A Quantitative Evaluation of the Performance of the Low-Cost AudioMoth Acoustic Recording Unit.

The AudioMoth is a popular autonomous recording unit (ARU) that is widely used to record vocalizing species in the field. Despite its growing use, there have been few quantitative tests on the performance of this recorder. Such information is needed to design effective field surveys and to appropriately analyze recordings made by this device. Here, we report the results of two tests designed to evaluate the performance characteristics of the AudioMoth recorder. First, we performed indoor and outdoor pink noise playback experiments to evaluate how different device settings, orientations, mounting conditions, and housing options affect frequency response patterns. We found little variation in acoustic performance between devices and relatively little effect of placing recorders in a plastic bag for weather protection. The AudioMoth has a mostly flat on-axis response with a boost above 3 kHz, with a generally omnidirectional response that suffers from attenuation behind the recorder, an effect that is accentuated when it is mounted on a tree. Second, we performed battery life tests under a variety of recording frequencies, gain settings, environmental temperatures, and battery types. We found that standard alkaline batteries last for an average of 189 h at room temperature using a 32 kHz sample rate, and that lithium batteries can last for twice as long at freezing temperatures compared to alkaline batteries. This information will aid researchers in both collecting and analyzing recordings generated by the AudioMoth recorder.

Validation prediction: a flexible protocol to increase efficiency of automated acoustic processing for wildlife research.

Automated recognition is increasingly used to extract species detections from audio recordings; however, the time required to manually review each detection can be prohibitive. We developed a flexible protocol called "validation prediction" that uses machine learning to predict whether recognizer detections are true or false positives and can be applied to any recognizer type, ecological application, or analytical approach. Validation prediction uses a predictable relationship between recognizer score and the energy of an acoustic signal but can also incorporate any other ecological or spectral predictors (e.g., time of day, dominant frequency) that will help separate true from false-positive recognizer detections. First, we documented the relationship between recognizer score and the energy of an acoustic signal for two different recognizer algorithm types (hidden Markov models and convolutional neural networks). Next, we demonstrated our protocol using a case study of two species, the Common Nighthawk (Chordeiles minor) and Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapilla). We reduced the number of detections that required validation by 75.7% and 42.9%, respectively, while retaining at least 98% of the true-positive detections. Validation prediction substantially improves the efficiency of using automated recognition on acoustic data sets. Our method can be of use to wildlife monitoring and research programs and will facilitate using automated recognition to mine bioacoustic data sets.

An overview on the identification of MAIT cell antigens.

Mucosal associated invariant T (MAIT) cells are restricted by the monomorphic MHC class I-like molecule, MHC-related protein-1 (MR1). Until 2012, the origin of the MAIT cell antigens (Ags) was unknown, although it was established that MAIT cells could be activated by a broad range of bacteria and yeasts, possibly suggesting a conserved Ag. Using a combination of protein chemistry, mass spectrometry, cellular biology, structural biology and small molecule chemistry, we discovered MR1 ligands derived from folic acid (vitamin B9) and from an intermediate in the microbial biosynthesis of riboflavin (vitamin B2). While the folate derivative 6-formylpterin generally inhibited MAIT cell activation, two riboflavin pathway derivatives, 5-(2-oxopropylideneamino)-6-D-ribitylaminouracil and 5-(2-oxoethylideneamino)-6-D-ribitylaminouracil, were potent MAIT cell agonists. Other intermediates and derivatives of riboflavin synthesis displayed weak or no MAIT cell activation. Collectively, these studies revealed that in addition to peptide and lipid-based Ags, small molecule natural product metabolites are also ligands that can activate T cells expressing αß T-cell receptors, and here we recount this discovery.

Pharmacodynamic Comparison of Two Aspirin Formulations in the Caribbean: The ARC Study.

