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Pigeon guillemots Cepphus columba are ubiquitous along the coasts of the eastern North Pacific, yet little is known about their winter migration patterns, habitat needs, and potential threats faced during the non-breeding period. We used 3 seasons of year-long light level data from tagged individuals to estimate the migration timing and winter residency of pigeon guillemots breeding on Southeast Farallon Island in California (USA). Light level data were combined with a movement model to estimate positions of tagged animals, revealing that individuals from this population undertook a coordinated coastal migration north in the fall, stopping at sites near Haida Gwaii in British Columbia (Canada), presumably during a flightless prebasic molt, before continuing north to stationary overwintering sites in coastal British Columbia and Southeast Alaska. Birds then made an uninterrupted migration south in the spring, returning to waters around Southeast Farallon in late March and early April. Wet/dry data indicated nocturnal resting on land during the breeding season and likely on the water throughout the non-breeding months. This is the first study to confirm the migratory patterns of pigeon guillemots from California, and highlights the importance of the waters of British Columbia and Southeast Alaska for the studied population and possibly other major populations of this species.

Northern elephant seals Mirounga angustirostris were extirpated from California in the 19th century, and only in recent decades have they recolonized. A key demographic parameter underlying population viability is the survival of pups, from birth to weaning. We evaluated local factors acting directly on pup survival prior to weaning and basin-wide factors reflecting oceanic conditions which may impact maternal condition and behavior, using a 37 yr time series from 2 adjacent islands off central California: Southeast Farallon Island (SEFI) and West End Island (WEI). Mixed-effects logistic regression indicated that annual pup survival decreased with increasing frequency of extreme waves during January and February, which may inundate haulout locations when pups are present, and increased with the North Pacific Gyre Oscillation (NPGO) index, reflecting increased primary productivity. Moreover, the impact of extreme waves was manifest only for WEI, which may reflect a greater risk of inundation compared to SEFI. Annual pup survival was most highly correlated with NPGO values during the 6 mo period preceding and including arrival and the pupping period (fall and winter). Our findings suggest that favorable foraging conditions for females during the 4 mo prior to hauling out led to better maternal condition, which improved pup survival. Impacts of storm surges on pup survival is of concern since the frequency and severity of storms is expected to increase in the future. To support population recovery, we recommend studies consider demographic parameters such as recruitment of females to the Farallon breeding population and to adjacent coastal California colonies.

Providing students with an adequate acoustic environment is crucial for ensuring speech intelligibility in primary school classrooms. Two main approaches to control acoustics in educational facilities consist of reducing background noise and late reverberation. Prediction models for speech intelligibility have been developed and implemented to evaluate the effects of these approaches. In this study, two versions of the Binaural Speech Intelligibility Model (BSIM) were used to predict speech intelligibility in realistic spatial configurations of speakers and listeners, considering binaural aspects. Both versions shared the same binaural processing and speech intelligibility backend processes but differed in the pre-processing of the speech signal. An Italian primary school classroom was characterized in terms of acoustics before (reverberation, T20 = 1.6 ± 0.1 s) and after (T20 = 0.6 ± 0.1 s) an acoustical treatment to compare BSIM predictions to well-established room acoustic measures. With shorter reverberation time, speech clarity and definition improved, as well as speech recognition thresholds (SRTs) (by up to ~6 dB), particularly when the noise source was close to the receiver and an energetic masker was present. Conversely, longer reverberation times resulted (i) in poorer SRTs (by ~11 dB on average) and (ii) in an almost non-existent spatial release from masking at an angle (SRM).

Seabirds in more variable habitats generally live longer and more readily forgo or reduce breeding investments in poor resource seasons to maximize their overall lifetime fitness. Their breeding success is dependent on factors including diet, prey availability, and proximity to foraging habitat. Furthermore, seabird colonies in upwelling ecosystems are subject to interannual variation in oceanic conditions that drive bottom-up processes. Adjacent estuarine ecosystems, while less affected by upwelling, are also influenced by freshwater input and may experience less interannual variation in seabird prey resources. Here, we compare the breeding ecology and diet of pigeon guillemots Cepphus columba from an estuarine colony (Alcatraz Island, California) and an isolated offshore colony (Southeast Farallon Island, California) from 2015 to 2017 to understand how habitat location and surrounding environment differentially influence diet and reproduction. Breeding phenology in pigeon guillemots was similar between colonies, but reproductive success was higher and more stable at the estuarine site than at the offshore colony, where productivity was explained primarily by ocean conditions. Interannual and estuarine/offshore variability in chick diet composition was partially explained by upwelling and the influence of freshwater inputs. Variation in offshore pigeon guillemot productivity was related to the prey species composition. With increasingly variable conditions offshore in the California Current, the availability of alternative estuarine and nearshore breeding sites inshore may become increasingly important for the regional pigeon guillemot population and other seabirds capable of exploiting nearshore prey resources.

Fish papillomaviruses form a newly discovered group broadly recognized as the Secondpapillomavirinae subfamily. This study expands the documented genomes of the fish papillomaviruses from six to 16, including one from the Antarctic emerald notothen, seven from commercial market fishes, one from data mining of sea bream sequence data, and one from a western gull cloacal swab that is likely diet derived. The genomes of secondpapillomaviruses are ∼6 kilobasepairs (kb), which is substantially smaller than the ∼8 kb of terrestrial vertebrate papillomaviruses. Each genome encodes a clear homolog of the four canonical papillomavirus genes, E1, E2, L1, and L2. In addition, we identified open reading frames (ORFs) with short linear peptide motifs reminiscent of E6/E7 oncoproteins. Fish papillomaviruses are extremely diverse and phylogenetically distant from other papillomaviruses suggesting a model in which terrestrial vertebrate-infecting papillomaviruses arose after an evolutionary bottleneck event, possibly during the water-to-land transition.

