Categorical and semantic perception of the meaning of call-types in zebra finches.

Vocal communication in social animals involves the production and perception of various calls that ethologists categorize into call-types, based on their acoustical structure and the behavioral context of production. Whether animals perceive these categories and associate distinct meanings to them remains unknown. The zebra finch, a gregarious songbird, uses approximately 11 call-types to communicate hunger, danger, social conflict, and establish social contact and bonding.

Role of auditory feedback for vocal production learning in the Egyptian fruit bat.

Some species have evolved the ability to use the sense of hearing to modify existing vocalizations, or even create new ones, which enlarges their repertoires and results in complex communication systems. This ability corresponds to various forms of vocal production learning that are all possessed by humans and independently displayed by distantly related vertebrates. Among mammals, a few species, including the Egyptian fruit bat, would possess such vocal production learning abilities.

Sputum interleukin-6 level as a marker of severity during acute chest syndrome in children with sickle cell disease.

Acute chest syndrome (ACS) is a leading cause of morbimortality in sickle cell disease (SCD). In this prospective observational study, we investigated sputum interleukin-6 (IL-6) level as an ACS severity marker during 30 ACS episodes in 26 SCD children. Sputum IL-6 levels measured within the first 72 h of hospitalisation for ACS were significantly higher in patients with oxygen requirement ≥2 L/min, ventilation (invasive and/or non-invasive) length ≥5 days, bilateral and/or extensive opacities on chest X-ray or erythrocytapheresis requirement.

Role of auditory feedback for vocal production learning in the Egyptian fruit-bat.

Some species have evolved the ability to use the sense of hearing to modify existing vocalizations, or even create new ones. This ability corresponds to various forms of vocal production learning that are all possessed by humans, and independently displayed by distantly related vertebrates. Among mammals, a few species, including the Egyptian fruit-bat, would possess such vocal production learning abilities.

Access and Modulation of Substituted Pyrrolo[3,4-]pyrazole-4,6-(2,5)-diones.

The first access to polyfunctionnalized pyrrolo[3,4-]pyrazole-4,6-(2,5)-dione derivatives is reported. The series were generated from diethyl acetylenedicarboxylate and arylhydrazines, which afforded the key intermediates bearing two functional positions. The annellation to generate the maleimide moiety of the bicycle was studied.

Sparse ensemble neural code for a complete vocal repertoire.

The categorization of animal vocalizations into distinct behaviorally relevant groups for communication is an essential operation that must be performed by the auditory system. This auditory object recognition is a difficult task that requires selectivity to the group identifying acoustic features and invariance to renditions within each group. We find that small ensembles of auditory neurons in the forebrain of a social songbird can code the bird's entire vocal repertoire (∼10 call types).

Genetic impairment of succinate metabolism disrupts bioenergetic sensing in adrenal neuroendocrine cancer.

Metabolic dysfunction mutations can impair energy sensing and cause cancer. Loss of function of the mitochondrial tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle enzyme subunit succinate dehydrogenase B (SDHB) results in various forms of cancer typified by pheochromocytoma (PC). Here we delineate a signaling cascade where the loss of SDHB induces the Warburg effect, triggers dysregulation of [Ca], and aberrantly activates calpain and protein kinase Cdk5, through conversion of its cofactor from p35 to p25.

Cortical representation of group social communication in bats.

Social interactions occur in group settings and are mediated by communication signals that are exchanged between individuals, often using vocalizations. The neural representation of group social communication remains largely unexplored. We conducted simultaneous wireless electrophysiological recordings from the frontal cortices of groups of Egyptian fruit bats engaged in both spontaneous and task-induced vocal interactions.

Microwave-Assisted Sequential One-Pot Synthesis of 8-Substituted Pyrazolo[1,5-][1,3,5]triazines.

This paper reports a convenient sequential one-pot approach for the synthesis of an array of 14 pyrazolo[1,5-][1,3,5]triazines, substituted in C8 by halogen (Br), various functions (CN and COEt) and alkyl or (het)aryl groups. This study confirms the interest of combining the efficient heating obtained under dielectric microwave heating and the achievement of sequential one-pot reactions, avoiding the tedious work-up and purification of intermediate compounds, achieving sustainable synthesis processes. Considering usual conventional methods, this microwave protocol is featured by advantages in terms of yields, reaction times, and convenient gram scale synthesis.

(R)-Roscovitine and CFTR modulators enhance killing of multi-drug resistant Burkholderia cenocepacia by cystic fibrosis macrophages.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is characterized by chronic bacterial infections and heightened inflammation. Widespread ineffective antibiotic use has led to increased isolation of drug resistant bacterial strains from respiratory samples. (R)-roscovitine (Seliciclib) is a unique drug that has many benefits in CF studies.

Design of new disubstituted imidazo[1,2-]pyridazine derivatives as selective Haspin inhibitors. Synthesis, binding mode and anticancer biological evaluation.