INTRODUCTION: This prospective, single-arm, crossover pharmacodynamic study assessed the effect of Bayer® low-dose enteric-coated aspirin 81 mg tablets (LD EC-ASA) (Bayer AG, Leverkusen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany) compared to Vazalore® low-dose phospholipid-aspirin liquid-filled 81 mg capsules (LD PL-ASA) (PLx Pharma Inc., Sparta, NJ, USA) on platelet reactivity with respect to aspirin reaction units (ARU). METHODS: Forty-seven healthy volunteers were recruited. Platelet function was evaluated with the VerifyNow™ ARU assay (Werfen, Bedford, MA, USA) and assessed post-initiation of Bayer® LD EC-ASA daily for 14 days, with a washout period of 28 days, followed by Vazalore® LD PL-ASA daily for 14 days, again followed by ARU testing. RESULTS: Participants on LD EC-ASA had a mean ARU score of 426, with 19.1% of participants having an ARU > 550; patients on LD PL-ASA derived a mean ARU score of 435, with 14.9% achieving an ARU > 550. There were no significant differences in aspirin resistance (ARU > 550) according to the formulation (Bayer® LD EC-ASA vs. Vazalore® LD PL-ASA) used. Aspirin resistance was independent of ethnicity regardless of the formulation used. In addition, there were no significant associations between body surface area (BSA) and Bayer® LD EC-ASA ARU value (p value 0.788) or Vazalore® LD PL-ASA ARU value (p value 0.477). No patients experienced any serious adverse events or treatment-emergent adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: There were no significant differences in aspirin resistance between Bayer® LD EC-ASA and Vazalore® LD PL-ASA. This dedicated pharmacodynamic study could potentially be informative and applicable for Trinidadian patients on dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT). Further studies are required to confirm these exploratory findings. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier, NCT06228820, prospectively registered 1/18/2024.

Engineering a Heterophase Interface by Tailoring the Pt Coverage Density on an Amorphous Ru Surface for Ultrasensitive H2S Detection.

Amorphous/crystalline heterophase engineering is emerging as an attractive strategy to adjust the properties and functions of nanomaterials. Here, we reveal a heterophase interface role by precisely tailoring the crystalline Pt coverage density on an amorphous Ru surface (cPt/aRu) for ultrasensitive H2S detection. We found that when the atomic ratio of Pt/Ru increased from 10 to 50%, the loading modes of Pt changed from island coverage (1cPt/aRu) to cross-linkable coverage (3cPt/aRu) and further to dense coverage (5cPt/aRu). The differences in coverage models further regulate the chemical adsorption of H2S on Pt and the electronic transformation process on Ru, which can be proved by ex situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy experiments. Notably, a special cross-linkable coverage 3cPt/aRu on ZnO shows the best gas-sensitive performance, in which the operating temperature reduces from 240 to 160 °C compared with pristine ZnO and the selectivity coefficient for H2S gas improves from ∼1.2 to ∼4.6. This is mainly benefit from the maximized exposure of the amorphous/crystalline heterophase interface. Our work thus provides a new platform for future applications of amorphous/crystalline heterogeneous nanostructures in gas sensors and catalysis.

Synthetic 5-amino-6-D-ribitylaminouracil paired with inflammatory stimuli facilitates MAIT cell expansion in vivo.

Introduction: Mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells are a population of innate-like T cells, which mediate host immunity to microbial infection by recognizing metabolite antigens derived from microbial riboflavin synthesis presented by the MHC-I-related protein 1 (MR1). Namely, the potent MAIT cell antigens, 5-(2-oxopropylideneamino)-6-D-ribitylaminouracil (5-OP-RU) and 5-(2-oxoethylideneamino)-6-D-ribitylaminouracil (5-OE-RU), form via the condensation of the riboflavin precursor 5-amino-6-D-ribitylaminouracil (5-A-RU) with the reactive carbonyl species (RCS) methylglyoxal (MG) and glyoxal (G), respectively. Although MAIT cells are abundant in humans, they are rare in mice, and increasing their abundance using expansion protocols with antigen and adjuvant has been shown to facilitate their study in mouse models of infection and disease. Methods: Here, we outline three methods to increase the abundance of MAIT cells in C57BL/6 mice using a combination of inflammatory stimuli, 5-A-RU and MG. Results: Our data demonstrate that the administration of synthetic 5-A-RU in combination with one of three different inflammatory stimuli is sufficient to increase the frequency and absolute numbers of MAIT cells in C57BL/6 mice. The resultant boosted MAIT cells are functional and can provide protection against a lethal infection of Legionella longbeachae. Conclusion: These results provide alternative methods for expanding MAIT cells with high doses of commercially available 5-A-RU (± MG) in the presence of various danger signals.