Forage fishes are key energy conduits that transfer primary and secondary productivity to higher trophic levels. As novel environmental conditions caused by climate change alter ecosystems and predator–prey dynamics, there is a critical need to understand how forage fish control bottom-up forcing of food web dynamics. In the northeast Pacific, northern anchovy (Engraulis mordax) is an important forage species with high interannual variability in population size that subsequently impacts the foraging and reproductive ecology of marine predators. Anchovy habitat suitability from a species distribution model (SDM) was assessed as an indicator of the diet, distribution and reproduction of four predator species. Across 22 years (1998–2019), this anchovy ecosystem indicator (AEI) was significantly positively correlated with diet composition of all species and the distribution of common murres (Uria aalge), Brandt's cormorants (Phalacrocorax penicillatus) and California sea lions (Zalophus californianus), but not rhinoceros auklets (Cerorhinca monocerata). The capacity for the AEI to explain variability in predator reproduction varied by species but was strongest with cormorants and sea lions. The AEI demonstrates the utility of forage SDMs in creating ecosystem indicators to guide ecosystem-based management.

Speech recognition in rooms requires the temporal integration of reflections which arrive with a certain delay after the direct sound. It is commonly assumed that there is a certain temporal window of about 50–100 ms, during which reflections can be integrated with the direct sound, while later reflections are detrimental to speech intelligibility. This concept was challenged in a recent study by employing binaural room impulse responses (RIRs) with systematically varied interaural phase differences (IPDs) and amplitude of the direct sound and a variable number of reflections delayed by up to 200 ms. When amplitude or IPD favored late RIR components, normal-hearing (NH) listeners appeared to be capable of focusing on these components rather than on the precedent direct sound, which contrasted with the common concept of considering early RIR components as useful and late components as detrimental. The present study investigated speech intelligibility in the same conditions in hearing-impaired (HI) listeners. The data indicate that HI listeners were generally less able to “ignore” the direct sound than NH listeners, when the most useful information was confined to late RIR components. Some HI listeners showed a remarkable inability to integrate across multiple reflections and to optimally “shift” their temporal integration window, which was quite dissimilar to NH listeners. This effect was most pronounced in conditions requiring spatial and temporal integration and could provide new challenges for individual prediction models of binaural speech intelligibility.

In late 2020, models predicted that a strong La Niña would take place for the first time since 2013, and we assessed whether physical and biological indicators in 2021 were similar to past La Niñas in the California Current Ecosystem (CCE). The Pacific Decadal Oscillation and Oceanic Niño Index indeed remained negative throughout 2021; the North Pacific Gyre Oscillation Index, however, remained strongly negative. The seventh largest marine heatwave on record was unexpectedly present from April to the end of 2021; however, similar to past La Niñas, this mass of warm water mostly remained seaward of the continental shelf. As expected from past La Niñas, upwelling and chlorophyll were mostly high and sea surface temperature was low throughout the CCE; however, values were close to average south of Point Conception. Similar to past La Niñas, abundances of lipid-rich, northern copepods off Oregon increased. In northern California, unlike past La Niñas, the body size of North Pacific krill (Euphausia pacifica) was close to average. Predictably, overall krill abundance was above average in far northern California but, unexpectedly, below average south of Cape Mendocino. Off Oregon, similar to past La Niñas, larval abundances of three of six coastal species rose, while five of six southern/offshore taxa decreased in 2021. Off California, as expected based on 2020, Northern Anchovy (Engraulis mordax) were very abundant, while Pacific Sardine (Sardinops sagax) were low. Similar to past La Niñas, market squid (Doryteuthis opalescens) and young of the year (YOY) Pacific Hake (Merluccius pacificus), YOY sanddabs (Citharichthys spp.), and YOY rockfishes (Sebastes spp.) increased. Southern mesopelagic (e.g., Panama lightfish Vinciguerria lucetia, Mexican lampfish Triphoturus mexicanus) larvae decreased as expected but were still well above average, while northern mesopelagic (e.g., northern lampfish Stenobrachius leucopsarus) larvae increased but were still below average. In line with predictions, most monitored bird species had above-average reproduction in Oregon and California. California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) pup count, growth, and weight were high given the abundant Anchovy forage. The CCE entered an enduring La Niña in 2021, and assessing the responses of various ecosystem components helped articulate aspects of the system that are well understood and those that need further study.

For a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying speech perception and the contribution of different signal features, computational models of speech recognition have a long tradition in hearing research. Due to the diverse range of situations in which speech needs to be recognized, these models need to be generalizable across many acoustic conditions, speakers, and languages. This contribution examines the importance of different features for speech recognition predictions of plain and Lombard speech for English in comparison to Cantonese in stationary and modulated noise. While Cantonese is a tonal language that encodes information in spectro-temporal features, the Lombard effect is known to be associated with spectral changes in the speech signal. These contrasting properties of tonal languages and the Lombard effect form an interesting basis for the assessment of speech recognition models. Here, an automatic speech recognition-based ASR model using spectral or spectro-temporal features is evaluated with empirical data. The results indicate that spectro-temporal features are crucial in order to predict the speaker-specific speech recognition threshold SRT$_{50}$ in both Cantonese and English as well as to account for the improvement of speech recognition in modulated noise, while effects due to Lombard speech can already be predicted by spectral features., Submitted to INTERSPEECH2022

Hearing-aid users frequently report dissatisfaction with loudness perception. A possible reason for this is the individually varying amount of binaural broadband loudness summation. This aspect of gain individualization is not considered by typical hearing aid fitting rules. Loudness perception might [for full text, please go to the a.m. URL]

Audiological databases contain different combinations of audiological measurements, experience of audiological experts, or groups of patients depending on the specialization of a certain clinic. With combined databases, a clinical decision-support system (CDSS) for audiology would become possible that [for full text, please go to the a.m. URL]

Within the last years an increasing number of model-based and machine learning approaches for supporting audiological diagnostics and treatments can be noticed. They cover a broad range of applications using for example statistical models for profiling patients and profile-based rehabilitation, perception [for full text, please go to the a.m. URL]

A model-based determination of the average supra-threshold (���distortion���) component of hearing impairment which limits the benefit of hearing aid amplification. Published speech recognition thresholds (SRTs) were predicted with the framework for auditory discrimination experiments (FADE), which simulates recognition processes, the speech intelligibility index (SII), which exploits frequency-dependent signal-to-noise ratios (SNR), and a modified SII with a hearing-loss-dependent band importance function (PAV). Their attenuation-component-based prediction errors were interpreted as estimates of the distortion component. Unaided SRTs of 315 hearing-impaired ears measured with the German matrix sentence test in stationary noise. Overall, the models showed root-mean-square errors (RMSEs) of 7 dB, but for steeply sloping hearing loss FADE and PAV were more accurate (RMSE = 9 dB) than the SII (RMSE = 23 dB). Prediction errors of FADE and PAV increased linearly with the average hearing loss. The consideration of the distortion component estimate significantly improved the accuracy of FADE���s and PAV���s predictions. The supra-threshold distortion component���estimated by prediction errors of FADE and PAV���seems to increase with the average hearing loss. Accounting for a distortion component improves the model predictions and implies a need for effective compensation strategies for supra-threshold processing deficits with increasing audibility loss.

