Safety and Outcome of High-Flow Nasal Oxygen Therapy Outside ICU Setting in Hypoxemic Patients With COVID-19.

OBJECTIVE: High-flow nasal oxygen (HFNO) therapy is frequently applied outside ICU setting in hypoxemic patients with COVID-19. However, safety concerns limit more widespread use. We aimed to assess the safety and clinical outcomes of initiation of HFNO therapy in COVID-19 on non-ICU wards. DESIGN: Prospective observational multicenter pragmatic study. SETTING: Respiratory wards and ICUs of 10 hospitals in The Netherlands. PATIENTS: Adult patients treated with HFNO for COVID-19-associated hypoxemia between December 2020 and July 2021 were included. Patients with treatment limitations were excluded from this analysis. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Outcomes included intubation and mortality rate, duration of hospital and ICU stay, severity of respiratory failure, and complications. Using propensity-matched analysis, we compared patients who initiated HFNO on the wards versus those in ICU. Six hundred eight patients were included, of whom 379 started HFNO on the ward and 229 in the ICU. The intubation rate in the matched cohort ( n = 214 patients) was 53% and 60% in ward and ICU starters, respectively ( p = 0.41). Mortality rates were comparable between groups (28-d [8% vs 13%], p = 0.28). ICU-free days were significantly higher in ward starters (21 vs 17 d, p < 0.001). No patient died before endotracheal intubation, and the severity of respiratory failure surrounding invasive ventilation and clinical outcomes did not differ between intubated ward and ICU starters (respiratory rate-oxygenation index 3.20 vs 3.38; Pa o2 :F io2 ratio 65 vs 64 mm Hg; prone positioning after intubation 81 vs 78%; mortality rate 17 vs 25% and ventilator-free days at 28 d 15 vs 13 d, all p values > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In this large cohort of hypoxemic patients with COVID-19, initiation of HFNO outside the ICU was safe, and clinical outcomes were similar to initiation in the ICU. Furthermore, the initiation of HFNO on wards saved time in ICU without excess mortality or complicated course. Our results indicate that HFNO initiation outside ICU should be further explored in other hypoxemic diseases and clinical settings aiming to preserve ICU capacity and healthcare costs.

Water-assisted electron capture exceeds photorecombination in biological conditions.

A decade ago, an electron-attachment process called interatomic Coulombic electron capture has been predicted to be possible through energy transfer to a nearby neighbor. It has been estimated to be competitive with environment-independent photorecombination, but its general relevance has yet to be established. Here, we evaluate the capability of alkali and alkaline earth metal cations to capture a free electron by assistance from a nearby water molecule. We introduce a characteristic distance rIC for this energy transfer mechanism in equivalence to the Förster radius. Our results show that water-assisted electron capture dominates over photorecombination beyond the second hydration shell of each cation for electron energies above a threshold. The assisted capture reaches distances equivalent to a fifth to seventh solvation shell for the studied cations. The far reach of the assisted electron capture is of significant general interest to the broad spectrum of research fields dealing with low-energy electrons, in particular radiation-induced damage of biomolecules. The here introduced distance measure will enable quantification of the role of the environment for assisted electron attachment.

Molecular and morphological identification of frog species collected at Rara Lake in Rara National Park, Nepal.

This study seeks to clarify the taxonomic identity of three adult frogs and two tadpoles from Rara Lake situated in Rara National Park, Mugu district, Western Nepal, using both phenotypic and mitochondrial sequence data (16S rRNA gene). Based on the molecular data, we determined our specimens belonged to two species; Paa cf. ercepeae (Dubois, 1974) and Paa rarica (Dubois, Matsui, and Ohler, 2001), and this assignment is also supported by morphology. Principal component analysis of phenotypic data clustered species into large-bodied (SVL > 55 mm) and small-bodied (SVL < 55 mm) groups. The molecular data suggest that Paa rarica belonged to a group that contains several undescribed lineages and that Paa liebigii (Gnther, 1860) hosts extensive cryptic diversity. Our study also documents that Paa species in the Himalayan region are more widely distributed than previously believed.

ZooNom: an online thesaurus for alleviating ambiguity in the terminology of zoological nomenclature.

