Capturing differences in perception and aesthetic judgment of live or medially presented music: development of a self-report instrument

Nowadays there are multiple ways to perceive music, from attending concerts (live) to listening to recorded music through headphones (medial). In between there are many mixed modes, such as playback performances. In empirical music research, this plurality of performance forms has so far found little recognition. Until now no measuring instrument has existed that could adequately capture the differences in perception and aesthetic judgment. The purpose of our empirical investigation was to capture all dimensions relevant to such an assessment. Using 3D-simulations and dynamic binaural synthesis, various live and medial situations were simulated. A qualitative survey was conducted at the Department of Audio Communication of the Technical University of Berlin (TU Berlin). With the help of the repertory grid technique, a data pool of approximately 400 attribute pairs was created and individual rating data were collected. Our first study served to create a semantic differential. In a second study, this semantic differential was evaluated. The development of the semantic differential was carried out by first using a mixed-method approach to qualitative analysis according to grounded theory. Thereafter, a principal component analysis reduced the attribute pairs to 67 items in four components. The semantic differential consists of items concerning acoustic, visual and audio-visual interaction as well as items with an overarching assessment of the stimuli. The evaluation study, comprising 45 participants (23 male and 22 female, M = 42.56 years, SD = 17.16) who rated 12 stimuli each, reduced the items to 61 and resulted in 18 subscales and nine single items. Because the survey used simulations, the social component may be underrepresented. Nevertheless, the questionnaire we created enables the evaluation of music performances (especially for classical concerts) in a new scope, thus opening many opportunities for further research. For example, in a live concert context, we observed not only that seating position influences the judgment of sound quality but also that visual elements influence immersion and felt affect. In the future, the differential could be reviewed for a larger stimulus pool, extended or used modularly for different research questions.

Molting incidents of Hyalomma spp. carrying human pathogens in Germany under different weather conditions

BACKGROUND

Hyalomma marginatum and H. rufipes are two-host tick species, which are mainly distributed in southern Europe, Africa to central Asia but may also be found in Central and Northern Europe through introduction by migratory birds.

METHODS

Ticks were collected while feeding or crawling on animals and humans, or from the environment, in different regions in Germany, between 2019 and 2021 in a citizen science study and from 2022 to 2023 in the wake of this study.

RESULTS

From 2019 to 2023, a total of 212 Hyalomma adult ticks were detected in Germany. This included 132 H. marginatum and 43 H. rufipes ticks sent to research institutions and 37 photographic records that were only identified to genus level. The number of detected ticks varied over the years, with the highest number of 119 specimens recorded in 2019, followed by 57 in 2020. Most of the specimens were collected from horses, while some were collected from other animals, humans or found crawling on human clothes or other objects inside or outside houses. The screening of 175 specimens for Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus and of 132 specimens for Babesia/Theileria spp. by PCR gave negative results, while human-pathogenic Rickettsia were detected in 44% (77/175) of the total samples. Subsequent amplicon sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of representative samples determined the species of 41 Rickettsia aeschlimannii and one R. slovaca sequences.

CONCLUSIONS

Analysis of climatic factors indicated a significantly higher probability of Hyalomma occurrence at locations with higher average spring temperature during the years 2019 and 2020 compared to randomly generated pseudo-absence locations. Dry and hot conditions probably facilitated Hyalomma nymphs' survival and molting into adults during these years.

Exotic ticks removed from German travelers

We report the finding of five nymphs and three adult ticks attached to German tourists while traveling the American continents. All eight specimens were morphologically identified and confirmed genetically using the 16S rRNA gene and screened for Rickettsia spp. infections. Five tick species were identified: one Amblyomma mixtum nymph from Ecuador, one Amblyomma varium nymph from Colombia, three Amblyomma coelebs nymphs from Costa Rica, one Amblyomma americanum male from the USA, one Dermacentor andersoni female and one D. andersoni male from Canada. Tick-borne microorganisms screening using the pan-Rickettsia-PCR resulted in two positive and six negative ticks. The A. mixtum nymph was positive for Rickettsia amblyommatis, while the D. andersoni female was positive for Rickettsia peacockii.