Indtroduction and methods: In chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), molecular and cytogenetic diagnostics are crucial for the determination of accurate prognosis and treatment choice. Among different genetic aberrations, del(17p13) or TP53 mutations constitute high-risk factors, and early identification of such defects is a high priority for CLL patients. While cytogenetic diagnostics is well-established and accessible for the majority of CLL patients in Poland, molecular diagnostics of TP53 mutations is performed only in a few ERIC-certified centers (eight as of September 2020), and only two of these employ next-generation sequencing (NGS) for routine analysis of TP53 status in CLL patients. Here we report the interim results of a project assessing TP53 mutations with NGS technology in relapsed or refractory CLL patients with confirmed negative del(17p13) status. 249 patients from 32 clinical centers were included in the study. Results: NGS analysis revealed TP53 mutations in 42/249 (17%) patients, half of whom (21/249, 8.5%) had subclonal mutations (VAF ≤10%). These results are in line with published data in relapsed/refractory CLL patients. Conclusions: The results of the project demonstrated the feasibility and accuracy of NGS testing in CLL patients despite several initial logistical and technical obstacles. Our study also proved that, with appropriate funding, CLL patients from any hematological center in Poland can have access to state-of-the-art molecular diagnostics

The acoustic quality of the built environment where we spend our days strongly affects our social life and indirectly our health. Particularly, people with a hearing impairment (usually related to ageing), children with or without learning disorders and non-native speakers, require better room acoustics to enhance speech communication and be included in the challenging multicultural processes. In the specific framework of children in their everyday learning environments, i.e., in classrooms, enhanced speech intelligibility (SI) is necessary. Noise and reverberation in classrooms degrade SI, but the combined effect of reverberation, informational noise and position of target, listener and noise source on SI still needs insights. This work provides an overview on the recent research carried out in the field of SI under complex acoustic scenarios. Results from in-field measurements as well as from advanced predictive models will be presented and discussed. Particularly, measurements were integrated with listening tests based on the Matrix material, since it has been optimized for the Italian language and for many other foreign languages. Concerning the predictions’ results, the Binaural Speech Intelligibility Model (BSIM) implemented at the University of Oldenburg was used to validate an accurate method to predict the listeners’ ability at the classroom’s design stage.

This study aimed at the evaluation of a simplified Italian matrix test (SiIMax) for speech-recognition measurements in noise for adults and children. Speech-recognition measurements with adults and children were conducted to examine the training effect and to establish reference speech-recognition thresholds of 50% (SRT50) and 80% (SRT80) correct responses. Test-list equivalency was evaluated only with adults. Twenty adults and 96 children—aged between 5 and 10 years—participated. Evaluation measurements with the adults confirmed the equivalence of the test lists, with a mean SRT50 of −8.0 dB and a standard deviation of 0.2 dB across the test lists. The test-specific slope (the average of the list-specific slopes) was 11.3%/dB, with a standard deviation of 0.6%/dB. For both adults and children, only one test list of 14 phrases needs to be presented to account for the training effect. For the adults, adaptive measurements of the SRT50 and SRT80 showed mean values of −7.0 ± 0.6 and −4.5 ± 1.1 dB, respectively. For children, a slight influence of age on the SRT was observed. The mean SRT50s were −5.6 ± 1.2, −5.8 ± 1.2 and −6.6 ± 1.3 dB for the children aged 5–6, 7–8 and 9–10 years, respectively. The corresponding SRT80s were −1.5 ± 2.7, −3.0 ± 1.7 and −3.7 ± 1.4 dB. High test–retest reliabilities of 1.0 and 1.1 dB for the SRT80 were obtained for the adults and children, respectively. This makes the test suitable for accurate and reliable speech-recognition measurements.

As a step towards the development of an audiological diagnostic supporting tool employing machine learning methods, this article aims at evaluating the classification performance of different audiological measures as well as Common Audiological Functional Parameters (CAFPAs). CAFPAs are designed to integrate different clinical databases and provide abstract representations of measures.Classification and evaluation of classification performance in terms of sensitivity and specificity are performed on a data set from a previous study, where statistical models of diagnostic cases were estimated from expert-labelled data.The data set contains 287 cases.The classification performance in clinically relevant comparison sets of two competing categories was analysed for audiological measures and CAFPAs. It was found that for different audiological diagnostic questions a combination of measures using different weights of the parameters is useful. A set of four to six measures was already sufficient to achieve maximum classification performance which indicates that the measures contain redundant information.The current set of CAFPAs was confirmed to yield in most cases approximately the same classification performance as the respective optimum set of audiological measures. Overall, the concept of CAFPAs as compact, abstract representation of auditory deficiencies is confirmed.

To validate the Russian matrix sentence test (RUMatrix) for the assessment of speech recognition in quiet and in noise in clinical praxis. The effect of hearing impairment, age, and masking-noise level on speech recognition was examined.All participants underwent pure tone audiometry, a monosyllabic speech test in quiet, and speech recognition measurements with RUMatrix in quiet (SRTOne hundred and forty-two listeners divided into four groups: 1. Young normal-hearing listeners, 2. Older normal-hearing listeners, 3. Young hearing-impaired listeners, and 4. Older hearing-impaired listeners.Significant differences between groups of listeners were found in the SRTRuMatrix is a reliable speech recognition assessment tool with a high sensitivity and validity for the main aspects of hearing impairment.

