Animal soundscapes reveal key markers of Amazon forest degradation from fire and logging

Safeguarding tropical forest biodiversity requires solutions for monitoring ecosystem structure over time. In the Amazon, logging and fire reduce forest carbon stocks and alter habitat, but the long-term consequences for wildlife remain unclear, especially for lesser-known taxa. Here, we combined multiday acoustic surveys, airborne lidar, and satellite time series covering logged and burned forests (n = 39) in the southern Brazilian Amazon to identify acoustic markers of forest degradation. Our findings contradict expectations from the Acoustic Niche Hypothesis that animal communities in more degraded habitats occupy fewer “acoustic niches” defined by time and frequency. Instead, we found that aboveground biomass was not a consistent proxy for acoustic biodiversity due to the divergent patterns of “acoustic space occupancy” between logged and burned forests. Ecosystem soundscapes highlighted a stark, and sustained reorganization in acoustic community assembly after multiple fires; animal communication networks were quieter, more homogenous, and less acoustically integrated in forests burned multiple times than in logged or once-burned forests. These findings demonstrate strong biodiversity cobenefits from protecting burned Amazon forests from recurrent fire. By contrast, soundscape changes after logging were subtle and more consistent with acoustic community recovery than reassembly. In both logged and burned forests, insects were the dominant acoustic markers of degradation, particularly during midday and nighttime hours, which are not typically sampled by traditional biodiversity field surveys. The acoustic fingerprints of degradation history were conserved across replicate recording locations, indicating that soundscapes may offer a robust, taxonomically inclusive solution for digitally tracking changes in acoustic community composition over time.