Update and prognosis of Dermacentor distribution in Germany: Nationwide occurrence of Dermacentor reticulatus

A considerable range expansion of Dermacentor reticulatus has been observed in several European countries, which is concerning in the light of its vector function for several pathogens, including Babesia canis and tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV). The present study provides an update on the distribution of Dermacentor ticks in Germany, using a citizen science approach. Ticks were collected by citizens from March 2020 to May 2021, and submitted along with information on the date and location of collection, potential hosts and details about the circumstances of discovery. In total, 3,292 Dermacentor specimens were received, of which 76.4% (2,515/3,292) were identified as D. reticulatus and 23.0% (758/3,292) as D. marginatus, while 0.6% (19/3,292) were too damaged for species-level identification. Dermacentor reticulatus was received from all federal states of Germany. Maxent species distribution models predicted suitable environmental conditions for D. reticulatus throughout Germany. Findings on the vegetation or on pastured animals without travel history confirmed the occurrence of this tick species as far north as the most northern German federal state Schleswig-Holstein. In contrast, the distribution of D. marginatus still appears to be limited to southwestern Germany, although the northward shift of the distribution limit observed in the preceding citizen science study, as compared with previous published distributions, was confirmed. This shift was also predicted by Maxent species distribution models, reflecting the broader distribution of the tick occurrence data contributed by citizens. Most D. reticulatus ticks were found on dogs (1,311/1,960, 66.9%), while D. marginatus was mainly discovered on hoofed animals (197/621, 31.7%) and humans (182/621, 29.3%). Human tick bites were reported in 0.7% (14/1,960) of host-assigned D. reticulatus and 3.4% (21/621) of host-assigned D. marginatus. Further studies to investigate an increasing endemisation of Babesia canis in Germany as well as the relevance of D. reticulatus for TBEV spread throughout the country, e.g., by traveling dogs, are urgently needed. In view of the activity of D. reticulatus during winter or the colder months, which complements that of Ixodes ricinus, a year-round tick protection of at least dogs is strongly recommended.

Integrative single cell RNA-sequencing descrambles a substantial divergence of adaptive immune cell identities and transcriptional programs in mouse and human atherosclerosis

Aims

The distinct function of immune cells in human atherosclerosis has been mostly defined by preclinical mouse studies. Contrastingly, the immune cell composition of human atherosclerotic plaques and their contribution to disease progression is only poorly understood. It remains uncertain whether genetic animal models allow for valuable translational approaches.

Methods and results

We performed single cell RNA-sequencing (scRNAseq) to define the immune cell landscape in human carotid atherosclerotic plaques. The human immune cell repertoire was dominated by T cells with a considerable inter-patient variability and an unexpected heterogeneity. We performed bioinformatical integration with 7 mouse data sets and discovered a total of 38 cellular identities, of which some were not conserved between species and exclusively found in mice or humans. Locations, frequencies, and transcriptional programs of immune cells in preclinical mouse models did not resemble the immune cell landscape in human atherosclerosis. In contrast to mice, human plaques were not myeloid- and B cell-dominated and instead contained several T cell phenotypes with hallmarks of T cell memory, dysregulation, exhaustion, and activation. Human immune cells were predominantly enriched for transcriptional programs of hypoxia, glucose, and autoimmunity. In a validation cohort of 43 patients activated immune cell subsets defined by multi-colour flow cytometry associated with cerebral ischemia and coronary artery disease.

Conclusion

Here, we uncover yet undefined immune cell types associating with clinical disease. This leukocyte atlas of human atherosclerosis builds the conceptual basis for subsequent identification of cellular targets for clinical immunomodulatory therapies and risk prediction.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): ERC Starting Grant

Tick-Borne Encephalitis Vaccination Protects from Alimentary TBE Infection: Results from an Alimentary Outbreak

In May 2017, a hospitalized index case of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) was confirmed by Serology. The case was linked to alimentary infection by raw milk from a goat farm in the region of Tübingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, where no previous TBE cases in the area had been reported before. The TBE focus was confirmed by isolation of the TBE virus from ticks and Serological confirmation of past infection in one of the five flock goats. Additional investigations by the local public health office identified 27 consumers of goat milk at the putative period of exposure. For 20/27 exposed persons, anamnestic information was gained by the local public health office. Twelve/fourteen exposed and non-vaccinated people developed clinical illness and were confirmed as TBE cases by Serology. Five/six vaccinated and exposed people did not develop the disease. The one exposed and vaccinated person had their last TBE vaccination booster more than 15 years ago, and therefore a booster was more than 10 years overdue. None of the regularly vaccinated and exposed persons developed clinical overt TBE infection. We report the first known TBE outbreak, during which, protection by TBE vaccination against alimentary TBE infection was demonstrated.

Atlas of the immune cell repertoire in human atherosclerotic plaques characterized by single cell RNA-sequencing and multi-color flow cytometry

Rationale

Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease that is driven by the accumulation of pro- and anti-inflammatory leukocytes in the intima of affected arteries. Yet, the cellular composition of human atherosclerotic plaques is only poorly understood. Here, we characterized immune cells to human carotid atherosclerotic plaques by multi-color flow cytometry and scRNAseq.