The purpose of this work was i) to develop a population pharmacokinetic (PK) and pharmacodynamic (PD) model of dexmedetomidine (DEX) in New Zealand White rabbits, ii) to investigate the influence of the age and weight of the animals on the model parameters, and iii) to assess the linearity of DEX PKs in the examined dose range. This was a prospective, crossover study, using a total of 18 New Zealand White rabbits. DEX was administered as a single intravenous bolus injection in the doses from 25 to 300 μg kg-1 . Each New Zealand White rabbit was given the same dose of drug in its three developmental stages. To determine the DEX PK, seven blood samples were taken from each animal. The pedal withdrawal reflex was the PD response used to assess the degree of sedation. Nonlinear mixed effects modelling was used for the population PK/PD analysis. The typical value of elimination clearance was 0.061 L min-1 and was 35% higher in younger New Zealand White rabbits compared with older animals. The PK of DEX was linear in the examined concentration range. Age-related changes in sensitivity to DEX were not detected. The results suggest that due to the pharmacokinetics, younger animals will have lower DEX concentrations and a shorter duration of sedation than older animals given the same doses of DEX per kg of body weight.

House mice (We examined the ecological niche of invasive house mice on Southeast Farallon Island, California, USA using a combination of mouse trapping, food resource surveys, and stable isotope analysis to better understand their trophic interactions with native flora and fauna. Specifically, we coupled the analysis of seasonal variation in resource availability over a 17-year period (2001-2017), carbon (We found that plants were the most important resource for house mice during the spring months when vegetation is abundant and mouse populations are low following heavy precipitation and declines in mouse abundance during the winter. While still consumed, plants declined in dietary importance throughout the summer and fall as mouse populations increased, and seabird and arthropod resources became relatively more available and consumed by house mice. Mouse abundance peaks and other resource availability are low on the island in the fall months when the isotopic niches of house mice and salamanders overlap significantly indicating the potential for competition, most likely for arthropod prey.Our results indicate how seasonal shifts in both mouse abundance and resource availability are key factors that mediate the consumptive and competitive impacts of introduced house mice on this island ecosystem. As mice consume and/or compete with a wide range of native taxa, eradication has the potential to provide wide-reaching restoration benefits on Southeast Farallon Island. Post-eradication monitoring focused on plant, terrestrial invertebrate, salamander, and seabird populations will be crucial to confirm these predictions.

To develop the Cantonese matrix (YUEmatrix) test according to the international standard procedure and examine possible different outcomes in another tonal language. A 50-word Cantonese base-matrix was established. Word-specific speech recognition functions, speech recognition thresholds (SRT), and slopes were obtained. The speech material was homogenised in intelligibility by applying level corrections up to ± 3 dB. Subsequently, the YUEmatrix test was evaluated in five aspects: training effect, test-list equivalence, test-retest reliability, establishment of reference data for normal-hearing Cantonese-speakers, and comparison with the Cantonese-Hearing-In-Noise-Test. Overall, 64 normal-hearing native Cantonese-speaking listeners. SRT measurements with adaptive procedures resulted in a reference SRT of −9.7 ± 0.7 dB SNR for open-set and −11.1 ± 1.2 dB SNR for the closed-set response format. Fixed SNR measurements suggested a test-specific speech intelligibility function slope of 15.5 ± 0.7%/dB. Seventeen 10-sentences base test lists were confirmed to be equivalent with respect to speech intelligibility. Training effect was not observed after two measurements of 20-sentences lists. The YUEmatrix yields comparable results to matrix tests in other languages including Mandarin. Level adjustments to homogenise sentences appear to be less effective for tonal languages than for most other languages developed so far.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused unprecedented cancellations of fisheries and ecosystem-assessment surveys, resulting in a recession of observations needed for management and conservation globally. This unavoidable reduction of survey data poses challenges for informing biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, developing future stock assessments of harvested species, and providing strategic advice for ecosystem-based management. We present a diversified framework involving integration of monitoring data with empirical models and simulations to inform ecosystem status within the California Current Large Marine Ecosystem. We augment trawl observations collected from a limited fisheries survey with survey effort reduction simulations, use of seabird diets as indicators of fish abundance, and krill species distribution modeling trained on past observations. This diversified approach allows for evaluation of ecosystem status during data-poor situations, especially during the COVID-19 era. The challenges to ecosystem monitoring imposed by the pandemic may be overcome by preparing for unexpected effort reduction, linking disparate ecosystem indicators, and applying new species modeling techniques., The Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted ecosystem and biodiversity monitoring programs, including marine fisheries surveys. Here the authors combine multiple modelling approaches and data to overcome lost observational effort off the coasts of California in a diversified integrated ecosystem approach.

Background House mice (Mus musculus) are widespread and invasive on many islands where they can have both direct and indirect impacts on native ecological communities. Given their opportunistic, omnivorous nature the consumptive and competitive impacts of house mice on islands have the potential to vary over time in concert with resource availability and mouse population dynamics. Methods We examined the ecological niche of invasive house mice on Southeast Farallon Island, California, USA using a combination of mouse trapping, food resource surveys, and stable isotope analysis to better understand their trophic interactions with native flora and fauna. Specifically, we coupled the analysis of seasonal variation in resource availability over a 17-year period (2001–2017), carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) stable isotope values of mouse tissue and prey resources in a single year (2013), and isotopic niche and mixing models to quantify seasonal variation in mouse diets and the potential for resource overlap with native species. Results We found that plants were the most important resource for house mice during the spring months when vegetation is abundant and mouse populations are low following heavy precipitation and declines in mouse abundance during the winter. While still consumed, plants declined in dietary importance throughout the summer and fall as mouse populations increased, and seabird and arthropod resources became relatively more available and consumed by house mice. Mouse abundance peaks and other resource availability are low on the island in the fall months when the isotopic niches of house mice and salamanders overlap significantly indicating the potential for competition, most likely for arthropod prey. Discussion Our results indicate how seasonal shifts in both mouse abundance and resource availability are key factors that mediate the consumptive and competitive impacts of introduced house mice on this island ecosystem. As mice consume and/or compete with a wide range of native taxa, eradication has the potential to provide wide-reaching restoration benefits on Southeast Farallon Island. Post-eradication monitoring focused on plant, terrestrial invertebrate, salamander, and seabird populations will be crucial to confirm these predictions.