Biological diversity is disappearing rapidly in response to human activity, especially in tropical forests, which are home to well over half of Earth’s terrestrial species (1). Global concern over greenhouse gas emissions from tropical forests (2) has led to international efforts to Reduce Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) (3). Retention of diverse ecosystems supports climate change mitigation and adaptation (4); yet, carbon-focused conservation may not result in a commensurate win for tropical forest biodiversity (5). Longstanding data gaps on species distributions and uncertainty regarding the direct and indirect impacts of human activity on biodiversity complicate efforts to quantify the interplay between carbon and biodiversity (6, 7).Across the tropics, the Brazilian Amazon has the highest rates of deforestation (8), and forest degradation from fire and logging may double biodiversity loss from deforestation alone (9). However, the long-term impacts of human activity on Amazon biodiversity remain highly uncertain due, in part, to the spatial heterogeneity among degraded forests from differences in the timing, frequency, extent, and severity of disturbances (10). Time-varying heterogeneity in the biodiversity of degraded forests may also explain some of the apparent contradictions in previous studies of degradation impacts on birds, the most well-studied Amazonian taxa. Many nectarivorous birds, for example, increase in abundance immediately after logging but ultimately decline. Yet, many insectivorous birds show immediate sensitivity to changes in habitat from logging but continue to decline in abundance over time (11). Time dependence also complicates efforts to measure the effects of degradation on insects, a problem confounded by limited research (12).Addressing the tropical biodiversity extinction crisis, therefore, requires an efficient, distributed, long-term monitoring system to assess ecosystem structure (13). Traditional, ground-based biodiversity inventories are logistically prohibitive to conduct at scale, and limited taxonomic expertise perpetuates large data discrepancies for lesser-known taxa, such as insects, which constitute the bulk of tropical biodiversity (7). Advances in the emerging discipline of acoustic remote sensing, or ecoacoustics, may permit large-scale biodiversity monitoring for multiple taxa, including unidentifiable species, based on the aggregate sound signature of the animal community, or soundscape (14–16). Since multiple sites can be recorded simultaneously over time, sound surveys reduce the effort and cost associated with routine monitoring and facilitate standardized assessments of community variation and ecosystem recovery. Most previous efforts to utilize acoustic data for biodiversity monitoring have focused on detecting known vocalizations associated with individual species (17, 18), but there is increasing interest in evaluating the entire collection of signals in a given soundscape to derive measures of ecosystem intactness that include all sound-generating taxa without definitive species identification (15, 16, 19, 20).The Acoustic Niche Hypothesis (ANH) (21) is a core premise of ecoacoustics and the prevailing organizing principle for assessing diversity (16), community similarity (22), and human impacts (23, 24) using soundscape data. The ANH posits that more intact habitats support more biodiverse communities that occupy more “acoustic niches.” Greater niche partitioning of available acoustic space, defined by frequency and time of day, is posited to minimize communication interference among coexisting species. The ANH implies a positive linear relationship between habitat intactness (i.e., biomass) and acoustic niche infilling or acoustic space occupancy (ASO) by the “animal orchestra.” The corollary is that more degraded habitats support less acoustic infilling due to vacant acoustic niches from local species extirpations (25). Ecoacoustic approaches have great potential to extend monitoring capabilities in the hyperdiverse tropics, where competition for acoustic space is strongest (16, 26). Still, large uncertainties remain as to whether soundscape infilling can be used as a robust proxy for ecosystem intactness to monitor landscapes altered by human activity (27).Here, we test the ANH across logged and burned Amazon forests to identify acoustic markers of forest degradation (Fig. 1). We collected coincident high-density airborne lidar data and multiday acoustic recordings (214 24-h surveys) during September and October 2016 in 39 forests with different times since logging (4 to 23 y) and histories of fire activity (1 to 5 fires), stratified based on a 33-y time series of annual Landsat imagery (10). We used space-for-time substitution and two complementary analytic approaches to characterize threshold effects and time dependence for changes in the structure of animal soundscapes along gradients of degradation history (see Materials and Methods). First, we calculated ASO for each site at hourly and 1-min time steps to test the ANH and to quantify the magnitude, persistence, and variability in the infilling of acoustic space following forest degradation. Second, we developed a network-based approach to capture additional complexity from the soundscape data to track the composition and co-occurrences of “acoustic pseudotaxa” (defined as the community components that occupy the same acoustic niche) along degradation and recovery pathways. Our findings demonstrate that soundscapes encode digital markers of the history of degradation from human activity, revealing distinct patterns of community change following logging and fire. This study paves the way for more widespread use of ecoacoustics to benchmark and monitor changes in acoustic community composition in human-altered tropical forest landscapes, especially in remote regions with many unknown species.Open in a separate windowFig. 1.Acoustic recording sites in logged and burned forests (n = 39) were distributed across 9,400 km² in northern Mato Grosso, Brazil (Upper Left). Colored boxes identify subsets of the study domain to illustrate how the triplicate sampling scheme was designed to capture the heterogeneity in habitat structure and acoustic community composition in logged (yellow) and burned (black) forests. False-color composites of Landsat imagery (2014, 543-RGB) in each panel show deforested areas in magenta and gradients of forest cover in shades of green.     

Das neue österreichische Patientenverfügungsrecht

Austria’s new Living Wills Act (Patientenverfügungsgesetz, or PatVG) that came into effect on 1st of June 2006, is the first law in Austria to regulate the controversial issue of living wills. The PatVG provides for a right to refuse future medical treatment by making an advance directive in the form of a living will that is either binding or “to be taken into consideration”. However, the establishment of a binding living will is governed by strict criteria as regards form and content, and both a medical doctor and a legal expert must be involved. Compliance with a living will is not allowed where there is a legal obligation to give medical treatment. There is also a legal obligation to give medical treatment in emergency situations where the time involved in looking for a living will could seriously endanger the health or the life of a patient.     

Straßenverkehrsrecht und Rettungsdienst

Legal uncertainties for emergency vehicle drivers can be avoided when fundamental rules are established. In particular, differentiation of special rights and rights of way is essential. Inherent in both is the urgency necessary to save human lives. The right of way signaled by flashing blue lights and siren does not however justify traffic violations but signifies rather a request to other traffic participants. In contrast, special rights require no announcement and constitute a justifiable reason for traffic violations. Even so they do not allow that other traffic participants be endangered or harmed. Adherence to these basic principles can prevent legal misinterpretations as well as rigid adoption of inflexible standards of behavior.     

