Ultrasonic vocalizations in mice: relevance for ethologic and neurodevelopmental disorders studies

Mice use ultrasonic vocalizations(USVs)to communicate each other and to convey their emotional state.USVs have been greatly characterized in specific life phases and contexts,such as mother isolation-induced USVs for pups or female-induced USVs for male mice during courtship.USVs can be acquired by means of specific tools and later analyzed on the base of both quantitative and qualitative parameters.Indeed,different ultrasonic call categories exist and have already been defined.The understanding of different calls meaning is still missing,and it will represent an essential step forward in the field of USVs.They have long been studied in the ethological context,but recently they emerged as a precious instrument to study pathologies characterized by deficits in communication,in particular neurodevelopmental disorders(NDDs),such as autism spectrum disorders.This review covers the topics of USVs characteristics in mice,contexts for USVs emission and factors that modulate their expression.A particular focus will be devoted to mouse USVs in the context of NDDs.Indeed,several NDDs murine models exist and an intense study of USVs is currently in progress,with the aim of both performing an early diagnosis and to find a pharmacological/behavioral intervention to improve patients’quality of life.

Taxonomic revision of the Savanna Nightjar(Caprimulgus affinis)complex based on vocalizations reveals three species

Background:The Savanna Nightjar(Caprimulgus affinis)is a widespread,polytypic species which was previously treated as two or three species.It is currently treated as a single species based on superficial similarity of their songs but no detailed comparisons of the songs in this complex have been made.Methods:A total of 15 acoustic variables were measured for the songs of 86 individuals representing 8 of the 10 subspecies in the complex.Results:Three major groups can be distinguished based on univariate and multivariate analyses:a northern group consisting of the subspecies C.a.monticolus,C.a.amoyensis and C.a.stictomus;a southern group consisting of C.a.affinis,C.a.kasuidori,C.a.timorensis and C.a.propinquus;and a third group in the Philippines consisting of C.a.griseatus.Conclusions:It is here argued that these groups are best treated as species,and that Franklin's Nightjar(C.monticolus)and Kayumanggi Nightjar(C.griseatus)are reinstated as separate species.

Previously unknown behavior in parasitic cuckoo females:male-like vocalization during migratory activity

Background:In the last decade,enigmatic male-like cuckoo calls have been reported several times in East Asia.These calls exhibited a combination of vocal traits of both Oriental Cuckoo(Cuculus optatus)and Common Cuckoo(Cuculus canorus)advertising calls,and some authors therefore suggested that the enigmatic calls were produced by either Common×Oriental Cuckoo male hybrids or Common Cuckoo males having a gene mutation.However,the exact identity of calling birds are still unknown.Methods:We recorded previously unknown male-like calls from three captive Oriental Cuckoo females,and compared these calls with enigmatic vocalizations recorded in the wild as well as with advertising vocalizations of Common and Oriental Cuckoo males.To achieve this,we measured calls automatically.Besides,we video-recorded captive female emitting male-like calls,and compared these recordings with the YouTube recordings of calling males of both Common and Oriental Cuckoos to get insight into the mechanism of call production.Results:The analysis showed that female male-like calls recorded in captivity were similar to enigmatic calls recorded in the wild.Therefore,Oriental Cuckoo females might produce the latter calls.Two features of these female calls appeared to be unusual among birds.First,females produced male-like calls at the time of spring and autumn migratory activity and on migration in the wild.Because of this,functional significance of this call remained puzzling.Secondly,the male-like female call unexpectedly combined features of both closed-mouth(closed beak and simultaneous inflation of the‘throat sac')and open-mouth(prominent harmonic spectrum and the maximum neck extension observed at the beginning of a sound)vocal behaviors.Conclusions:The Cuculus vocalizations outside the reproductive season remain poorly understood.Here,we found for the first time that Oriental Cuckoo females can produce male-like calls in that time.Because of its rarity,this call might be an atavism.Indeed,female male-like vocalizations are still known in non-parasitic tropical and apparently more basal cuckoos only.Therefore,our findings may shed light on the evolution of vocal communication in avian brood parasites.