Longitudinal studies of marked animals provide an opportunity to assess the relative contributions of survival and reproductive output to population dynamics and change. Cassin's auklets are a long-lived seabird that maximizes annual reproductive effort in resource-rich years through a behaviour called double brooding, the initiation of a second breeding attempt following the success of the first during the same season. Our objective was to explore whether double brooding influenced population change by contributing a greater number of future recruits. We fit temporal symmetry models to 32 years of mark-recapture data of Cassin's auklets to infer the mechanisms underlying the observed variability in per capita recruitment rates. We found that periodic peaks in recruitment were explained by an increase in available nest sites, the proportion of the population double brooding 4 years prior, and spring upwelling conditions. Estimates of population change suggests a relatively stable population throughout the time series, attributable to a 'floating' demographic class of sexually mature individuals excluded from breeding by competition which quickly fill vacant sites following periods of low adult survival. Our results highlight the importance of recruitment in maintaining the population of a long-lived seabird periodically impacted by adverse environmental conditions.

Masking noise and reverberation strongly influence speech intelligibility and decrease listening comfort. To optimize acoustics for ensuring a comfortable environment, it is crucial to understand the respective contribution of bottom-up signal-driven cues and top-down linguistic-semantic cues to speech recognition in noise and reverberation. Since the relevance of these cues differs across speech test materials and training status of the listeners, we investigate the influence of speech material type on speech recognition in noise, reverberation and combinations of noise and reverberation. We also examine the influence of training on the performance for a subset of measurement conditions. Speech recognition is measured with an open-set, everyday Plomp-type sentence test and compared to the recognition scores for a closed-set Matrix-type test consisting of syntactically fixed and semantically unpredictable sentences (c.f. data by Rennies et al., J. Acoust. Soc. America, 2014, 136, 2642–2653). While both tests yield approximately the same recognition threshold in noise in trained normal-hearing listeners, their performance may differ as a result of cognitive factors, i.e., the closed-set test is more sensitive to training effects while the open-set test is more affected by language familiarity. All experimental data were obtained at a fixed signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and/or reverberation time set to obtain the desired speech transmission index (STI) values of 0.17, 0.30, and 0.43. respectively, thus linking the data to STI predictions as a measure of pure low-level acoustic effects. The results confirm the consistent difference between robustness to reverberation observed in the literature between the matrix type sentences and the Plomp-type sentences, especially for poor and medium speech intelligibility. The robustness of the closed-set matrix type sentences against reverberation disappeared when listeners had no a priori knowledge about the speech material (sentence structure and words used), thus demonstrating the influence of higher-level lexical-semantic cues in speech recognition. In addition, the consistent difference between reverberation- and noise-induced recognition scores of everyday sentences for medium and high STI conditions and the differences between Matrix-type and Plomp-type sentence scores clearly demonstrate the limited utility of the STI in predicting speech recognition in noise and reverberation.

The abundance and distribution of Northern anchovy (Engraulis mordax) and young of the year (YOY) rockfish (Sebastes spp.) are critical for the survival and reproduction of seabirds, mammals, and predatory fish within the California Current Ecosystem. Traditional detection and quantification of forage fish by trawling can be time consuming and expensive, and may not provide the spatio-temporal resolution needed to examine ecological relationships in quickly-changing marine environments. In an effort to accurately sample forage fish with less expense and higher resolution, this study combined seabird diet and acoustic descriptors to quantify anchovy schools and YOY rockfish in hydroacoustic surveys conducted between 2004 and 2015. Anchovy-like schools were selected from echograms assuming a volume backscattering strength (Sv) range of −47.6 to −42.9 dB. YOY rockfish-like single targets were selected considering a target strength (TS) range between −52.8 to −50.9 dB, calculated from lengths of fish consumed locally by three piscivorous seabirds. Acoustics indices of forage fish were significantly correlated with abundance catches from trawl data collected from an ecosystem assessment survey and relative abundance estimated from breeding seabird diet data. Inter-annual and seasonal indices of forage fish indicated strong anchovy occurrence during 2004–2008 and increased YOY rockfish from 2011 to 2015. These observations confirm previously described changes in upwelling and forage fish variability off central California. Importantly, these results provide new information on the spatio-temporal variability of the vertical and cross-shelf distribution of anchovy schools and will benefit the design of habitat preference models for anchovy and predators. To verify the acoustics, indices were compared to trawl data from an ecosystem assessment survey and relative abundance estimated from seabird diet data collected from locally-breeding piscivorous seabirds. Results add to the existing knowledge of how these species distribute in the water column, and with regards to anchovy provide insight on how they distribute across the shelf in opposing ocean phases. In addition, acoustic indices derived for both forage fish species showed a significant coherence with both the trawl surveys and seabird diets. Combining acoustic methodologies with trawl data and predator diet can be used to monitor distribution and temporal variability of forage fish species to benefit conservation of top marine predators.

Sampling seabirdsThe vastness of the worlds' oceans makes them difficult to monitor. Seabirds that forage and breed across oceans globally have been recognized as sentinels of ocean health. Sydemanet al.looked across seabird species of both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres and found varying patterns. Northern Hemisphere species exhibited greater signs of stress and reduced breeding success, indicative of low fish resources. Southern Hemisphere species showed less impact on reproductive output, suggesting that the fish populations there have thus far been less disturbed. The differences across hemispheres indicate different strategies for conservation, with active recovery needed in the north and enhanced protection in the south.Science, abf1772, this issue p.980

Air pollution is one of the largest risk factors for disease or premature death globally, yet current portable monitoring technology cannot provide adequate protection at a local community level. Within the TRIAGE project, a smart, compact and cost-effective air quality sensor network will be developed for the hyperspectral detection of gases which are relevant for atmospheric pollution monitoring or dangerous for human health. The sensor is based on a mid-infrared supercontinuum source, providing ultra-bright emission across the 2-10 mu m wavelength region. Within this spectral range, harmful gaseous species can be detected with high sensitivity and selectivity. The spectroscopic sensor, which includes a novel multi-pass cell and detector, enables a smart robust photonic sensing system for real-time detection. With built-in chemometric analysis and cloud connection, the sensor will feed advanced deep-learning algorithms for various analyses, ranging from long-term continental trends in air pollution to urgent local warnings and alerts. Community-based distributed pollution sensing tests will be verified on municipal building rooftops and local transport platforms. Funding Agencies|Horizon 2020 [101015825, 732968]; European Unions Framework Programme for Research and Innovation

