Investigating the potential for call combinations in a lifelong vocal learner

The ability for humans to create seemingly infinite meaning from a finite set of sounds has likely been a critical component in our success as a species, allowing the unbounded communication of information. Syntax, the combining of meaningful sounds into phrases, is one of the primary features of language that enables this extensive expressivity. The evolutionary history of syntax, however, remains largely debated, and it is only very recently that comparative data for syntax in animals have been revealed. Here, we provide further evidence for a structural basis of potential syntactic‐like call combinations in the vocal communication system of a group‐living songbird. Acoustic analyses indicate that Western Australian magpies (Gymnorhina tibicen dorsalis) structurally combine generic alarm calls with acoustically distinct alert calls to produce an alarm alert sequence. These results are distinct from previous examples of call combinations as, to our knowledge, evidence for this capacity is yet to be demonstrated in the natural communication of a non‐human species that is capable of vocal learning throughout life. These findings offer prospects for experimental investigation into the presence and function of magpie call combinations, extending our understanding of animal vocal complexity

Investigações sôbre infecções por enterovírus no Distrito Federal

Os autores descrevem os resultados de investigações realizadas pelo Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, com material colhido pelo Serviço de Epidemiologia de Brasília, de casos paralíticos, durante um periódo de 13 meses (janeiro de 1964 a janeiro de 1965). De um total de 47 materiais examinados, foram isoladas 28 amostras de Polivírus do tipo 1, 4 do tipo 2 e duas não-pólio. Destas, uma mostrou-se patogênica para o camundongo recém-nascido, onde as lesões histopatológicas foram compatíveis com as reproduzidas por uma amostra do grupo Coxsackie A. A distribuição por idade dos pacientes sugere a necessidade de serem os grupos etários de até, no máximo, 4 anos de idade, os que devem ser fundamentalmente atingidos por campanhas de imunização contra a poliomielite, na região estudada.The authors describe results of isolations from rectal and throat swabs of paralitic polio-like cases in Brasilia. The specimens have been collected during a period of 13 months (January 64 to January 65) and sent by plane to the Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. From 47 samples examined, were isolated 28 strains of Poliovirus type 1, 4 of type 2, and two non-polio agents. One of the non-polio agents was pathogenic for baby-mice with typical lesions of Coxsackie A virus group. The age distribution suggests that children less than 4 years ol should be vaccinated as the first step in order to control polio infections in the studied area

Identification and functional validation of FDA-approved positive and negative modulators of the mitochondrial calcium uniporter

The mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU), the highly selective channel responsible for mitochondrial Ca2+ entry, plays important roles in physiology and pathology. However, only few pharmacological compounds directly and selectively modulate its activity. Here, we perform high-throughput screening on a US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drug library comprising 1,600 compounds to identify molecules modulating mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake. We find amorolfine and benzethonium to be positive and negative MCU modulators, respectively. In agreement with the positive effect of MCU in muscle trophism, amorolfine increases muscle size, and MCU silencing is sufficient to blunt amorolfine-induced hypertrophy. Conversely, in the triple-negative breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231, benzethonium delays cell growth and migration in an MCU-dependent manner and protects from ceramide-induced apoptosis, in line with the role of mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake in cancer progression. Overall, we identify amorolfine and benzethonium as effective MCU-targeting drugs applicable to a wide array of experimental and disease conditions

First Tests of a New Fast Waveform Digitizer for PMT Signal Read-out from Liquid Argon Dark Matter Detectors