Methods and results

First, we compared a set of previously reported digestion protocols to liberate leukocytes from human carotid plaques after surgical thrombendarteriectomy. One digestion cocktail, containing Collagenase IV and DNase I, was superior regarding cell survival and cell surface marker preservation. Second, leukocytes from 56 surgical specimen were characterized by flow cytometry with a set of 16 parameters and cell surface markers capable of identifying principal hematopoietic leukocyte lineages. This protocol allowed to extract and analyze on average 4x103 viable CD45+ leukocytes from a mean of 988 mg plaque tissue. Surprisingly, we found that atherosclerotic plaques were dominated by T cells with 33.7±2.2% CD4+ T-helper cells and 25.6±2.5% CD8+ cytotoxic T cells. CD11b+ myeloid cells, including monocytes and macrophages, represented only 20.2±4.0% of all CD45+ leukocytes. CD19+B cells and CD56+ NK-cells accounted for 3.9±1.2 and 3.3±0.5%, respectively. TCR-g/d+ T cells and neutrophils were undetectable in atherosclerotic plaques. This cellular composition differed significantly from peripheral blood, but was not relevantly changed between different plaque locations, indicating that macrophage-rich necrotic cores mostly contain dead cells. We confirmed the principal composition of human plaques by single-cell RNA-sequencing from six patients. To allow an estimation of cellular heterogeneity independent of classical cell surface marker assignment, we performed an unsupervised cluster detection algorithm by t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding (tSNE) and found more than 16 leukocyte clusters with unique cell surface marker expression, suggesting an unexpected high diversity of plaque leukocytes.

Conclusion

We developed an immune cell phenotyping protocol optimized for human carotid plaques. The definition of phenotypes and frequencies in atherosclerotic plaques will allow to build clinical associations between the immune cell composition and clinical outcomes in future.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding source: None

The Spatial Distribution of Dermacentor Ticks (Ixodidae) in Germany-Evidence of a Continuing Spread of Dermacentor reticulatus

In Europe, two tick species of the genus Dermacentor occur, Dermacentor marginatus and Dermacentor reticulatus. When the spatial distribution of both species in Germany was studied comprehensively for the first time in 1976, D. marginatus populations were recorded along the Rhine and Main river valleys in southwestern Germany, while D. reticulatus was very rare. In the last 50 years, however, a considerable range expansion of D. reticulatus has been noted in several European countries. To assess the current distribution of Dermacentor spp. in Germany, citizens were asked to send in ticks suspected to belong to the genus Dermacentor or that were of “unusual” appearance. From February 2019 until February 2020, 3,902 Dermacentor ticks were received in total. Of those, 15.48% (604/3,902) were identified as D. marginatus and 84.24% (3,287/3,902) as D. reticulatus, while 11 specimens could not be identified to species level. The majority of D. reticulatus specimens was collected from dogs (1,212/2,535; 47.12%), while D. marginatus was mostly collected from horses (184/526; 34.98%). Our results confirm that the adults of both Dermacentor species are active all year round. D. reticulatus specimens were sent in from all federal states except the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, while D. marginatus specimens were only received from locations in southwestern Germany. Overall, data obtained from this citizen-science study show that D. reticulatus has significantly expanded its range, especially in northern Germany. Regarding D. marginatus, new locations northwest of the previous range were detected, although the distribution has remained rather stable as compared to D. reticulatus. The spread of D. reticulatus, the vector of Babesia canis, is of major importance for veterinarians and dog owners in terms of canine babesiosis outbreaks or endemization in hitherto B. canis-free areas. Thus, veterinarians and veterinary students need to be informed about the new situation to be able to give adequate advice to dog owners on the extended D. reticulatus range and appropriate control measures.

A cluster of two human cases of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) transmitted by unpasteurised goat milk and cheese in Germany, May 2016

In May 2016, two cases of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) were confirmed by serology (positive IgM and IgG antibodies against TBE virus (TBEV) in serum), with a possible link to raw milk and cheese from a goat farm in a region in Baden-Württemberg, Germany not previously known as TBE-endemic. The outbreak investigation identified 32 consumers of goat dairy products (29 consumers, one farm employee, two owners) of whom none had IgM antibodies against TBEV 3–8 weeks after consumption. Of the 27 notified TBE cases in the State, none reported consumption of raw goat milk or cheese from the suspected farm. Five of 22 cheese samples from 18 different batches were RT-qPCR-positive for TBEV -genome, and two of the five samples were confirmed by virus isolation, indicating viability of TBEV in the cheese. Nine of the 45 goats had neutralising TBEV antibodies, two of them with a high titre indicating recent infection. One of 412 Ixodes ricinus was RT-qPCR-positive, and sequencing of the E gene from nucleic acid extracted from the tick confirmed TBEV. Phylogenetic analyses of tick and cheese isolates showed 100% amino acid homology in the E gene and a close relation to TBEV strains from Switzerland and Austria.