Zoological nomenclature is the discipline of taxonomy responsible for regulating the scientific names of animal species. It has its roots in Carolus Linnaeus work and has been governed by an international Code since the turn of the 20th century. Its vocabulary, on the other hand, is not always clear. Various authors have established new terminology in order to reduce ambiguity. To make these new terms, but also the classical terms used by the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, accessible, an electronic thesaurus (link: https://www.loterre.fr/skosmos/FM8/en/) was created, allowing to compare existing terminologies. This thesaurus is also a tool for reflection and discussion, targeting taxonomists and experts in nomenclature.

Anisotropic dielectric behavior of layered perovskite-like Cs3Bi2I9 crystals in the terahertz region.

The ternary metal halide perovskites have gradually attracted attention for application in the optoelectronic field, owing to their tunable crystal structure and appropriate bandgap. Lead free Cs3Bi2I9 perovskite, with a 0D layered structure containing molecular [Bi2I9]3- dimers, exhibits prominent optical and electrical anisotropies. Here, the anisotropic properties of the Cs3Bi2I9 crystals were evaluated using terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS); meanwhile, the effect of phonon vibration on the THz transmission was confirmed using density functional perturbation theory (DFPT). Accordingly, the refractive index and extinction coefficient are estimated using THz-TDS, thanks to the high transmission in the range of 0.2-0.9 THz. The anisotropic refractive index was observed for the Cs3Bi2I9 crystals, and was found to be 3.2-3.7 for the (100) plane (CBI(100)) in contrast to 2.8-3.2 for the (001) plane (CBI(001)). Furthermore, the Lorentz model was employed to extract the dielectric constant of Cs3Bi2I9, in which anisotropy is obviously indicated by the static dielectric constant and the high-frequency dielectric constant. These anisotropic behaviors are determined by the dipole moment, which is attributed to the anisotropic packing density of [Bi2I9]3- dimers. This study is significant and provides a deeper insight into the anisotropic photoelectric properties of Cs3Bi2I9, thus contributing to the development of metal halide perovskites in the field of optoelectronics.

Strigea robusta causes polydactyly and severe forms of Rostand's anomaly P in water frogs.

BACKGROUND: Cases of polydactyly in natural populations of amphibians have attracted great interest from biologists. At the end of the 1940s, the French biologist Jean Rostand discovered a polymorphic syndrome in some water frog (Anura: Pelophylax) populations that included polydactyly and some severe morphological anomalies (he called it 'anomaly P'). The cause of this anomaly remains unknown for 70 years. In a previous study, we obtained anomaly P in the laboratory in tadpoles of water frogs that developed together with molluscs Planorbarius corneus (Mollusca: Gastropoda) collected in the field. We thus proposed the 'trematode hypothesis', according to which the infectious agent responsible for anomaly P is a trematode species. METHODS: Metacercariae from tadpoles with anomaly P were identified using ITS2 gene sequencing as Strigea robusta (Trematoda: Strigeidae). To verify teratogenic features of the species, cercariae of S. robusta were tested for the possibility to cause anomalies. Identification of cercariae species was made using morphological and molecular methods (sequencing of ITS2 and 28S rRNA). The tadpoles were exposed to parasites at four doses of cercariae (control, low, medium and high) and divided into two groups: "early" (at 25-27 Gosner stages) and "late" (at 29-34 Gosner stages) exposure. RESULTS: A total of 58 (72.5%) tadpoles survived until metamorphosis under the dose-dependent experiment with the trematode S. robusta. Differences in the survival rates were observed between the exposed and unexposed tadpoles both in the group of "early" tadpoles and "late" tadpoles. The exposure of tadpoles to the cercariae of S. robusta induced anomaly P in 82% of surviving tadpoles. The severe forms developed only in "early" stages under all doses of cercariae exposure. Polydactyly predominantly developed in the "late" stages; under a light exposure dose, polydactyly also developed in "early" tadpoles. Laboratory-hatched tadpoles reared together with infected snails had different rates of survival and complexity of deformations associated with the period of coexistence. CONCLUSIONS: The experiments with direct cercariae exposure provide compelling evidence that S. robusta leads to anomaly P in tadpoles of water frogs. The manifestation of anomaly P turned out to be dependent on the stage of development, cercariae dose, and the location of the cysts.

A new species of Anomaloglossus (Anura: Aromobatidae) of the stepheni group with the redescription of A. baeobatrachus (Boistel and de Massary, 1999), and an amended definition of A. leopardus Ouboter and Jairam, 2012.