Different patterns and origins between northwestern and southeastern Tibetan ice core glaciochemical records over the past century.

Atmospheric circulation systems differ between the northern and southern Tibetan Plateau (TP) and are characterized by prevailing westerly winds and the Indian monsoon, respectively. This leads to spatial differences between glaciochemical records in the northwestern and southeastern TP. We compared the spatial differences in major soluble ion concentrations (Ca2+, SO42-, NO3-, NH4+, Cl-, Na+, K+, and Mg2+) during the last century in the Aru (northwestern TP) and East Rongbuk (ER; southeastern TP) ice cores. Ca2+ exhibited the largest difference between the ice cores (2371 ppb in the Aru ice core and 65 ppb in the ER ice core), indicating that crustal processes were more dominant in the Aru ice core. NH4+ accounted for 17% of the total ion concentration in the ER ice core but only 3% in the Aru ice core, which may be related to the Indian monsoon traveling over NH3 emission zones in southern Asia. The major soluble ion concentrations exhibited decreasing trends in the Aru ice core but increasing trends in the ER ice core (P < 0.01). Empirical orthogonal function and backward trajectory analyses indicated that the major soluble ions in the Aru ice core originated from crustal sources in central Asia; those in the ER ice core had crustal, anthropogenic, and oceanic sources from southern Asia. The results from the Aru ice core suggest that dust events and enhanced prevailing westerly winds promoted the deposition of dust aerosols from the Taklamakan Desert and arid and semi-arid regions of central Asia. Contrastingly, the results from the ER ice core suggest that the Indian monsoon transported crustal and anthropogenic sources from southern Asia and oceanic sources from the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea. This study contributes to the comprehensive understanding of the differences in glaciochemical records and their causes between the northwestern and southeastern TP.

Three new genera and one new species of leaf insect from Melanesia (Phasmatodea, Phylliidae).

With the first large-scale Phylliidae molecular phylogeny recently published adding a great deal of clarity to phylliid diversity, several of the rarer species which could not be included were methodically and morphologically reviewed. This review resulted in identification of numerous substantial morphological features that suggest there are Melanesian clades that create polyphyletic groups within the phylliids which should instead be taxonomically recognized as unique. These rarer Melanesia species have historically been considered to be southern representatives of the Pulchriphyllium Griffini, 1898 sensu lato. However, there are notable morphological differences between the Pulchriphyllium sensu stricto and the "schultzei" group. Therefore, two new genera are erected, Vaabonbonphyllium gen. nov. from the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea and Rakaphyllium gen. nov. from New Guinea and the Aru Islands. Erection of these two new genera warrants the following new combinations: Rakaphylliumschultzei (Giglio-Tos, 1912), comb. nov., Rakaphylliumexsectum (Zompro, 2001b), comb. nov., and Vaabonbonphylliumgroesseri (Zompro, 1998), comb. nov. Additionally, while reviewing material an undescribed Vaabonbonphyllium gen. nov. specimen was located and is herein described as Vaabonbonphylliumrafidahae gen. et sp. nov. from Mt. Hagen, Papua New Guinea. Additionally, a morphologically unique clade of several species recovered as sister to the Nanophyllium sensu stricto was recognized and their numerous unique morphological features and monophyly leads the authors to erect the new genus Acentetaphyllium gen. nov. which warrants the following new combinations: Acentetaphylliumbrevipenne (Größer, 1992), comb. nov., Acentetaphylliumlarssoni (Cumming, 2017), comb. nov., Acentetaphylliummiyashitai (Cumming et al. 2020), comb. nov., and Acentetaphylliumstellae (Cumming, 2016), comb. nov. With the addition of several new genera, a key to phylliid genera is included for adult males and females.