浅析英语中的R Dropping与L Vocalization

在英语语音发展史上,从15世纪至18世纪是一个上升时期,语音的演变较多较快.到了十九世纪,英语语音就处于一个相对稳定的停滞阶段,语音基本没有变化.但是20世纪的情况又有所不同,英语语音的发展再次出现了上升时期,而且在速度上还超过了上一次,特别是在二次世界大战以后.R Dropping出现在第一次上升期中,而L Vocalizatiou则从本世纪初出现,也就是第二次上升期中.两者在英语语音史上都起了重要的历史作用。

Exploration of Arabic reading, in terms of the vocalization of the text form by registering the eyes movements of pupils

The intrinsic factors such as the visual constraints, extrinsic such as biomechanics, interface such as the support: the writing, the linguistics, the typography, the sense of progress of the language, have their impact on the habit, and the fittest and particularly the efficiency in reading. We suspect that circuits and zones involved in horizontal orientation “right to the left” are not the same the other way around hanging the linguistic collection. Reading Arabic provided with a specific difference in vocalization proves to be a valuable model verification two major issues which arouse language perception: [lexical processing: is it instantaneous (visual memory) or delayed (memory-tampon)? ···]. And a comparison with other models of language detection mechanisms and brain areas mnemonics which is involved in making information. Results are significatively: children vocalized mode is best seen. It must extend the duration of the mode without vowels. In our opinion, our study is original, and we introduced what a valuable tool in the diagnosis of visual and cognitive strategy by the biotechnology technical based on variations in terms of reading. This opens a horizon of opportunity for the application of the method to the Arabic language to determine the differences in eye size reflecting the effects of task variables in reading and a comparative study of other languages.

Perception and Recognition of Vocalization in Anuran Mate Choice

Vocal communications in frogs and toads have been highly diversified and become a hot topic in the fields of herpetology,ecology,and behavioral neuroscience.The present short review summarized several interesting phenomena of vocal communication found mainly in anurans that might contribute to the individual identification of mates or rivals,including call matching,aggressive signaling,acoustic complexity,signal exaggeration,the first note effect and left hemisphere dominance.Investigations on the perception and recognition of vocal communications will facilitate our comprehension of the adaptive mechanisms and evolutionary paths of anuran signaling systems.We proposed here that comparative studies on acoustic signal structures,codes of sender status,and auditory neural responses based on phylogenetic relationships across species can highlight further the evolutionary trajectory in anurans.

The vocalization of the red junglefowl is a signal of body size and individual health

Bird songs are considered a sexually selected trait that can reflect the individual health of males as well as the vitality of potential mates and their competitors.Vocalization features should,therefore,be related to parasite load and body condition.Here,we performed a thorough acoustic analysis of the display calls of 9-month-old sub-adults and 18-month-old adults of pasture-raised red junglefowls Gallus gallus.We investigated whether the calls of pasture-raised red junglefowls can indicate body size and body condition,in addition to the influence of parasitic infection intensity on the expression of sexual traits.We found that frequency-related syllable parameters were significantly positively correlated with wing length in adults,whereas body weight was independent of both the frequency and temporal parameters of calls.In addition,we correlated parasitic load with the expression of sexually selected traits and discovered a positive association between the intensity of parasite infection and wing length in sub-adults,independent of vocal parameters.Overall,the results suggest that the vocalization of red junglefowls may convey reliable body size information,which will facilitate further studies of different vocal parameters in the transmission of bird vocalizations.

Medial Preoptic Area Modulates Courtship Ultrasonic Vocalization in Adult Male Mice

Adult male mice emit highly complex ultrasonic vocalizations(USVs)in response to female conspecifics.Such US Vs,thought to facilitate courtship behaviors,are routinely measured as a behavioral index in mouse models of neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders such as autism.While the regulation of US Vs by genetic factors has been extensively characterized,the neural mechanisms that control USV production remain largely unknown.Here,we report that optogenetic activation of the medial preoptic area(mPOA)elicited the production of USVs that were acoustically similar to courtship US Vs in adult mice.Moreover,mPOA vesicular GABA transporter-positive(Vgat +)neurons were more effective at driving USV production than vesicular glutamate transporter 2-positive neurons.Furthermore,ablation of mPOA Vgat+ neurons resulted in altered spectral features and syllable usage of USVs in targeted males.Together,these results demonstrate that the mPOA plays a crucial role in modulating courtship USVs and this may serve as an entry point for future dissection of the neural circuitry underlying USV production.

Multifaceted superoxide dismutase 1 expression in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients:a rare occurrence?

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis(ALS)is a neuromuscular condition resulting from the progressive degeneration of motor neurons in the cortex,brainstem,and spinal cord.While the typical clinical phenotype of ALS involves both upper and lower motor neurons,human and animal studies over the years have highlighted the potential spread to other motor and non-motor regions,expanding the phenotype of ALS.Although superoxide dismutase 1(SOD1)mutations represent a minority of ALS cases,the SOD1 gene remains a milestone in ALS research as it represents the first genetic target for personalized therapies.Despite numerous single case reports or case series exhibiting extramotor symptoms in patients with ALS mutations in SOD1(SOD1-ALS),no studies have comprehensively explored the full spectrum of extramotor neurological manifestations in this subpopulation.In this narrative review,we analyze and discuss the available literature on extrapyramidal and non-motor features during SOD1-ALS.The multifaceted expression of SOD1 could deepen our understanding of the pathogenic mechanisms,pointing towards a multidisciplinary approach for affected patients in light of new therapeutic strategies for SOD1-ALS.

