Continuous Facial Nerve Stimulation During Cochlear Implantation – An Electrophysiological Technique to Control the Intracochlear Electrode Contact Position

Purpose: This proof of concept describes the use of evoked electromyographic (EMG) activation of the facial nerve for intraoperative monitoring of the electrode insertion during cochlear implantation (CI).Methods: Intraoperative EMG measurements from the facial nerve were conducted in nine patients undergoing CI implantation. Electric pulses were emitted from contacts on the CI array during and immediately after electrode insertion. For control, the results of EMG measurements were compared to postoperative flat panel volume computed tomography scans with secondary reconstruction (fpVCTSECO).Results: During insertion, the EMG response evoked by the electrical stimulation from the CI was growing with the stimulating contact approaching the facial nerve and declined with increasing distance. After full insertion, contacts on the apical half of the CI array stimulated higher EMG responses compared with those on the basal half. Comparison with postoperative imaging demonstrated that electrode contacts stimulating high EMG responses had the shortest distances to the facial nerve. Conclusion: It could be demonstrated that electrically evoked EMG activation of the facial nerve can be used to monitor the progress during CI electrode insertion and to control the intracochlear electrode position after full insertion.

Serial changes of myocardial perfusion imaging in takotsubo and reverse takotsubo cardiomyopathy

Background Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TTC) shows reversible hypokinesis in the left ventricular (LV) apical-half segment and hyperkinesis in the LV basal-half segment. However, the precise pathophysiological mechanism of TTC is unclear. Therefore, this study sought to clarify the nuclear characteristics, degree of myocardial damage, and serial change of TTC and rTTC using myocardial perfusion imaging. Methods We performed myocardial perfusion scintigraphy in 28 patients (TTC: 20, rTTC: 8) using Tc-99m sestamibi and assessed minimum percentage uptake (min-%-uptake), extent score (ES) and summed rest score (SRS) at acute and chronic phases. Results Min-%-uptake improved from the acute to the chronic phase (TTC: 54 [48-59]% vs 87 [81-90]%, P < 0.01; rTTC: 60 [55-64]% vs 77 [71-79]%, P < 0.01), as did the ES (TTC: 32 [26-41]% vs 0.0 [0.0-6.0]%, P < 0.01; rTTC: 16 [12-34]% vs 0.0 [0.0-0.0]%, P = 0.02) and SRS (TTC: 4.5 [3.9-5.3] vs 0.0 [0.0-0.2], P < 0.01; rTTC: 3.6 [3.3-3.8] vs 0.0 [0.0-0.0], P = 0.01). Conclusion Tc-99m sestamibi uptake was reduced in hypokinetic regions in the acute phase and improved in the chronic phase. TTC and rTTC may involve a reversible disorder of the myocardial cell membrane, mitochondria, and microcirculation.

Review of Strongylogaster Dahlbom (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae) from Zhejiang Province, China, with the description of a new species

Five species of Strongylogaster Dahlbom, 1835 are recorded from Zhejiang Province, China. They are four known species, S. formosana (Rohwer, 1916), S. macula (Klug, 1817), S. takeuchii Naito, 1980 and S. xanthocera (Stephens, 1835), and a new species. Strongylogaster tianmunica sp. nov., collected from Mt. Tianmu in Zhejiang Province, is here described and illustrated. This new species resembles S. nantouensis Naito, 1990, but differs from the latter by the following characters: female body length 10–12 mm, male body length 8–10 mm; tegula brown to dark brown; pronotum largely yellowish-white; trochanters black, apical half of hind femora and of hind tibiae yellowish-white; malar space as long as radius of median ocellus; antennomere 3 as long as antennomere 4; and ovipositor apical sheath with distinct lateral scapes. A key to the five species of Strongylogaster from Zhejiang Province is provided.