Complex Hallucinations in Hospitalized Rehabilitation Patients With COVID-19.

Objectives: To explore the characteristics of hallucinations in hospitalized rehabilitation patients with COVID-19. Design: Retrospective review using medical records of patients with COVID-19 and admitted to the acute inpatient rehabilitation unit (ARU). Setting: A public hospital in southern California, specializing in rehabilitation medicine. Participants: Patients with COVID-19 and hallucinations who were consecutively admitted from January 1st to April 30th, 2021. Interventions: Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures: Types and themes of hallucinations. Results: Eight of the 37 patients (21.6%) admitted to the ARU with COVID-19 exhibited hallucinations. All were Hispanic and 7 of them were men; their average age was 56.5 (range: 38-71). Seven patients had COVID-19 pneumonia and 1 developed respiratory distress secondary to Guillain-Barre Syndrome. One patient had posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome. The average length of stay in the intensive care unit (ICU) was 31.3 days (range: 8-48). Most of the hallucinations occurred during their ICU stay and 2 continued to their ARU stay. All recalled details of hallucinations with 7 exhibiting visual hallucinations, consistent with peduncular hallucinosis with or without auditory and/or tactile components. One patient experienced tactile hallucinations. The themes of hallucinations identified to reflect the contents of the hallucinations were patients' comfort-seeking, fearfulness, and seeing deceased family members. All patients had impaired cognition at the ARU admission but improved at discharge. Four patients had depressed mood/anxiety and 1 had depressed mood alone but without a history of psychiatric illness. ICU delirium was documented in 5 patients. The negative experience of hallucinations seemed to affect their participation of the ARU stay. Conclusions: More than 20% of patients with COVID-19 who were transferred to attend inpatient rehabilitation exhibited hallucinations. It remains uncertain if these hallucinations were related to the SARS-CoV-2 infection. Multidisciplinary rehabilitation team should be aware to support patients with COVID-19 who experience hallucinations.

Management of antiplatelet therapy in patients undergoing neuroendovascular procedures.

Neuroendovascular techniques for treating cerebral aneurysms and other cerebrovascular pathology are increasingly becoming the standard of care. Intraluminal stents, aneurysm coils, and other flow diversion devices typically require concomitant antiplatelet therapy to reduce thromboembolic complications. The variability inherent with the pharmacodynamic response to common antiplatelet agents such as aspirin and clopidogrel complicates optimal selection of antiplatelet agents by clinicians. This review serves to discuss the literature related to antiplatelet use in neuroendovascular procedures and provides recommendations for clinicians on how to approach patients with variable response to antiplatelet agents, particularly clopidogrel.

Bird biodiversity assessments in temperate forest: the value of point count versus acoustic monitoring protocols.

Effective monitoring programs for biodiversity are needed to assess trends in biodiversity and evaluate the consequences of management. This is particularly true for birds and faunas that occupy interior forest and other areas of low human population density, as these are frequently under-sampled compared to other habitats. For birds, Autonomous Recording Units (ARUs) have been proposed as a supplement or alternative to point counts made by human observers to enhance monitoring efforts. We employed two strategies (i.e., simultaneous-collection and same-season) to compare point count and ARU methods for quantifying species richness and composition of birds in temperate interior forests. The simultaneous-collection strategy compares surveys by ARUs and point counts, with methods matched in time, location, and survey duration such that the person and machine simultaneously collect data. The same-season strategy compares surveys from ARUs and point counts conducted at the same locations throughout the breeding season, but methods differ in the number, duration, and frequency of surveys. This second strategy more closely follows the ways in which monitoring programs are likely to be implemented. Site-specific estimates of richness (but not species composition) differed between methods; however, the nature of the relationship was dependent on the assessment strategy. Estimates of richness from point counts were greater than estimates from ARUs in the simultaneous-collection strategy. Woodpeckers in particular, were less frequently identified from ARUs than point counts with this strategy. Conversely, estimates of richness were lower from point counts than ARUs in the same-season strategy. Moreover, in the same-season strategy, ARUs detected the occurrence of passerines at a higher frequency than did point counts. Differences between ARU and point count methods were only detected in site-level comparisons. Importantly, both methods provide similar estimates of species richness and composition for the region. Consequently, if single visits to sites or short-term monitoring are the goal, point counts will likely perform better than ARUs, especially if species are rare or vocalize infrequently. However, if seasonal or annual monitoring of sites is the goal, ARUs offer a viable alternative to standard point-count methods, especially in the context of large-scale or long-term monitoring of temperate forest birds.