Abstract A new generation Waveform Digitizer board as been recently made available on the market by CAEN. The new board CAEN V1751 with 8 Channels per board, 10 bit, 1 GS/s Flash ADC Waveform Digitizer (or 4 channel, 10 bit, 2 GS/s Flash ADC Waveform Digitizer -Dual Edge Sampling mode) with threshold and Auto-Trigger capabilities provides an ideal (relatively low-cost) solution for reading signals from liquid Argon detectors for Dark Matter search equipped with an array of PMTs for the detection of scintillation light. The board was extensively used in real experimental conditions to test its usefulness for possible future uses and to compare it with a state of the art digital oscilloscope. As results, PMT Signal sampling at 1 or 2 GS/s is appropriate for the reconstruction of the fast component of the signal scintillation in Argon (characteristic time of about 4 ns) and the extended dynamic range, after a small customization, allows for the detection of signals in the range of energy needed. The bandwidth is found to be adequate and the intrinsic noise is very low

Short-Term Anxiolytic and Pro-Hypnotic Actvity of a Tryptic Hydrolysate of Bovine Αs1-Casein in Patients with Anxiety Spectrum Disorders

We conducted a prospective open-label study with 100 outpatients who had sought psychiatric consult in private clinical practice for anxiety/sleep in subthreshold/full blown DSM-IV Anxiety Spectrum Disorders. Clinicians, prescribed for 4 weeks a dietary supplement based on a formulation containing \u3b1-casozepine peptide 300 mg/day. The comparison of all rating scales mean scores reported at T0 versus T1 showed a statistically significant decrease (p<0.001). In Clinical Global Impression scale, the 54% of the sample was found to be much improved, 27% minimally improved and 19% showed no change. The 64% of the sample reported an anxiolytic effect, and among the 64 patients with sleep disorders, the 51.5% reported a pro-hypnotic effect. Considering patients in monotherapy with the dietary supplement, an anxiolytic effect was observed in 69.7% while a prohypnotic effect was observed in the 62.5% of the sample. No side-effects were reported during the treatment with no drop-out

Relato inédito de tratamento cirúrgico de piometra em macaco aranha de testa branca (Atelles belzebuth marginatus)

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Comparação entre os efeitos da associação gelatina-resorcina-formaldeído (Colagel®) e do n-butil-2-cianoacrilato (Vetbond®) na síntese do parênquima hepático de coelhos

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Estudo dos aspectos radiográficos observados aos exames simples e contrastados de cães com compressão extra dural

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Comprehensive exercise training improves ventilatory muscle function and reduces dyspnea perception in patients with COPD

Background. Comprehensive exercise training (CET) is an efficient strategy to decrease dyspnea perception in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and may result in significant improvement in ventilatory muscles function. Our aim was to evaluate the effects of general exercise training on dyspnea perception and on respiratory muscles strength in COPD patients. Methods. Consecutive COPD patients were enrolled to complete a CET programme. The patients underwent a routine that included a global warm up, upper and lower limbs endurance exercise as well as stretching and relaxation. Before and after the CET programme, patients completed maximal inspiratory (PImax) and expiratory (PEmax) pressures measurements, maximal incremental test, endurance test, and 6-min walk distance (6MWD). Results. 71 patients (52 male). Mean age 67.6±8.6 years, FEV1 (%) 44.2±16.2 and Mahler dyspnea scale 6.4±1.8. The results before and after the exercise programme were: PImax 64.7±22.9 vs. 75.5±23.7 cmH2O (p=0.001), PEmax 110.8±28.1 vs. 120.4±28.1 cmH2O (p=0.004), 6MWD 510.6±90.3 vs. 528.2±99.7 metres (p=0.88), time of incremental test 672±135 vs. 856±226 sec (p<0.0001). Compared with the pre exercise programme, we observed a significant reduction on Borg dyspnea scale (6.1±2.8 to 3.6±2.3, p<0.0001) as well as a longer test time (504±218 to 1.038±841, p<0.0001) at the end of the endurance test after CET programme. Improvement of PImax correlated negatively with dyspnea perception at iso-time during the endurance test (r= -0.33, p=0.03). Conclusions. Our results confirm that CET is associated with significant improvement in PImax, PEmax and provide evidence demonstrating that CET reduces dyspnea perception in patients with COPD