Combined Liver Transplantation and Gastric Sleeve Resection for Patients With Medically Complicated Obesity and End‐Stage Liver Disease

Obesity is increasingly common before and after liver transplantation (LT), yet optimal management remains unclear. Our aim was to analyze the effectiveness of a multidisciplinary protocol for obese patients requiring LT, including a noninvasive pretransplant weight loss program, and a combined LT plus sleeve gastrectomy (SG) for obese patients who failed to lose weight prior to LT. Since 2006, all patients referred LT with a BMI > 35 were enrolled. There were 37 patients who achieved weight loss and underwent LT alone, and 7 who underwent LT combined with SG. In those who received LT alone, weight gain to BMI > 35 was seen in 21/34, post‐LT diabetes (DM) in 12/34, steatosis in 7/34, with 3 deaths plus 3 grafts losses. In patients undergoing the combined procedure, there were no deaths or graft losses. One patient developed a leak from the gastric staple line, and one had excess weight loss. No patients developed post‐LT DM or steatosis, and all had substantial weight loss (mean BMI = 29). Noninvasive pretransplant weight loss was achieved by a majority, though weight gain post‐LT was common. Combined LT plus SG resulted in effective weight loss and was associated with fewer post‐LT metabolic complications. Long‐term follow‐up is needed.     

Cyclosporine as prophylaxis for graft-versus-host disease: a randomized study in patients undergoing marrow transplantation for acute nonlymphoblastic leukemia

Seventy-five patients, 13 to 49 years of age, with acute nonlymphoblastic leukemia in first remission were treated with cyclophosphamide, fractionated total body irradiation, and marrow transplantation from an HLA-identical sibling and randomized to receive either cyclosporine (CSP) (n = 36) or methotrexate (MTX) (n = 39) as prophylaxis for graft-v-host disease (GVHD). All patients engrafted, and 22 who were given CSP and 21 who were given MTX, are alive at 20 to 47 (median, 35) months (P = .5). Engraftment as assessed by granulocyte recovery (P less than .0005) and platelet transfusion requirement (P = .01) was faster in patients on CSP. Twelve patients (33%) on CSP and 22 (56%) on MTX developed acute GVHD of grades II through IV (P = .07) and 15 of 30 on CSP and 14 of 32 on MTX that were at risk developed chronic GVHD. The most frequent causes of death were interstitial pneumonitis and marrow relapse of leukemia, which occurred with similar frequency in both groups. Beneficial effects observed in patients on CSP included less severe mucositis and shorter duration of hospitalization; adverse effects included renal function impairment and hypertension. These data confirm that CSP is a useful immunosuppressant in patients undergoing marrow transplantation but fail to show a significant improvement in survival as compared with the standard regimen of MTX.     

The EMPOWER Study: Randomized, Prospective, Double-Blind, Multicenter Trial of Vagal Blockade to Induce Weight Loss in Morbid Obesity

Background

Intermittent, reversible intraabdominal vagal blockade (VBLOC? Therapy) demonstrated clinically important weight loss in feasibility trials. EMPOWER, a randomized, double-blind, prospective, controlled trial was conducted in USA and Australia.

Methods

Five hundred three subjects were enrolled at 15 centers. After informed consent, 294 subjects were implanted with the vagal blocking system and randomized to the treated (n?=?192) or control (n?=?102) group. Main outcome measures were percent excess weight loss (percent EWL) at 12?months and serious adverse events. Subjects controlled duration of therapy using an external power source; therapy involved a programmed algorithm of electrical energy delivered to the subdiaphragmatic vagal nerves to inhibit afferent/efferent vagal transmission. Devices in both groups performed regular, low-energy safety checks. Data are mean ± SEM.

Results

Study subjects consisted of 90?% females, body mass index of 41?±?1?kg/m², and age of 46?±?1?years. Device-related complications occurred in 3?% of subjects. There was no mortality. 12-month percent EWL was 17?±?2?% for the treated and 16?±?2?% for the control group. Weight loss was related linearly to hours of device use; treated and controls with ??12?h/day use achieved 30?±?4 and 22?±?8?% EWL, respectively.

Conclusions

VBLOC? therapy to treat morbid obesity was safe, but weight loss was not greater in treated compared to controls; clinically important weight loss, however, was related to hours of device use. Post-study analysis suggested that the system electrical safety checks (low charge delivered via the system for electrical impedance, safety, and diagnostic checks) may have contributed to weight loss in the control group.     