Anomaloglossus is a species-rich genus of frogs endemic to the Guiana Shield that still harbors several unnamed species. Within the A. stepheni species group (which includes four valid nominal species), A. baeobatrachus has an uncertain taxonomic status, notably because the holotype was an unvouchered specimen depicted in a popular journal. Another member of this group, A. leopardus, was only superficially described, lacking information on the sex of specimens in the type series and on advertisement call. Therefore, these two taxa need clarifications in order to allow the description of the extant undescribed species. In this paper, we redescribe A. baeobatrachus based on newly collected material from the species type locality and provide information about its reproductive ecology. We also provide an amended definition of A. leopardus using newly collected material from its type locality. These two species form a clade along with a third species from the Eastern Guiana Shield, which is also described herein. The reproductive biology of A. baeobatrachus and A. stepheni is very similar. Both species have endotrophic and nidicolous tadpoles, despite being distantly related, suggesting independent evolution of this breeding mode. The new species and A. leopardus, on the other hand, have exotrophic tadpoles.

The taxonomic and nomenclatural status of the nomen Anabates pulvericolor Sclater, 1858 (Aves: Furnariidae), with a neotype designation.

Different authors have suggested that Anabates pulvericolor Sclater, 1858 might be the valid nomen for Synallaxis propinqua Pelzeln, 1859 or for Synallaxis gujanensis huallagae Cory, 1919. However, due to doubts regarding the taxonomic identity of Anabates pulvericolor Sclater, 1858, of which the unique type is lost, neither of these nomina has been displaced by the senior nomen pulvericolor. Our analysis of the case reveals that Anabates pulvericolor Sclater, 1858 is correctly identifiable with Synallaxis gujanensis huallagae Cory, 1919, of which it is a senior subjective synonym. According to the Code, the senior subjective synonym Synallaxis gujanensis pulvericolor (Sclater, 1858) should be adopted. Given the fact that the holotype of Anabates pulvericolor Sclater, 1858 is missing and that it has been impossible to identify it from its description until now, we designate a neotype from"Río Napo, Ecuador", its original type locality.

Synonymization of the genus nomen Dendroplex Swainson, 1827 and description of a new genus of woodcreeper (Aves: Passeriformes: Dendrocolaptidae) with remarks on Articles 67.5 and 70.3 of the Code.

The polytypic Straight-billed Woodcreeper Dendroplex picus (J. F. Gmelin, 1788) is one of the most complex species-groups of Dendrocolaptidae (Aves: Passeriformes), from both the nomenclatural and morphological standpoints. Firstly, its alpha taxonomy is debatable. Virtually all recent works (e.g. Aleixo 2002; Marantz et al. 2003; del Hoyo Collar 2016) have recognized just two species in the group-Dendroplex picus and Zimmer's Woodcreeper Dendroplex kienerii (Des Murs, 1856)-although some of the other described taxa possess singular morphological characters and well-defined ranges somewhat isolated from their geographically closest relatives (e.g. Plain-throated Woodcreeper Dendroplex picirostris Lafresnaye, 1847). Secondly, the correct genus to which to allocate taxa presently included in this group (vide Aleixo 2002) has been controversial. There is a considerable confusion as to which nominal species should be regarded as the type of Dendroplex Swainson, 1827b. Three species are involved in the dispute (Cory Hellmayr 1925; Peters 1951; Aleixo et al. 2002; Marantz et al. 2003; Aleixo et al. 2007): Oriolus picus J. F. Gmelin, 1788; Dendrocolaptes guttatus M. H. C. Lichtenstein, 1818; and Dendrocolaptes ocellatus Spix, 1824. Here, we re-examine the nomenclatural issue and show that application of the nomen Dendroplex to the clade comprising the species-group D. picus (Aleixo et al. 2007) is based on a misunderstanding of the application of Article 70.3 of the Code (Anon. 1999) and that Dendrocolaptes ocellatus Spix, 1824, is its real type species. Consequently, the genus Dendroplex Swainson, 1827b, must be considered a junior synonym of Xiphorhynchus Swainson, 1827a. Because no generic nomen is currently available for them, we propose a new genus nomen to encompass the species originally described as Oriolus picus J. F. Gmelin, 1788, Dendroplex picirostris Lafresnaye, 1847, and Dendrornis kienerii Des Murs, 1856.

A few problems in the generic nomenclature of insects and amphibians, with recommendations for the publication of new generic nomina in zootaxonomy and comments on taxonomic and nomenclatural databases and websites.