Pitfalls in internal jugular vein cannulation

Central venous catheter insertion in the internal jugular vein(IJV)is frequently performed in acute care settings,facilitated by its easy availability and increased use of ultrasound in healthcare settings.Despite the increased safety profile and insertion convenience,it has complications.Herein,we aim to inform readers about the existing literature on the plethora of complications with potentially disastrous consequences for patients undergoing IJV cannulation.

Atypical presentation of a posterior fossa tumour:A case report

BACKGROUND We described a case of a patient with a meningioma in the posterior fossa presenting atypically with an isolated unilateral vocal cord palsy causing severe respiratory distress.This is of interest as the patient had no other symptomatology,especially given the size of the mass,which would typically cause a pressure effect leading to neurological and auditory symptoms.CASE SUMMARY This case report described a 48-year-old male who was married with two children and employed as a car guard.He had a medical history of asthma for the past 10 years controlled with an as-needed beta 2 agonist metered dose inhaler.He initially presented to our facility with severe respiratory distress.He reported a 1-wk history of shortness of breath and wheezing that was not relieved by his bronchodilator.He had no constitutional symptoms or impairment of hearing.On clinical examination,the patient’s chest was“silent.”Our initial assessment was status asthmaticus with type 2 respiratory failure,based on the history of asthma,a“silent chest,”and the arterial blood gas results.CONCLUSION A posterior fossa meningioma of such a large size and with extensive infiltration rarely presents with an isolated unilateral vocal cord palsy.The patient’s chief presenting feature was severe respiratory distress,which combined with his background medical history of asthma,was misleading.Clinicians should thus consider meningioma as a differential diagnosis for a unilateral vocal cord palsy even without audiology involvement.

Nasogastric tube syndrome:A Meta-summary of case reports

BACKGROUND Since its description in 1790 by Hunter,the nasogastric tube(NGT)is commonly used in any healthcare setting for alleviating gastrointestinal symptoms or enteral feeding.However,the risks associated with its placement are often underes-timated.Upper airway obstruction with a NGT is an uncommon but potentially life-threatening complication.NGT syndrome is characterized by the presence of an NGT,throat pain and vocal cord(VC)paralysis,usually bilateral.It is poten-tially life–threatening,and early diagnosis is the key to the prevention of fatal upper airway obstruction.However,fewer cases may have been reported than might have occurred,primarily due to the clinicians'unawareness.The lack of specific signs and symptoms and the inability to prove temporal relation with NGT insertion has made diagnosing the syndrome quite challenging.AIM To review and collate the data from the published case reports and case series to understand the possible risk factors,early warning signs and symptoms for timely detection to prevent the manifestation of the complete syndrome with life-threatening airway obstruction.METHODS We conducted a systematic search for this meta-summary from the database of PubMed,EMBASE,Reference Citation Analysis(https://www.referencecitation-analysis.com/)and Google scholar,from all the past studies till August 2023.The search terms included major MESH terms"Nasogastric tube","Intubation,Gastrointestinal","Vocal Cord Paralysis",and“Syndrome”.All the case reports and case series were evaluated,and the data were extracted for patient demographics,clinical symptomatology,diagnostic and therapeutic interventions,clinical course and outcomes.A datasheet for evaluation was further prepared.RESULTS Twenty-seven cases,from five case series and 13 case reports,of NGT syndrome were retrieved from our search.There was male predominance(17,62.96%),and age at presentation ranged from 28 to 86 years.Ten patients had diabetes mellitus(37.04%),and nine were hypertensive(33.33%).Only three(11.11%)patients were reported to be immunocompromised.The median time for developing symptoms after NGT insertion was 14.5 d(interquartile range 6.25-33.75 d).The most commonly reported reason for NGT insertion was acute stroke(10,37.01%)and the most commonly reported symptoms were stridor or wheezing 17(62.96%).In 77.78%of cases,bilateral VC were affected.The only treatment instituted in most patients(77.78%)was removing the NG tube.Most patients(62.96%)required tracheostomy for airway protection.But 8 of the 23 survivors recovered within five weeks and could be decannulated.Three patients were reported to have died.CONCLUSION NGT syndrome is an uncommon clinical complication of a very common clinical procedure.However,an under-reporting is possible because of misdiagnosis or lack of awareness among clinicians.Patients in early stages and with mild symptoms may be missed.Further,high variability in the presentation timing after NGT insertion makes diagnosis challenging.Early diagnosis and prompt removal of NGT may suffice in most patients,but a significant proportion of patients presenting with respiratory compromise may require tracheostomy for airway protection.