Active surveillance is superior to radical nephrectomy and equivalent to partial nephrectomy for preserving renal function in patients with small renal masses: Results from the DISSRM registry

Purpose

We compared renal function outcomes among patients in the surveillance and intervention arms of the DISSRM registry.

高压培养对血管内皮细胞t-PA和PAI-1的影响及卡托普利干预的效果

目的：高血压常伴有纤溶功能的异常,但其机制尚不清楚。本研究拟观察高静水压培养对人脐静脉内皮细胞（HUVECs）t-PA和PAI-1的影响以及卡托普利的干预效果,并探讨其可能的作用机制。方法：选用第4～6代HU-VECs,接种于24孔培养板中。依培养压力分为3组：大气压组（0mmHg）,中压组（90mmHg）,高压组（180mmHg）。在同一压力组,根据不同药物干预又分为两个亚组。即对照组（Ctrl）和卡托普利组（Cap,10^-5mol/L）。每组6份标本。采用ELISA法测定上清液t-PA和PAI-1的抗原浓度,并用细胞内总蛋白进行标化（单位：ng/μg proteins）。同时测定细胞内Ca^2＋浓度（nmol/L）。结果：与大气压组相比,中压和高压组t-PA浓度均显著降低,PAI-1浓度显著增高,t-PA/PAI-1比值显著降低,[Ca^2＋]i也显著增高。卡托普利对大气压组的t-PA、PAI-1和[Ca^2＋]i无显著影响,但在两个高压组,卡托普利显著升高t-PA浓度,显著降低PAI-1浓度,t-PA/PAI-1比值显著升高,[Ca^2＋]i显著地降低。结论：高静水压可损害内皮细胞的纤溶功能,而卡托普利的干预可降低高压所升高的[Ca^2＋]i,并改善高静水压对内皮细胞纤溶功能的影响。     

Mid-trimester endovaginal sonography in women at high risk for spontaneous preterm birth

CONTEXT: Although shortened cervical length has been consistently associated with spontaneous preterm birth, it is not known when in gestation this risk factor becomes apparent. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether sonographic cervical findings between 16 weeks' and 18 weeks 6 days' gestation predict spontaneous preterm birth and whether serial evaluations up to 23 weeks 6 days' gestation improve prediction in high-risk women. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Blinded observational study performed between March 1997 and November 1999 at 9 university-affiliated medical centers in the United States in 183 women with singleton gestations who previously had experienced a spontaneous birth before 32 weeks' gestation. OBSERVATION: Certified sonologists performed 590 endovaginal sonographic examinations at 2-week intervals. Cervical length was measured from the external os to the functional internal os along a closed endocervical canal. Funneling and dynamic cervical shortening were also recorded. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Spontaneous preterm birth before 35 weeks' gestation, analyzed by selected cutoff values of cervical length. RESULTS: Forty-eight women (26%) experienced spontaneous preterm birth before 35 weeks' gestation. A cervical length of less than 25 mm at the initial sonographic examination was associated with a relative risk (RR) for spontaneous preterm birth of 3.3 (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.1-5.0; sensitivity = 19%; specificity = 98%; positive predictive value = 75%). After controlling for cervical length, neither funneling (P =.24) nor dynamic shortening (P =.054) were significant independent predictors of spontaneous preterm birth. However, using the shortest ever observed cervical length on serial evaluations, after any dynamic shortening, the RR of a cervical length of less than 25 mm for spontaneous preterm birth increased to 4.5 (95% CI, 2.7-7.6; sensitivity = 69%; specificity = 80%; positive predictive value = 55%). Compared with a single cervical measurement at 16 weeks' to 18 weeks 6 days' gestation, serial measurements at up to 23 weeks 6 days significantly improved the prediction of spontaneous preterm birth in a receiver operating characteristic curve analysis (P =.03). CONCLUSIONS: Cervical length assessed by endovaginal sonography between 16 weeks' and 18 weeks 6 days' gestation, augmented by serial evaluations, predicts spontaneous preterm birth before 35 weeks' gestation in high-risk women.