Diffusion-weighted imaging-detected ischemic lesions associated with flow-diverting stents in intracranial aneurysms: safety, potential mechanisms, clinical outcome, and concerns.

OBJECT: It was initially considered safe for flow-diverting stents to cover the ostia of branching vessels during endovascular procedures for the treatment of intracranial aneurysms. As more recent evidence suggests, however, their use is not always free of ischemic concerns in terms of covered arterial ostia. The authors sought to determine the frequency of silent and clinically evident diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI)-detected abnormalities related to stent placement as a means of elucidating potential clinical risks. METHODS: This is a prospective single-center study on a series of patients with intracranial aneurysms that were treated with flow-diverting stents. All patients systematically underwent an MRI protocol that included DWI before treatment, between 24 and 48 hours postprocedure, and 3 months postembolization. Effectiveness of anticoagulation treatment was assessed for all patients. Lesions seen on DWI were correlated to the parent artery and the side-branch territories and were statistically analyzed in relation to their time of occurrence and clinical presentation. The authors compared the DWI findings in these patients to findings obtained in patients treated with a stent-assisted coiling technique during the same time period. RESULTS: Over the course of 18 consecutive months, 38 consecutive patients (7 males and 31 females) with 49 intracranial aneurysms were treated using flow-diverting stents. Overall, 81.6% of the DWI spots found remained clinically silent during the follow-up period. Five ischemic clinical complications (13.2%) occurred in the postprocedural period. No statistically significant correlation could be established between DWI spots or aneurysm location and clinical complications or follow-up modified Rankin Scale score at 3 months. The complication rate was 7.8% (n = 3) at the 3-month follow-up, and mortality was 0%. Compared with stent-assisted coiling, use of flow-diverting stents showed a statistically significant correlation with silent DWI findings postintervention. CONCLUSIONS: Lesions seen on DWI resulting from the procedure are far more common than anticipated, but the technique remains safe and effective, providing an interesting alternative for "difficult" aneurysms, regardless of location. Late-occurring DWI-detected lesions distal to side arterial branches imply a local pressure gradient drop, related to flow competition by collateral networks. Further research is needed to assess the extent and significance of these events.

Association between silent embolic cerebral infarction and continuous increase of P2Y12 reaction units after neurovascular stenting.

OBJECTIVES: Endovascular procedures are one of the important treatment options for steno-occlusive arteries in ischemic stroke patients. However, embolic complications after such procedures are always a concern. The authors investigated the association between serial change of residual platelet reactivity and silent embolic cerebral infarction (SECI) after endovascular treatment. METHODS: Ischemic stroke patients undergoing stenting of intra- or extracranial arteries were recruited prospectively. Residual platelet reactivity, represented by aspirin reaction units (ARUs) and P2Y12 reaction units (PRUs), was measured serially (6 hours before, immediately after, and 24 hours after the procedure). A loading dosage of aspirin (500 mg) and/or clopidogrel (300 mg) was given 24 hours before the procedure to patients naïve to antiplatelet agents, whereas the usual dosage (aspirin 100 mg and clopidogrel 75 mg) was continued for patients who had previously been taking these agents for more than a week. Diffusion-weighted MRI was performed before and 24 hours after the procedure to detect new SECIs. Clinical characteristics, baseline ARU and PRU values, and the change in ARU and PRU values after stenting were compared between patients with and without SECIs. RESULTS: Among 69 consecutive patients who underwent neurovascular stent insertion, 41 patients (59.4%) had poststenting SECIs. The lesion was located only at the vascular territory of the stented vessel in 21 patients (51.2%), outside the stented vessel territory in 8 patients (19.5%), and both inside and outside in 12 patients (29.3%). The occurrence of SECIs was not associated with the baseline ARU or PRU value, but was associated with PRU increase after stenting (36 ± 73 vs -12 ± 59, p = 0.007), deployment of a longer stent (31.1 ± 16.5 mm vs 21.8 ± 9.9 mm, p = 0.01), and stent insertion in extracranial arteries (78.1% vs 45.2%, p = 0.008). Stent length (OR 1.066, p = 0.01) and PRU change (OR 1.009, p = 0.04) were independently associated with the occurrence of SECI. CONCLUSIONS: Residual platelet reactivity after dual antiplatelet treatment measured before stenting did not predict poststenting SECI. However, the longer stent and the serial increase of PRU values after stenting were related to SECI. Continuous increase of platelet activation after endovascular procedure may be important in poststent cerebral infarction.