Dahanukar et al. (2016a) proposed the nomen Walkerana for a new genus of amphibians, but shortly after (2016b) they replaced it by the new nomen Sallywalkerana, believing that their nomen Walkerana was preoccupied by a generic nomen of orthopterans. This was unjustified because the orthopteran nomen 'Walkerella' Otte & Perez-Gelabert, 2009a and its new replacement nomen 'Walkerana' Otte & Perez-Gelabert, 2009b were both nomina nuda. These recent examples of nomenclatural errors in generic nomenclature are just a few among many in recent zootaxonomic publications. This opportunity is taken to make some general methodological recommendations, in several domains (availability, homonymy, synonymy, neonymy, length and palatability of nomina), for the publication of new generic nomina in zootaxonomy. However, the absence of a comprehensive database and website providing all the relevant information necessary to establish the nomenclatural status of all zoological generic and subgeneric nomina is a brake on the efforts that can be made to avoid nomenclatural errors in zoological generic nomenclature. The international community of taxonomists should seek at establishing such a database and website.

Photography-based taxonomy is inadequate, unnecessary, and potentially harmful for biological sciences.

The question whether taxonomic descriptions naming new animal species without type specimen(s) deposited in collections should be accepted for publication by scientific journals and allowed by the Code has already been discussed in Zootaxa (Dubois & Nemésio 2007; Donegan 2008, 2009; Nemésio 2009a-b; Dubois 2009; Gentile & Snell 2009; Minelli 2009; Cianferoni & Bartolozzi 2016; Amorim et al. 2016). This question was again raised in a letter supported by 35 signatories published in the journal Nature (Pape et al. 2016) on 15 September 2016. On 25 September 2016, the following rebuttal (strictly limited to 300 words as per the editorial rules of Nature) was submitted to Nature, which on 18 October 2016 refused to publish it. As we think this problem is a very important one for zoological taxonomy, this text is published here exactly as submitted to Nature, followed by the list of the 493 taxonomists and collection-based researchers who signed it in the short time span from 20 September to 6 October 2016.

Timeless standards for species delimitation.

Recently a new species of bombyliid fly, Marleyimyia xylocopae, was described by Marshall & Evenhuis (2015) based on two photographs taken during fieldwork in the Republic of South Africa. This species has no preserved holotype. The paper generated some buzz, especially among dipterists, because in most cases photographs taken in the field provide insufficient information for properly diagnosing and documenting species of Diptera.

Environmental constraints and call evolution in torrent-dwelling frogs.

Although acoustic signals are important for communication in many taxa, signal propagation is affected by environmental properties. Strong environmental constraints should drive call evolution, favoring signals with greater transmission distance and content integrity in a given calling habitat. Yet, few empirical studies have verified this prediction, possibly due to a shortcoming in habitat characterization, which is often too broad. Here we assess the potential impact of environmental constraints on the evolution of advertisement call in four groups of torrent-dwelling frogs in the family Ranidae. We reconstruct the evolution of calling site preferences, both broadly categorized and at a finer scale, onto a phylogenetic tree for 148 species with five markers (∼3600 bp). We test models of evolution for six call traits for 79 species with regard to the reconstructed history of calling site preferences and estimate their ancestral states. We find that in spite of existing morphological constraints, vocalizations of torrent-dwelling species are most probably constrained by the acoustic specificities of torrent habitats and particularly their high level of ambient noise. We also show that a fine-scale characterization of calling sites allows a better perception of the impact of environmental constraints on call evolution.

The identity of the South African toad Sclerophrys capensis Tschudi, 1838 (Amphibia, Anura).

The toad species Sclerophrys capensis Tschudi, 1838 was erected for a single specimen from South Africa which has never been properly studied and allocated to a known species. A morphometrical and morphological analysis of this specimen and its comparison with 75 toad specimens referred to five South African toad species allowed to allocate this specimen to the species currently known as Amietophrynus rangeri. In consequence, the nomen Sclerophrys must replace Amietophrynus as the valid nomen of the genus, and capensis as the valid nomen of the species. This work stresses the usefulness of natural history collections for solving taxonomic and nomenclatural problems.

The authorships and dates of the specific nomina Megophrys shuichengensis and Pseudohynobius shuichengensis (Amphibia).