Sex differences in the influence of social context, salient social stimulation and amphetamine on ultrasonic vocalizations in prairie voles

Prairie voles(Microtus ochrogaster)are a socially monogamous rodent species and their cooperative behaviors require extensive communication between conspecifics.Rodents use ultrasonic vocalizations(USVs)to com­municate and because a prairie vole breeder pair must engage in extensive cooperation for successful repro­duction,auditory communication may be critical for this species.Therefore,we sought to characterize USVs in adult male and female prairie voles,and to determine how these calls are influenced by social context,salient social stimuli and the psychostimulant drug of abuse amphetamine(AMPH).Here,we characterize prairie vole USVs by showing the range of frequencies of prairie vole USVs,the proportion of various call types,how these call types compare between males and females,and how they are influenced by social stimulation and AMPH.AMPH caused a robust increase in the number of USVs in both males and females and there was a dramatic sex difference in the complexity of call structures of AMPH-induced USVs,with males emitting more elaborate calls.Moreover,we show that novel(i.e.salient)social cues evoked differential increases in USVs across sex,with males showing a much more robust increase in USV production,both with respect to the frequency and complexity of USV production.Exposure to an estrous female in particular caused an extraordinary increase in USVs in male subjects.These data suggest that USVs may be a useful measure of social motivation in this spe­cies,including how social behaviors can be impacted by drugs of abuse.

Control pattern of vocal center for vocalization in ruddy bunting(Emberiza rutila)

High vocal center (HVC) can produce single sound with one or two syllables by the sin-gle-type vocal control pattern in songbirds ruddy bunting (Emberiza rutila). It obviously shows left-side dominance in controlling double syllables, principal frequency (PF) and increasing sound intensity of the evoked calls. Meanwhile, the complex-type control pattern can produce complex calls with multisyllable, and also shows significant left-side dominance in controlling the number of syllables, tone changing and sound intensity. These indicate that left-side HVC controls higher frequency and complicated sentence structure. The basic vocal center, dorsomedial nucleus of the intercollicular complex (DM), controls the monosyllable sound in songbirds, and shows left-side dominance in controlling both the number of syllable and sound intensity. These results not only provide some direct evidence for left-side dominance in high vocal center, but also indicate that there is some internal connection between the high and basic vocal centers in songbirds.

Vocal repertoire of Azure-winged Magpies(Cyanopica cyanus):A context-associated communication system

Signals within animals’vocal communication are considered functional referential and context-specific.Even in the absence of the context,receivers are expected to acquire the information of calls and respond specificallyWhereas the framework was supported by plenty of evidence,its exhaustivity in describing all animal vocalisations has been questioned.Here,we investigated the vocal repertoire of a cooperatively breeding species,Azure-winged Magpie(Cyanopica cyanus),to present evidence for referential signals.The results showed that Azure-winged Magpies had a relatively large vocal repertoire,consisting of twelve distinct calls.These calls were associated with the context including movement,begging for food,contact,vigilance against predators,etc.However,even the predator-specific alarm calls would induce various responses of receivers.This implies that multiple pieces of information are involved in the vocalisation,which could be utilised by the receiver to select an appropriate response based on the surroundings.Our study gives a detailed description of the context and function of the vocal repertoire in Azure-winged Magpies,laying the foundation for further investigation on the developmental mechanisms of bird vocalisations.This study also suggests that the referential signals of animal vocalisations may not be limited to the context-specific responses of receivers and need to be discussed from a broader perspective.

声带寻常疣1例

1临床资料患者,男,52岁,因“声音嘶哑、呼吸困难2个月余”于2019年7月就诊于云南省保山市第二人民医院。患者2个月前无明显诱因出现声音嘶哑及呼吸困难,偶有咳嗽且咳少量黄色脓痰,无咽喉疼痛、头痛及吞咽困难。患者既往体健,否认烟酒史,否认有免疫系统疾病及慢性疾病病史。体格检查:一般情况可,气管居中,颈部未触及明显肿物。