Two new species of Euphaea Selys, 1840 (Odonata: Zygoptera: Euphaeidae) from northern Western Ghats, India

Two new species of the damselfly genus Euphaea Selys, 1840 (Odonata: Euphaeidae) are described from the Western Ghats of Satara District, Maharashtra, distinguished by their distinct morphology and coloration. E. thosegharensis Sadasivan & Bhakare sp. nov. is similar to E. cardinalis (Fraser, 1924), but is distinguished by the extensor and flexor surface of all femora black while all femora bright red in E. cardinalis; apical fourth of Hw black while apical half of Hw black in E. cardinalis; genae reddish-orange, black in E. cardinalis; a tuft of sparse stub black hair on either side of tergite of S9 while both S8 and S9 with tufts of long ventral hairs in E. cardinalis. Male genital vesicle matt black, with distal border rounded angles, while vesicle black and hexagonal in shape with rounded angles in E. cardinalis and S9 twice the length of S10, while S9 and S10 of equal length in E. cardinalis. E. pseudodispar Sadasivan & Bhakare sp. nov., is very close to E. dispar (Rambur, 1842), but is differentiated easily by the absence of yellow patch on legs as in E. dispar; only apical fifth of Hw black; genae being yellowish-white, while black in E. dispar; male genital vesicle brownish-black & rhomboid-shaped and with no transverse rugosities while black with distal border rounded and with fine transverse rugosities in E. dispar; penis with single seta on each side while E. dispar has three pairs; sternite of S9 very prominently extending ventrally like a beak in comparison with E. dispar. We have identified additional morphological characters useful in taxonomy of Euphaea of the Western Ghats for example, tufts of ventral hairs on terminal abdominal segments genital vesicle, penile structure of males and sternite of S9 in the males, and vulvar scales of females. A taxonomic key to all known species of genus Euphaea of the Western Ghats is also provided.

A ten-faced hexangulaconulariid from Cambrian Stage 2 of South China

Hexangulaconulariids (Cambrian stages 1–2) are an extinct group of medusozoan polyps having a biradially symmetrical, fan-shaped periderm that is distinct from those of medusozoan polyps showing three-, four-, five-, or six-fold radial symmetry. Hexangulaconulariids exhibit substantial variation in gross morphology, including variation in the number of faces on each of the two major sides of the periderm. An intermediate taxon of hexangulaconulariids with ten faces (five on each major side) was expected. Here we describe a new hexangulaconulariid, Decimoconularia isofacialis new genus new species from Bed 5 of the Yanjiahe Formation (Cambrian Stage 2) in the Three Gorges area of Hubei Province, China. The new taxon differs from other hexangulaconulariids (Arthrochites, Hexaconularia, and Septuconularia) mainly in possessing a total of ten faces. The two lateral margins are each marked by a ridge in about the apertural half of the periderm and by a collinear furrow in about the apical half, while the five faces on each major side are bounded by a furrow in about the apertural half and by a collinear ridge in about the apical half. Among hexangulaconulariids, Decimoconularia and Septuconularia may be more closely related to each other than either genus is to Arthrochites or Hexaconularia. UUID: http://zoobank.org/ca270a3b-25ee-4d1f-bdeb-91a963370e70

Inner hair cell dysfunction in Klhl18 mutant mice leads to low frequency progressive hearing loss

ABSTRACTAge-related hearing loss in humans (presbycusis) typically involves impairment of high frequency sensitivity before becoming progressively more severe at lower frequencies. Pathologies initially affecting lower frequency regions of hearing are less common. Here we describe a progressive, predominantly low-frequency hearing impairment in two mutant mouse lines, carrying different mutant alleles of the Klhl18 gene: a spontaneous missense mutation (Klhl18lowf) and a targeted mutation (Klhl18tm1a(KOMP)Wtsi). Both males and females were studied, and the two mutant lines showed similar phenotypes. Auditory brainstem response (ABR) thresholds (a measure of auditory nerve and brainstem neural activity) were normal at 3 weeks old but showed progressive increases from 4 weeks onwards. In contrast, distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) sensitivity and amplitudes (a reflection of cochlear outer hair cell function) remained normal in mutants. Electrophysiological recordings from the round window of Klhl18lowf mutants at 6 weeks old revealed 1) raised compound action potential thresholds that were similar to ABR thresholds, 2) cochlear microphonic potentials that were normal compared with wildtype and heterozygous control mice and 3) summating potentials that were reduced in amplitude compared to control mice. Scanning electron microscopy showed that Klhl18lowf mutant mice had abnormally tapering inner hair cell stereocilia in the apical half of the cochlea while their synapses appeared normal. These results suggest that Klhl18 is necessary to maintain inner hair cell stereocilia and normal inner hair cell function at low frequencies. Klhl18 mutant mice exhibit an uncommon low frequency hearing impairment with physiological features consistent with Auditory Neuropathy Spectrum Disorder (ANSD).SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTWe describe a novel progressive hearing loss in Klhl18 mutant mice that affects the lower frequencies of its’ hearing range. Investigation of two mutant alleles of this gene revealed primary inner hair cell defects affecting the neural output of the cochlea while outer hair cell function appeared normal. The tallest stereocilia of inner hair cells showed an abnormal tapering shape, especially notable in the apical half of the cochlear duct corresponding to the low frequency hearing loss. Our finding of a primary inner hair cell defect associated with raised thresholds for auditory brainstem responses combined with normal outer hair cell function suggests that Klhl18 deficiency and inner hair cell pathology may contribute to Auditory Neuropathy Spectrum Disorder in humans.