Two amphibian species from China are designated by the specific nomen shuichengensis, which refers to the Shuicheng County (26°34'N, 104°51'E), south of the city of Liupanshui in the province of Guizhou: Megophrys shuichengensis (Amphibia, Anura) and Pseudohynobius shuichengensis (Amphibia, Urodela). The holotypes (holophoronts) of both species were deposited in Department of Biology of the Liupanshui Teachers Higher College (LTHC below). Both species share the particularity of having been described as new twice, at different dates, in different journals and with different authorships. Although this has been acknowledged for the salamander, it has not yet been so for the frog.

The different meanings of the nomen Amphibia: a correction.

I recently published a survey of the different meanings of the nomen Amphibia in taxonomic publications since 1758 (Dubois 2015). The 'meaning' of a nomen in zoological nomenclature depends on the system used for the allocation of nomina to taxa, and several such systems can be used (see e.g. Dubois 2006a-b). In the paper at stake, I used the 'orostensional nomenclatural system' (OONS) for class-series nomenclature. In this system, a class-series nomen-i.e., a nomen above the rank superfamily, therefore one whose taxonomic allocation is not regulated by the Code (Anonymous 1999)-applies, in a given classification, to the most inclusive class-series taxon that includes all its originally expressly included nominal genera (conucleogenera) and excludes all its originally expressly excluded nominal genera (alienogenera)-if such a taxon indeed exists in this classification. However, if one a least of the alienogenera is now part of the most inclusive taxon including all the conucleogenera, the nomen cannot be taxonomically allocated and qualifies as an anaptonym in the classification used as reference (Dubois 2006a-b, 2011), although it may not be so under another taxonomic frame.

Does counting species count as taxonomy? On misrepresenting systematics, yet again.

Recent commentary by Costello and collaborators on the current state of the global taxonomic enterprise attempts to demonstrate that taxonomy is not in decline as feared by taxonomists, but rather is increasing by virtue of the rate at which new species are formally named. Having supported their views with data that clearly indicate as much, Costello et al. make recommendations to increase the rate of new species descriptions even more. However, their views appear to rely on the perception of species as static and numerically if not historically equivalent entities whose value lie in their roles as "metrics". As such, their one-dimensional portrayal of the discipline, as concerned solely with the creation of new species names, fails to take into account both the conceptual and epistemological foundations of systematics. We refute the end-user view that taxonomy is on the rise simply because more new species are being described compared with earlier decades, and that, by implication, taxonomic practice is a formality whose pace can be streamlined without considerable resources, intellectual or otherwise. Rather, we defend the opposite viewpoint that professional taxonomy is in decline relative to the immediacy of the extinction crisis, and that this decline threatens not just the empirical science of phylogenetic systematics, but also the foundations of comparative biology on which other fields rely. The allocation of space in top-ranked journals to propagate views such as those of Costello et al. lends superficial credence to the unsupportive mindset of many of those in charge of the institutional fate of taxonomy. We emphasize that taxonomy and the description of new species are dependent upon, and only make sense in light of, empirically based classifications that reflect evolutionary history; homology assessments are at the centre of these endeavours, such that the biological sciences cannot afford to have professional taxonomists sacrifice the comparative and historical depth of their hypotheses in order to accelerate new species descriptions.

The importance of ambient sound level to characterise anuran habitat.

Habitat characterisation is a pivotal step of any animal ecology study. The choice of variables used to describe habitats is crucial and need to be relevant to the ecology and behaviour of the species, in order to reflect biologically meaningful distribution patterns. In many species, acoustic communication is critical to individuals' interactions, and it is expected that ambient acoustic conditions impact their local distribution. Yet, classic animal ecology rarely integrates an acoustic dimension in habitat descriptions. Here we show that ambient sound pressure level (SPL) is a strong predictor of calling site selection in acoustically active frog species. In comparison to six other habitat-related variables (i.e. air and water temperature, depth, width and slope of the stream, substrate), SPL had the most important explanatory power in microhabitat selection for the 34 sampled species. Ambient noise was particularly useful in differentiating two stream-associated guilds: torrents and calmer streams dwelling species. Guild definitions were strongly supported by SPL, whereas slope, which is commonly used in stream-associated habitat, had a weak explanatory power. Moreover, slope measures are non-standardized across studies and are difficult to assess at small scale. We argue that including an acoustic descriptor will improve habitat-species analyses for many acoustically active taxa. SPL integrates habitat topology and temporal information (such as weather and hour of the day, for example) and is a simple and precise measure. We suggest that habitat description in animal ecology should include an acoustic measure such as noise level because it may explain previously misunderstood distribution patterns.