Masking noise and reverberation strongly influence speech intelligibility and decrease listening comfort. To optimize acoustics for ensuring a comfortable environment, it is crucial to understand the respective contribution of bottom-up signal-driven cues and top-down linguistic-semantic cues to speech recognition in noise and reverberation. Since the relevance of these cues differs across speech test materials and training status of the listeners, we investigate the influence of speech material type on speech recognition in noise, reverberation and combinations of noise and reverberation. We also examine the influence of training on the performance for a subset of measurement conditions. Speech recognition is measured with an open-set, everyday Plomp-type sentence test and compared to the recognition scores for a closed-set Matrix-type test consisting of syntactically fixed and semantically unpredictable sentences (c.f. data by Rennies et al., J. Acoust. Soc. America, 2014, 136, 2642-2653). While both tests yield approximately the same recognition threshold in noise in trained normal-hearing listeners, their performance may differ as a result of cognitive factors, i.e., the closed-set test is more sensitive to training effects while the open-set test is more affected by language familiarity. All experimental data were obtained at a fixed signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and/or reverberation time set to obtain the desired speech transmission index (STI) values of 0.17, 0.30, and 0.43. respectively, thus linking the data to STI predictions as a measure of pure low-level acoustic effects. The results confirm the consistent difference between robustness to reverberation observed in the literature between the matrix type sentences and the Plomp-type sentences, especially for poor and medium speech intelligibility. The robustness of the closed-set matrix type sentences against reverberation disappeared when listeners had no a priori knowledge about the speech material (sentence structure and words used), thus demonstrating the influence of higher-level lexical-semantic cues in speech recognition. In addition, the consistent difference between reverberation- and noise-induced recognition scores of everyday sentences for medium and high STI conditions and the differences between Matrix-type and Plomp-type sentence scores clearly demonstrate the limited utility of the STI in predicting speech recognition in noise and reverberation.

Methylmercury concentrations vary widely across geographic space and among habitat types, with marine and aquatic-feeding organisms typically exhibiting higher mercury concentrations than terrestrial-feeding organisms. However, there are few model organisms to directly compare mercury concentrations as a result of foraging in marine, estuarine, or terrestrial food webs. The ecological impacts of differential foraging may be especially important for generalist species that exhibit high plasticity in foraging habitats, locations, or diet. Here, we investigate whether foraging habitat, sex, or fidelity to a foraging area impact blood mercury concentrations in western gulls (Larus occidentalis) from three colonies on the US west coast. Cluster analyses showed that nearly 70% of western gulls foraged primarily in ocean or coastal habitats, whereas the remaining gulls foraged in terrestrial and freshwater habitats. Gulls that foraged in ocean or coastal habitats for half or more of their foraging locations had 55% higher mercury concentrations than gulls that forage in freshwater and terrestrial habitats. Ocean-foraging gulls also had lower fidelity to a specific foraging area than freshwater and terrestrial-foraging gulls, but fidelity and sex were unrelated to gull blood mercury concentrations in all models. These findings support existing research that has described elevated mercury levels in species using aquatic habitats. Our analyses also demonstrate that gulls can be used to detect differences in contaminant exposure over broad geographic scales and across coarse habitat types, a factor that may influence gull health and persistence of other populations that forage across the land-sea gradient.

International audience; Understanding the individual listening performance of hearing-impaired listeners is crucial for improving auditory rehabilitation strategies and for user satisfaction. Here, speech recognition of normal-hearing and hearing-impaired listeners for well controlled laboratory conditions as well as for realistic auditory scenes are considered. For hearing-impaired listeners two hearing aid prescription rules are compared: NAL-NL2, which is commonly used in commercial hearing devices, and trueLOUDNESS (Oetting et al., 2018). While NAL-NL2 fitting is based on the pure tone threshold, the trueLOUDNESS uses loudness measurements for gain determination. The prescription rules are compared in terms of speech recognition and loudness perception. Speech reception thresholds (SRTs) were measured in four noise conditions: stationary, speech-shaped noise, modulated ICRA5-250 noise, and two realistic scenes, nature, and cafeteria (Grimm et al., 2016). Loudness ratings were determined for both scenes and real-world test signals to investigate the loudness perception. Hearing aid fitting was provided via the Master Hearing Aid (Grimm et al., 2006). The realistic auditory scenes were implemented in TASCAR (Grimm et al., 2019). trueLOUDNESS provided better SRTs than NAL-NL2 for low levels of background noise. At higher levels of 75 dB comparable results were observed. In all aided conditions, the hearing-impaired listeners performed worse than normal-hearing listeners. The SRT benefits in the standard laboratory conditions (stationary and modulated noise) correlated well with the SRTs in realistic scenes but only for a low level of background noise. Binaural loudness perception for broadband signals was close-to-normal with trueLOUDNESS lowe-than-normal with NAL-NL2. In order to better understand the contribution of hearing threshold and suprathreshold deficits on speech recognition, the predictions of a binaural speech intelligibility model will be presented as well.

Ocean ecosystems are vulnerable to climate-driven perturbations, which are increasing in frequency and can have profound effects on marine social-ecological systems. Thus, there is an urgency to develop tools that can detect the response of ecosystem components to these perturbations as early as possible. We used Bayesian Dynamic Factor Analysis (DFA) to develop a community state indicator for the California Current Ecosystem (CCE) to track the system’s response to climate perturbations, and to forecast future changes in community state. Our key objectives were to (1) summarize environmental and biological variability in the southern and central regions of the CCE during a recent and unprecedented marine heatwave in the northeast Pacific Ocean (2014–2016) and compare these patterns to past variability, (2) examine whether there is evidence of a shift in the community to a new state in response to the heatwave, (3) identify relationships between community variability and climate variables; and (4) test our ability to create one-year ahead forecasts of individual species responses and the broader community response based on ocean conditions. Our analysis detected a clear community response to the marine heatwave, although it did not exceed normal variability over the past six decades (1951–2017), and we did not find evidence of a shift to a new community state. We found that nitrate flux through the base of the mixed layer exhibited the strongest relationship with species and community-level responses. Furthermore, we demonstrated skill in creating forecasts of species responses and community state based on estimates of nitrate flux. Our indicator and forecasts of community state show promise as tools for informing ecosystem-based and climate-ready fisheries management in the CCE. Our modeling framework is also widely applicable to other ecosystems where scientists and managers are faced with the challenge of managing and protecting living marine resources in a rapidly changing climate.