A Comparison of Place-Pitch-Based Interaural Electrode Matching Methods for Bilateral Cochlear-Implant Users

Interaural place-of-stimulation mismatch for bilateral cochlear-implant (BI-CI) listeners is often evaluated using pitch-comparison tasks that can be susceptible to procedural biases. Bias effects were compared for three sequential interaural pitch-comparison tasks in six BI-CI listeners using single-electrode direct stimulation. The reference (right ear) was a single basal, middle, or apical electrode. The comparison electrode (left ear) was chosen from one of three ranges: basal half, full array, or apical half. In Experiment 1 (discrimination), interaural pairs were chosen randomly (method of constant stimuli). In Experiment 2 (ranking), an efficient adaptive procedure rank ordered 3 reference and 6 or 11 comparison electrodes. In Experiment 3 (matching), listeners adjusted the comparison electrode to pitch match the reference. Each experiment was evaluated for testing-range bias (point of subjective equality [PSE] vs. comparison-range midpoint) and reference-electrode slope bias (PSE vs. reference electrode). Discrimination showed large biases for both metrics; matching showed a smaller but significant reference-electrode bias; ranking showed no significant biases in either dimension. Ranking and matching were also evaluated for starting-point bias (PSE vs. adaptive-track starting point), but neither showed significant effects. A response-distribution truncation model explained a nonsignificant bias for ranking but it could not fully explain the observed biases for discrimination or matching. It is concluded that (a) BI-CI interaural pitch comparisons are inconsistent across test methods; (b) biases must be evaluated in more than one dimension before accepting the results as valid; and (c) of the three methods tested, ranking was least susceptible to biases and therefore emerged as the optimal approach.

A synopsis of Kiotina Klapálek, 1907 (Plecoptera: Perlidae) from China, with description of a new species from Zhejiang Province

A new species of Kiotina, K. yexiaohani sp. nov. is described from Zhejiang Province of southeastern China. The male of the new species is characterized by the V-shaped epiproct sclerite with thick, out-curved arms and a fusiform base. The apical half of subgenital plate sub-trapezoidal with a slightly notched apex distinguishes the female of the new species. Information on the types and available descriptions of Chinese Kiotina species are summarized. Additionally, an unassociated female of a Kiotina species is described and illustrated.

Sinoperlodes, a new genus of subfamily Perlodinae (Plecoptera, Perlodidae) from coastal southeastern China

Sinoperlodes zhouchangfai gen. nov., sp. nov. is described and illustrated on the basis of male and female adults from Tianmu Mountain, Zhejiang Province of southeastern China, representing the first record of subfamily Perlodinae in coastal southeastern China. The new genus is characterized by extremely complicated netlike venation on apical half of wings; an entire, moderately elevated tergum 10 of male which with small transverse membrane and posteriorly covered with sensilla basiconica and sharp spines; seven small apical lobes of aedeagus; short elliptical eversible paraproct lobes and banded legs. Female of the new genus is distinctive with an elongated, broad subgenital plate covering sternum 9.

New genus of Muscidae: Coenosiinae (Diptera) from the Mexican Transition Zone and its phylogenetic position based on morphological evidence

A new monotypic genus, Aztecamyia gen. nov., is proposed for a new species of muscid fly, Aztecamyia tlaloc sp. nov., found in highland localities from the Mexican Transition Zone (Mexico, Michoacan, Morelos and Puebla). Additionally, a morphology-based phylogenetic analysis of Coenosiini is presented. The new genus has some unique characters, such as katepisternal setae 0+1+1 in males, while females are the typically Coenosiini 1+1+1; the mid and hind tibia have many long and fine setae on the apical half, from the anterior to posterior surface; and the preapical setae on all femora are absent on all surfaces. The morphology of the male and female terminalia is a typical Coenosiini shape.