Response to antiplatelet therapy is independent of endogenous thrombin generation potential.

BACKGROUND: Thrombin is the most potent platelet activator, and achieves rapid platelet activation even in the presence of antiplatelet therapy. Since activated platelets respond stronger to additional stimuli, the extent of endogenous thrombin generation may in part be responsible for the reported response variability to aspirin and clopidogrel therapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Thrombin generation potential was measured with a commercially available assay, and platelet reactivity was assessed with the vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein (VASP) phosphorylation assay, light transmission aggregometry (LTA), the VerifyNow aspirin and P2Y12 assays, and multiple electrode aggregometry (MEA) in 316 patients on dual antiplatelet therapy undergoing angioplasty and stenting. RESULTS: Peak thrombin, the lag phase and the area under the curve of thrombin generation correlated poorly with on-treatment platelet reactivity by all test systems. High on-treatment residual platelet reactivity (HRPR) in response to arachidonic acid was seen in 33 (10.5%), 41 (13%), and 79 (25.7%) patients by LTA, the VerifyNow aspirin assay, and MEA, respectively. HRPR in response to adenosine diphosphate was seen in 150 (48.1%), 48 (15.3%), 106 (33.7%), and 118 (38.3%) patients by the VASP assay, LTA, the VerifyNow P2Y12 assay, and MEA, respectively. Peak thrombin generation did not differ between patients without and with HRPR by the VASP assay, LTA, the VerifyNow P2Y12 assay and MEA. In the VerifyNow aspirin assay, patients without HRPR had higher peak thrombin generation than patients with HRPR (p=0.01). Finally, patients without and with high peak thrombin generation exhibited similar on-treatment platelet reactivity by all test systems, and high peak thrombin generation occurred to a similar extent in patients without and with HRPR. CONCLUSION: Response to antiplatelet therapy with aspirin and clopidogrel is not associated with thrombin generation potential.

Autonomous reparative unit (ARU): a new concept of repairing free flap donor site with local full-thickness skin graft.

Usually, harvesting free flap in the limbs creates an inevitable sequence of aesthetic damage not only in the donor site but also in the area of the graft used to repair the free flap donor site. Aim of the study was to standardize a simple method, defined Autonomous Reparative Unit, that allows closing of the donor site defects with a skin graft from the adjacent cutaneous area, avoiding further aesthetic damage in a third area. We define the "Autonomous Reparative Unit" as the rectangular shaped skin area of the flap and the dermoepidermic skin graft designed as an isoscele triangle with the base adjacent to the smaller side of the flap defect. From 2003 to 2008, at the Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nationale Tumori of Milan, 143 free radial forearm flaps and 42 free osteofasciocutaneous fibula flaps have been performed for head and neck cancer. The autonomous reparative unit has been applicable in 177 cases (92.1%). The autonomous reparative unit method allows a "standard"primary reconstructive unit to be created which can be used in a single or in multiple ways thus avoiding an additional surgical scar and a subsequent additional aesthetic impairment.