Extension Rural Balcarce.; ArgentinaFil: Larripa, M.. Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria. Centro Regional Buenos Aires Sur. Estacion Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce. Agencia de Extension Rural Balcarce.; ArgentinaFil: Martínez, C.. Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria. Centro Regional Buenos Aires Sur. Estacion Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce. Agencia de Extension Rural Balcarce.; ArgentinaFil: Laca, E. A.. University of California; Estados Unido

Atrasentan and renal events in patients with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease (SONAR): a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial

Background: Short-term treatment for people with type 2 diabetes using a low dose of the selective endothelin A receptor antagonist atrasentan reduces albuminuria without causing significant sodium retention. We report the long-term effects of treatment with atrasentan on major renal outcomes. Methods: We did this double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial at 689 sites in 41 countries. We enrolled adults aged 18–85 years with type 2 diabetes, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR)25–75 mL/min per 1·73 m 2 of body surface area, and a urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR)of 300–5000 mg/g who had received maximum labelled or tolerated renin–angiotensin system inhibition for at least 4 weeks. Participants were given atrasentan 0·75 mg orally daily during an enrichment period before random group assignment. Those with a UACR decrease of at least 30% with no substantial fluid retention during the enrichment period (responders)were included in the double-blind treatment period. Responders were randomly assigned to receive either atrasentan 0·75 mg orally daily or placebo. All patients and investigators were masked to treatment assignment. The primary endpoint was a composite of doubling of serum creatinine (sustained for ≥30 days)or end-stage kidney disease (eGFR <15 mL/min per 1·73 m 2 sustained for ≥90 days, chronic dialysis for ≥90 days, kidney transplantation, or death from kidney failure)in the intention-to-treat population of all responders. Safety was assessed in all patients who received at least one dose of their assigned study treatment. The study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01858532. Findings: Between May 17, 2013, and July 13, 2017, 11 087 patients were screened; 5117 entered the enrichment period, and 4711 completed the enrichment period. Of these, 2648 patients were responders and were randomly assigned to the atrasentan group (n=1325)or placebo group (n=1323). Median follow-up was 2·2 years (IQR 1·4–2·9). 79 (6·0%)of 1325 patients in the atrasentan group and 105 (7·9%)of 1323 in the placebo group had a primary composite renal endpoint event (hazard ratio [HR]0·65 [95% CI 0·49–0·88]; p=0·0047). Fluid retention and anaemia adverse events, which have been previously attributed to endothelin receptor antagonists, were more frequent in the atrasentan group than in the placebo group. Hospital admission for heart failure occurred in 47 (3·5%)of 1325 patients in the atrasentan group and 34 (2·6%)of 1323 patients in the placebo group (HR 1·33 [95% CI 0·85–2·07]; p=0·208). 58 (4·4%)patients in the atrasentan group and 52 (3·9%)in the placebo group died (HR 1·09 [95% CI 0·75–1·59]; p=0·65). Interpretation: Atrasentan reduced the risk of renal events in patients with diabetes and chronic kidney disease who were selected to optimise efficacy and safety. These data support a potential role for selective endothelin receptor antagonists in protecting renal function in patients with type 2 diabetes at high risk of developing end-stage kidney disease. Funding: AbbVie

Denervation supersensitivity as a model for the neural control of muscle

A review about the neural regulation of the membrane distribution of muscle acetylcholine receptors is presented on the basis of author's and literature data. The main evidence in support of the role of nerve impulses and of chemical factors ("trophic" factors, acetylcholine, nerve breakdown products) as neural signals involved in the origin of denervation supersensitivity, is concisely described and evaluated. The contribution of breakdown products of the nerve, their interaction with muscle inactivity are illustrated and a unifying hypothesis on the neural control of extrajunctional and junctional acetylcholine receptors is presented

Pre- and post-synaptic roles of action potential activity in synapse elimination revealed by using ectopic neuromuscular junction formation by a foreign nerve

The formation of the neuromuscular junction (nmj) is based on molecular cascades initiated by neural agrin as well as electrical activity in the neuromuscular structures. This review focuses on the latter factor, emphasizing the multiplicity of its mechanisms in the process of synapse elimination following initial polyneuronal innervation. Pre- and post-synaptic components of activity have in fact been identified through experiments on an adult model of nmj formation: ectopic reinnervation of the rat soleus muscle by the fibular nerve. Two activity-dependent elimination processes are thus compared: competition between distributed nmjs, which depends on evoked muscle impulse activity, and competition between axons converging on single nmjs, which instead depends on differences in the timing of impulses in the converging axons

The timing of activity is a regulatory signal during development of neural connections.

In PNS and CNS remarkable rearrangements occur soon after the connections are laid down in the course of embryonic life. These processes clearly follow the period of developmental cell death and mostly take place during the very beginning of postnatal life. They consist in changes of the peripheral fields of neurons, marked by elimination of many inputs, while others undergo further maturation and strengthening. Along the efforts to uncover the signals that regulate development, it turned out that while the initial construction of the circuits is heavily based on chemical cues, the subsequent rearrangement is markedly influence by activity. Here we describe experiments testing the influence on developmental plasticity of a particular aspect of activity, the timing of nerve impulses in the competing inputs. Two recent investigations are reviewed, indicating strikingly similar developmental features in quite different systems, neuromuscular and visual. A sharp contrast between the effects of synchrony and asynchrony emerges, indicating that Hebb-related activity rules are important not only for learning but also for development

Lesson from the neuromuscular junction: role of pattern and timing of nerve activity in synaptic development

[No abstract available

Rapid hardening concrete for the construction of a small span bridge

The interest in concrete having an early age strength is increased due to the possibility to limit the construction time. Arapidhardeningconcrete (RHC) can be applied in order to limit the interruption of heavy traffic ways, for the construction of infrastructures such as bridges, viaducts, etc. In this paper, a practical case of using RHC is presented. The deck of asmallspanbridge located in an important industrial area with heavy traffic, has been constructed by using aconcrete characterized by an early age strength. One day after casting operations, the bridge was immediately opened to public traffic, after the final inspection. Due to the location of the bridge, RHC was successfully used to limit interruptions of heavy bridge traffic, thereby reducing the loss of industrial costs related to the bridge reconstruction project. The rapidhardeningconcrete (RHC) was produced with commonly available raw materials and is characterized by the total absence of silica fume or any other addition of pozzolanic materials or accelerating admixture