Haspin is a mitotic protein kinase required for proper cell division by modulating Aurora B kinase localisation and activity as well as histone phosphorylation. Here a series of imidazopyridazines based on the CHR-6494 and Structure Activity Relationship was established. An assessment of the inhibitory activity of the lead structures on human Haspin and several other protein kinases is presented.

Author Correction: Zebra finches identify individuals using vocal signatures unique to each call type.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

From Perception to Action: The Role of Auditory Input in Shaping Vocal Communication and Social Behaviors in Birds.

Acoustic communication signals are typically generated to influence the behavior of conspecific receivers. In songbirds, for instance, such cues are routinely used by males to influence the behavior of females and rival males. There is remarkable diversity in vocalizations across songbird species, and the mechanisms of vocal production have been studied extensively, yet there has been comparatively little emphasis on how the receiver perceives those signals and uses that information to direct subsequent actions.

Invariant neural responses for sensory categories revealed by the time-varying information for communication calls.

Although information theoretic approaches have been used extensively in the analysis of the neural code, they have yet to be used to describe how information is accumulated in time while sensory systems are categorizing dynamic sensory stimuli such as speech sounds or visual objects. Here, we present a novel method to estimate the cumulative information for stimuli or categories. We further define a time-varying categorical information index that, by comparing the information obtained for stimuli versus categories of these same stimuli, quantifies invariant neural representations.

Making the jump: Expert guidance on transitioning to academic independence.

Obtaining a position as an independent investigator is a daunting prospect, and often requires skill sets that are not emphasized during graduate or postdoctoral training. Here, we present insight from a seminar series designed to guide young researchers looking to "make the jump", covering the fundamental steps of the job search (preparation of an application package, Skype/remote interview, campus visit, and negotiations). We summarize the many useful insights distilled throughout these roundtable sessions with the goal of providing information and guidance to a broader community of researchers on the best way to prepare for and tackle the faculty job market.

Design of selective COX-2 inhibitors in the (aza)indazole series. Chemistry, in vitro studies, radiochemistry and evaluations in rats of a [F] PET tracer.

A series of novel derivatives exhibiting high affinity and selectivity towards the COX-2 enzyme in the (aza) indazole series was developed. A short synthetic route involving a bromination/arylation sequence under microwave irradiation and direct C-H activation were established in the indazole and azaindazole series respectively. In vitro assays were conducted and structural modifications were carried out on these scaffolds to furnish compound 16 which exhibited effective COX-2 inhibitory activity, with IC values of 0.

Zebra finches identify individuals using vocal signatures unique to each call type.

Individual recognition is critical in social animal communication, but it has not been demonstrated for a complete vocal repertoire. Deciphering the nature of individual signatures across call types is necessary to understand how animals solve the problem of combining, in the same signal, information about identity and behavioral state. We show that distinct signatures differentiate zebra finch individuals for each call type.

Discrimination of acoustically similar conspecific and heterospecific vocalizations by black-capped chickadees (Poecile atricapillus).

Chickadees produce a multi-note chick-a-dee call in multiple socially relevant contexts. One component of this call is the D note, which is a low-frequency and acoustically complex note with a harmonic-like structure. In the current study, we tested black-capped chickadees on a between-category operant discrimination task using vocalizations with acoustic structures similar to black-capped chickadee D notes, but produced by various songbird species, in order to examine the role that phylogenetic distance plays in acoustic perception of vocal signals.

Single Neurons in the Avian Auditory Cortex Encode Individual Identity and Propagation Distance in Naturally Degraded Communication Calls.

One of the most complex tasks performed by sensory systems is "scene analysis": the interpretation of complex signals as behaviorally relevant objects. The study of this problem, universal to species and sensory modalities, is particularly challenging in audition, where sounds from various sources and localizations, degraded by propagation through the environment, sum to form a single acoustical signal. Here we investigated in a songbird model, the zebra finch, the neural substrate for ranging and identifying a single source.

Housing conditions and sacrifice protocol affect neural activity and vocal behavior in a songbird species, the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata).

Individual cages represent a widely used housing condition in laboratories. This isolation represents an impoverished physical and social environment in gregarious animals. It prevents animals from socializing, even when auditory and visual contact is maintained.

The vocal repertoire of the domesticated zebra finch: a data-driven approach to decipher the information-bearing acoustic features of communication signals.

Although a universal code for the acoustic features of animal vocal communication calls may not exist, the thorough analysis of the distinctive acoustical features of vocalization categories is important not only to decipher the acoustical code for a specific species but also to understand the evolution of communication signals and the mechanisms used to produce and understand them. Here, we recorded more than 8000 examples of almost all the vocalizations of the domesticated zebra finch, Taeniopygia guttata: vocalizations produced to establish contact, to form and maintain pair bonds, to sound an alarm, to communicate distress or to advertise hunger or aggressive intents. We characterized each vocalization type using complete representations that avoided any a priori assumptions on the acoustic code, as well as classical bioacoustics measures that could provide more intuitive interpretations.