In the perspective of developing an audiological diagnostic supporting tool to be used in clinical audiology to support ENT specialists with statistical information from a large number of patient cases, the Common Audiological Functional Parameters (CAFPAs) were recently introduced [ref:1].[for full text, please go to the a.m. URL], 23. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Audiologie

The benefit in speech-recognition performance due to the compensation of a hearing loss can vary between listeners, even if unaided performance and hearing thresholds are similar. To accurately predict the individual performance benefit due to a specific hearing device, a prediction model is proposed which takes into account hearing thresholds and a frequency-dependent suprathreshold component of impaired hearing. To test the model, the German matrix sentence test was performed in unaided and individually aided conditions in quiet and in noise by 18 listeners with different degrees of hearing loss. The outcomes were predicted by an individualized automatic speech-recognition system where the individualization parameter for the suprathreshold component of hearing loss was inferred from tone-in-noise detection thresholds. The suprathreshold component was implemented as a frequency-dependent multiplicative noise (mimicking level uncertainty) in the feature-extraction stage of the automatic speech-recognition system. Its inclusion improved the root-mean-square prediction error of individual speech-recognition thresholds (SRTs) from 6.3 dB to 4.2 dB and of individual benefits in SRT due to common compensation strategies from 5.1 dB to 3.4 dB. The outcome predictions are highly correlated with both the corresponding observed SRTs ( R2 = .94) and the benefits in SRT ( R2 = .89) and hence might help to better understand—and eventually mitigate—the perceptual consequences of as yet unexplained hearing problems, also discussed in the context of hidden hearing loss.

Listeners with hearing impairment show sub-optimal processing of acoustic signals which affects their ability to recognize speech. In this contribution, three effective signal processing deficits are proposed to simulate sensorineural hearing impairment and their effect on simulated speech recognition performance is studied. Psychoacoustic and speech recognition experiments were simulated with the framework for auditory discrimination experiments (FADE). Loss in absolute hearing threshold was modeled as lower level limit, supra-threshold loss in envelope amplitude resolution as multiplicative noise, and reduced spectral resolution was simulated with an increase of the analysis bandwidth. Their effects on the speech recognition performance with the German matrix test in quiet and noise, the audiogram, and tone in (notched) noise detection experiments were systematically examined. The simulations indicate that each psychoacoustic experiment relates to at least one signal processing deficit. This indicates the possibility to determine individual model parameters from the outcome of psychoacoustic experiments. Moreover, absolute hearing thresholds yield the highest effects on simulated speech recognition thresholds, followed by supra-threshold loss in envelope amplitude resolution, and-to a much smaller degree-spectral resolution. A reduced spectral resolution only affected recognition performance in fluctuating masker for normal hearing thresholds, indicating its potential relevance for more complex listening conditions. In contrast to popular interpretations in the literature, the simulations reveal that reduced spectral resolution plays a minor role compared to a reduced envelope amplitude resolution in characterizing supra-threshold hearing loss at least in stationary noise.

Development of the Mandarin Chinese matrix (CMNmatrix) sentence test for speech intelligibility measurements in noise according to the international standard procedure.A 50-word base matrix representing the distribution of phonemes and lexical tones of spoken Mandarin was established. Hundred sentences capturing all the co-articulations of two consecutive words were recorded. Word-specific speech recognition functions, speech reception thresholds (SRT: signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), that provides 50% speech intelligibility) and slopes were obtained from measurements at fixed SNRs. The speech material was homogenised in intelligibility by applying level corrections up to ± 2 dB. Subsequently, the CMNmatrix test was evaluated, the comparability of test lists was measured at two fixed SNRs. To investigate the training effect and establish the reference data, speech recognition was measured adaptively.Overall, the study sample contained 80 normal-hearing native Mandarin-speaking listeners.Multi-centre evaluation measurements confirmed that test lists are equivalent in intelligibility, with a mean SRT of -10.1 ± 0.1 dB SNR and a slope of 13.1 ± 0.9 %/dB. The reference SRT is -9.3 ± 0.8 and -11.2 ± 1.2 dB SNR for the open- and closed-set response format, respectively.The CMNmatrix test is suitable for accurate and internationally comparable speech recognition measurements in noise.

Effective ecosystem-based fishery management involves assessment of foraging interactions among consumers, including upper level predators such as marine birds and humans. Of particular value is information on predator energetic and consumption demands and how they vary in response to the often volatile dynamics of forage populations, as well as the factors that affect forage availability and potential prey switching. We examined the prey requirements of common murre (Uria aalge), Brandt's cormorant (Phalacrocorax penicillatus), and rhinoceros auklet (Cerorhinca monocerata) in the central California Current over a 30-year period, 1986–2015. We developed a bioenergetics model that incorporates species-specific values for daily basic energy needs, diet composition, energy content of prey items and assimilation efficiency, and then projected results relative to stock size and levels of commercial take of several species. The most common forage species consumed were juvenile rockfish (Sebastes spp.), northern anchovy (Engraulis mordax), smelt (Osmeridae), and market squid (Doryteuthis opalescens). Total biomass of forage species consumed during the breeding season varied annually from 8500 to >60,000 metric ton (t). Predator population size and diet composition had the greatest influence on overall prey consumption. The most numerous forage species consumed in a given year was related to abundance estimates of forage species derived from an independent ecosystem assessment survey within the central place foraging range of breeding avian predators. The energy density of dominant prey consumed annually affected predator energy expenditure during chick rearing and whether prey switching was required. Increased forage species take by predators, as revealed by seabirds, may be adding consumptive pressure to key forage fish populations, regardless of the potential additional impacts of commercial fisheries. Improving estimates of consumption by predators and fisheries will promote more effective management from an ecosystem perspective.