Antipredatory call behavior of lapwing species in an Afrotropical environment

Predation is an important source of natural selection on prey species and has resulted in adaptations such as antipredator vocal signals,which can alert others to the presence of predators and solicit cooperative attack.Although vocal alarm signals of birds have been well studied,they are poorly known in tropical African species.To address this lack of information,the antipredatory signals and responses of two lapwings(Wattled Lapwing Vanellus senegallus and Spur-winged Lapwing Vanellus spinosus)to potential predators were investigated using data collected from focal observation,distance measurements,focal recordings,and playback experiment.The lapwing calls elicited to predators were classified as alarm or mobbing calls based on whether the calls elicited alert behavior or attack from other lapwings.Discriminant linear analysis(DLA)was used to compare the time and frequency parameters of the call types measured in Raven PRO.Also,lapwings’responses to intruders,alert and start distance,time of day,and latency,as well as the effects of flock size and distance to cover were examined.About 48%of all calls was correctly classified by DLA.The best predictors of call type for the lapwings were maximum frequency and high frequency.Both alarm and mobbing calls were elicited by African Wattled Lapwings to dogs and humans.Mobbing calls were elicited to intruders by the Spur-winged Lapwings.Alert distance was positively associated with start distance,and differed between morning and evening in both lapwings.With scarce information from tropical Africa,this study put in perspective vocal and antipredator behavior of lapwing species in Africa.

Quiet in the nest:The nest environment attenuates song in a grassland songbird

The nest environment may limit the ability of nest-bound birds to hear sounds from the outside world.In vocal learning species,such as humans and songbirds,it is vital for young animals to hear the voices of conspecific animals early in life.In songbirds,nest structure varies considerably across species,and the resulting impact on sound transmission may have consequences for vocal learning in nestlings.In this study,we tested the hypothesis that the nest environment attenuates song of Savannah Sparrows(Passerculus sandwichensis),grassland songbirds that build nests on the ground under cover of dense vegetation.We recorded live Savannah Sparrows singing at variable distances from 21 nests.We recorded songs using one microphone inside the nest(the typical position of a nestling)and another placed 1 m directly above the nest(a typical position of an adult).We found a substantial reduction in signal-to-noise ratio,where songs recorded inside the nest were an average of 11 dB lower than songs recorded directly above the nest.We estimate that the attenuation imposed by the nest reduced the maximum acoustic environment from 117.7 m(for recordings above the nest),to 78.6 m(for recordings within the nest),which is analogous to listening from a position 39.1 m farther away from the singer.Previous research estimated that song transmits up to 100 m in this species,so any adult male within 100 m of a young bird was previously considered a potential vocal tutor.By reducing the nestling acoustic environment from 100 m to 78.6 m,the number of male tutors available to nestlings is reduced by an average of 27%.Given the growing evidence that song learning begins very early in life,future research on vocal development should account for how the structural properties of the natal environment affect the songs that nestlings hear.

Paradoxical vocal fold motion masquerading as post-anesthetic respiratory distress:A case report

BACKGROUND Functional vocal cord disorders can be a differential diagnosis for postoperative upper airway obstruction requiring urgent intervention.However,this may be unfamiliar to anesthesiologists who would favor inappropriate airway intervention and increased morbidity.CASE SUMMARY A 61-year-old woman underwent cervical laminectomy,followed by laparoscopic cholecystectomy 10 mo later.Despite adequate reversal of neuromuscular blockade,the patient experienced repetitive respiratory difficulty with inspiratory stridor after extubation.After the second operation,the patient was diagnosed with paradoxical vocal fold motion(PVFM)by an otolaryngologist based on the clinical features and fiberoptic bronchoscopy results,and the patient was successfully treated.CONCLUSION PVFM should be considered a differential diagnosis if a patient presents with stridor after general anesthesia.

A 3D Geometry Model of Vocal Tract Based on Smart Internet of Things

The Internet of Things(IoT)plays an essential role in the current and future generations of information,network,and communication development and applications.This research focuses on vocal tract visualization and modeling,which are critical issues in realizing inner vocal tract animation.That is applied in many fields,such as speech training,speech therapy,speech analysis and other speech production-related applications.This work constructed a geometric model by observation of Magnetic Resonance Imaging data,providing a new method to annotate and construct 3D vocal tract organs.The proposed method has two advantages compared with previous methods.Firstly it has a uniform construction protocol for all speech organs.Secondly,this method can build correspondent feature points between different speech organs.There are less than three control parameters can be used to describe every speech organ accurately,for which the accumulated contribution rate is more than 88%.By means of the reconfiguration,the model error is less than 1.0 mm.Regarding to the data from Chinese Magnetic resonance imaging(MRI),this is the first work of 3D vocal tract model.It will promote the theoretical research and development of the intelligent Internet of Things facing speech generation-related issues.