RESUMEN
Acoustic surveys of bat echolocation calls are an important management tool for determining presence and probable absence of threatened and endangered bat species. In the northeastern United States, software programs such as Bat Call Identification (BCID), Kaleidoscope Pro (KPro), and Sonobat can automatically classify ultrasonic detector sound files, yet the programs' accuracy in correctly classifying calls to species has not been independently assessed. We used 1,500 full-spectrum reference calls with known identities for nine northeastern United States bat species to test the accuracy of these programs using calculations of Positive Predictive Value (PPV), Negative Predictive Value (NPV), Sensitivity (SN), Specificity (SP), Overall Accuracy, and No Information Rate. We found that BCID performed less accurately than other programs, likely because it only operates on zero-crossing data and may be less accurate for recordings converted from full-spectrum to zero-crossing. NPV and SP values were high across all species categories for SonoBat and KPro, indicating these programs' success at avoiding false positives. However, PPV and SN values were relatively low, particularly for individual Myotis species, indicating these programs are prone to false negatives. SonoBat and KPro performed better when distinguishing Myotis species from non-Myotis species. We expect less accuracy from these programs for acoustic recordings collected under normal working conditions, and caution that a bat acoustic expert should verify automatically classified files when making species-specific regulatory or conservation decisions.
Asunto(s)
Quirópteros , Ecolocación , Quirópteros/fisiología , Quirópteros/clasificación , Animales , Ecolocación/fisiología , New England , Vocalización Animal/fisiología , Programas Informáticos , Especificidad de la Especie , AcústicaRESUMEN
Microarray analysis is an efficient approach for screening and identifying cytogenetic imbalances in humans. SNP arrays, in particular, are a powerful way to identify copy-number gains and losses representing aneuploidy and aneusomy, but moreover, allow for the direct assessment of individual genotypes in known disease loci. Using these approaches, trisomies, monosomies, and mosaicism of whole chromosomes have been identified in human microarray studies. For canines, this approach is not widely used in clinical laboratory diagnostic practice. In our laboratory, we have implemented the use of a proprietary SNP array that represents approximately 650,000 loci across the domestic dog genome. During the validation of this microarray prior to clinical use, we identified three cases of aneuploidy after screening 2053 dogs of various breeds including monosomy X, trisomy X, and an apparent mosaic trisomy of canine chromosome 38 (CFA38). This study represents the first use of microarrays for copy-number evaluation to identify cytogenetic anomalies in canines. As microarray analysis becomes more routine in canine genetic testing, more cases of chromosome aneuploidy are likely to be uncovered.
Asunto(s)
Aneuploidia , Trastornos de los Cromosomas/veterinaria , Enfermedades de los Perros/genética , Perros/genética , Animales , Trastornos de los Cromosomas/genética , Cromosomas Humanos X/genética , Femenino , Masculino , Análisis por Micromatrices , Mosaicismo , Análisis de Secuencia por Matrices de Oligonucleótidos , Polimorfismo de Nucleótido Simple , Aberraciones Cromosómicas Sexuales/veterinaria , Trastornos de los Cromosomas Sexuales del Desarrollo Sexual/genética , Trastornos de los Cromosomas Sexuales del Desarrollo Sexual/veterinaria , Trisomía/genética , Síndrome de Turner/genética , Síndrome de Turner/veterinariaRESUMEN
The pallid bat (Antrozous pallidus), a gleaning bat found in the western United States and Mexico, hunts a wide variety of ground-dwelling prey, including scorpions. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the pallid bat is resistant to scorpion venom, but no systematic study has been performed. Here we show with behavioral measures and direct injection of venom that the pallid bat is resistant to venom of the Arizona bark scorpion, Centruroides sculpturatus. Our results show that the pallid bat is stung multiple times during a hunt without any noticeable effect on behavior. In addition, direct injection of venom at mouse LD50 concentrations (1.5 mg/kg) has no effect on bat behavior. At the highest concentration tested (10 mg/kg), three out of four bats showed no effects. One of the four bats showed a transient effect suggesting that additional studies are required to identify potential regional variation in venom tolerance. Scorpion venom is a cocktail of toxins, some of which activate voltage-gated sodium ion channels, causing intense pain. Dorsal root ganglia (DRG) contain nociceptive neurons and are principal targets of scorpion venom toxins. To understand if mutations in specific ion channels contribute to venom resistance, a pallid bat DRG transcriptome was generated. As sodium channels are a major target of scorpion venom, we identified amino acid substitutions present in the pallid bat that may lead to venom resistance. Some of these substitutions are similar to corresponding amino acids in sodium channel isoforms responsible for reduced venom binding activity. The substitution found previously in the grasshopper mouse providing venom resistance to the bark scorpion is not present in the pallid bat, indicating a potentially novel mechanism for venom resistance in the bat that remains to be identified. Taken together, these results indicate that the pallid bat is resistant to venom of the bark scorpion and altered sodium ion channel function may partly underlie such resistance.