Tularemia is anthropozoonosis caused by Bacteria Francisella tularensis a gram negative, non-motile aerobic bacillus.[5][8] The bacteria is transmitted mostly by rabbits, hares, rodents and arthropods. The pathogen penetrates into an organism via damaged skin, conjunctiva or mucosa- either through inhalation or ingestion. The clinical manifestations depend on the route of acquisition. Six forms of the disease can be distinguished: ulceroglandular or glandular, oculoglandular, oropharyngeal, respiratory, typhoidal, and intestinal. [11] We present a case report of the rarest oculoglandular form of tularemia. The patient was admitted to the hospital with right pre-auricular swelling, right sided neck lymphadenopathy, conjunctivitis and a nodule of the right eyelid. After excluding more common differential diagnoses, an ELISA test was performed and Francisella tularensis antibodies were identified. Patient administered proper antibiotic therapy. Tularemia is a rarely occurring disease in Poland and is nearly never taken into consideration by otolaryngologists when diagnosing patients with neck lymphadenopathy. In clinical practice, otorhinolaryngologists should always consider this infectious zoonosis, especially the oculoglandular and oropharyngeal forms, as delayed diagnosis and treatment may causes serious health consequences in patients. In the future new drug research should be conducted because of the adverse effect of widely used medications specially for children and pregnant woman.

The Brandt's Cormorant of the California Current is a “boom-or-bust” species like its congeners in other eastern boundary, upwelling driven ecosystems, and like many of the prey upon which they depend. These birds produce many recruits when fish availability is high, leading to rapidly increasing populations, but few recruits, and may even exhibit die-offs, when the opposite is true. Unlike cormorants in the Peru and Benguela currents, however, Brandt's Cormorant population changes have yet to be correlated with those of its prey. Herein, using multi-decadal time series of cormorant colony size, diet, prey availability and mortality, in the context of changes in breeding site and fishery management, we provide insight into why central California colonies near San Francisco — a major portion of this species' global population — expanded from principally one offshore island in the 1960–70s to include a large mainland component by the 1990s. Involved were increases and decreases, respectively, of northern anchovy, a coastal forage species, and young-of-the year rockfish, more prevalent offshore. With protection of breeding sites and a shift towards ecosystem-based fisheries management by the 1990s, variations of the central California Brandt's Cormorant population are now driven naturally by forage fish availability, and perhaps inter- and intraspecific competition for prey and space when population sizes are high. This species, owing to its “boom-or-bust” natural history and the relative ease of assessing breeding population size and diet, may be ideal for monitoring the state of the central California Current food web.

Dexmedetomidine (DEX) is a fairly new alfa2-agonist which has been increasingly used in recent years for analgosedation, mostly because it offers a unique ability of providing both moderate level of sedation and analgesia without respiratory depression. Despite of many papers published, there are still only a few concerning the PK of the drug given as long-term infusion in ICU patients. The aim of this work was to characterize the population pharmacokinetics of dexmedetomidine and to investigate the potential benefits of individualization of drug dosing based on patient characteristics in the heterogeneous group of medical and surgical patients staying in intensive care unit. This study was performed in the group of 17 males and 10 females patients with a median age of 59.5 years and median body weight of 75 kg. Blood samples for dexmedetomidine assay were collected from arterial catheter, during and after discontinuation of a standard infusion, that ranged from 24 to 102 h. The following covariates were examined to influence dexmedetomidine PK: age, sex, body weight, patients’ health status described by Sequential Organ Failure Assessment Score (SOFA), inotropes usage, and infusion duration. The dexmedetomidine PK was best described by a two-compartment model. The typical values of PK parameters were estimated as 27 L for the volume of the central compartment, 87.6 L for the volume of the peripheral compartment, 38.5 L/h (9.2 mL/min/kg for a 70 kg patient) for systemic clearance and 46.4 L/h for the distribution clearance. Those values are consistent with literature findings. We were unable to show any significant relationship between collected covariates and dexmedetomidine PK. This study does not provide sufficient evidence to support the individualization of dexmedetomidine dosing based on age, sex, body weight, SOFA, and infusion duration. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s10928-017-9564-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Since the fundamental phases of the learning process take place in elementary classrooms, it is necessary to guarantee a proper acoustic environment for the listening activity to children immersed in them. In this framework, speech intelligibility is especially important. In order to better understand and objectively quantify the effect of background noise and reverberation on speech intelligibility various models have been developed. Here, a binaural speech intelligibility model (BSIM) is investigated for speech intelligibility predictions in a real classroom considering the effect of talker-to-listener distance and binaural unmasking due to the spatial separation of noise and speech source. BSIM predictions are compared to the well-established room acoustic measures as reverberation time (T30), clarity or definition. Objective acoustical measurements were carried out in one Italian primary school classroom before (T30= 1.43s±0.03 s) and after (T30= 0.45±0.02 s) the acoustical treatment. Speech reception thresholds (SRTs) corresponding to signal-to-noise ratio yielding 80% of speech intelligibility will be obtained through the BSIM simulations using the measured binaural room impulse responses (BRIRs). A focus on the effect of different speech and noise source spatial positions on the SRT values will aim to show the importance of a model able to deal with the binaural aspects of the auditory system. In particular, it will be observed how the position of the noise source influences speech intelligibility when the target speech source lies always in the same position.

Excessive noise and reverberation times degrade listening abilities in everyday life environments. This is particularly true for school settings. Most classrooms in Italy are settled in historical buildings that generate competitive acoustic environments. So far, few studies investigated the effect of real acoustics on speech intelligibility and on the spatial release from masking, focusing more on laboratory conditions. Also, the effect of noise on speech intelligibility was widely investigated considering its energetic rather than its informational content. Therefore, a study involving normal hearing adults was performed presenting listening tests via headphone and considering the competitive real acoustics of two primary-school classrooms with reverberation time of 0.4 s and 3.1 s, respectively. The main objective was the investigation of the effect of reverberation and noise on the spatial release from masking to help the design of learning environments. Binaural room impulse responses were acquired, with noise sources at different azimuths from the listener’s head. The spatial release from masking was significantly affected by noise type and reverberation. Longer reverberation times brought to worst speech intelligibility, with speech recognition thresholds higher by 6 dB on average. Noise with an informational content was detrimental by 7 dB with respect to an energetic noise.