Ixodes frontalis: a neglected but ubiquitous tick species in Germany

The ornithophilic tick species Ixodes frontalis (Panzer) is spatially distributed in Europe, Asia and northern Africa. It can serve as a carrier of different bacteria and viruses, but little is known of its actual vector competence. In addition, adult females of this species are associated with the avian "tick-related syndrome" (TRS). Like most ornithophilic tick species, I. frontalis is usually collected from bird nests or directly from their hosts. Reports of I. frontalis being collected with the flagging method are scarce. In Germany, the species is considered as very rare. In the few reports that are available, the majority of ticks has been discovered on migrating birds. Therefore, knowledge of the actual distribution of this species in Germany was strictly limited. In this study, we report the finding of 1084 individuals of I. frontalis collected with the flagging method in urban areas and gardens in several regions of Germany. Furthermore, the species was discovered on 35 dead Eurasian blackbirds (Turdus merula) from all over Germany. Finally, we report of five new possible cases of TRS, three in free-ranging birds and two in captive birds, including a Harris's hawk (Parabuteo unicinctus) kept for falconry.

Imported Hyalomma ticks in Germany in 2018

Background

Hyalomma marginatum and Hyalomma rufipes are two-host tick species, which are mainly distributed in southern Europe, Africa and middle-eastern Asia. They are well-known vectors of Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) virus and other viruses as well as Rickettsia aeschlimannii. In recent years, these tick species have been found sporadically in Germany, but they do not belong to the autochthonous tick fauna in Germany.

Methods

Ticks with unusual morphology were collected and sent from private persons or public health offices to involve institutions for morphological identification and further testing. All ticks identified as Hyalomma spp. were tested using molecular detection methods for CCHF virus, Rickettsia spp., Coxiella burnetii and Coxiella-like organisms, Babesia spp. and Theileria spp.

Results

Thirty-five ticks with an unusual appearance or behaviour were reported to us during summer-autumn 2018. For 17 of them, the description or photos implied that they belong to the hard tick genus Hyalomma. The remaining 18 ticks were sent to us and were identified as adult Hyalomma marginatum (10 specimens) or adult Hyalomma rufipes (8 specimens). All ticks tested negative for CCHF virus, Coxiella burnetii, Coxiella-like organisms, Babesia spp. and Theileria spp. The screening for rickettsiae gave positive results in 9 specimens . The Rickettsia species in all cases was identified as R. aeschlimannii.

Conclusions

These results show that exotic tick species imported into Germany were able to develop from the nymphal to the adult stage under appropriate weather conditions. Fifty percent of the ticks carried R. aeschlimannii, a human pathogen, while CCHF virus or other pathogens were not detected. Imported Hyalomma ticks may be the source of exotic diseases acquired in Germany.

On the authenticity of individual dynamic binaural synthesis

A simulation that is perceptually indistinguishable from the corresponding real sound field could be termed authentic. Using binaural technology, such a simulation would theoretically be achieved by reconstructing the sound pressure at a listener's ears. However, inevitable errors in the measurement, rendering, and reproduction introduce audible degradations, as it has been demonstrated in previous studies for anechoic environments and static binaural simulations (fixed head orientation). The current study investigated the authenticity of individual dynamic binaural simulations for three different acoustic environments (anechoic, dry, wet) using a highly sensitive listening test design. The results show that about half of the participants failed to reliably detect any differences for a speech stimulus, whereas all participants were able to do so for pulsed pink noise. Higher detection rates were observed in the anechoic condition, compared to the reverberant spaces, while the source position had no significant effect. It is concluded that the authenticity mainly depends on how comprehensive the spectral cues are provided by the audio content, and the amount of reverberation, whereas the source position plays a minor role. This is confirmed by a broad qualitative evaluation, suggesting that remaining differences mainly affect the tone color rather than the spatial, temporal or dynamical qualities.

Deriving content-specific measures of room acoustic perception using a binaural, nonlinear auditory model

Acousticians generally assess the acoustic qualities of a concert hall or any other room using impulse response-based measures such as the reverberation time, clarity index, and others. These parameters are used to predict perceptual attributes related to the acoustic qualities of the room. Various studies show that these physical measures are not able to predict the related perceptual attributes sufficiently well under all circumstances. In particular, it has been shown that physical measures are dependent on the state of occupation, are prone to exaggerated spatial fluctuation, and suffer from lacking discrimination regarding the kind of acoustic stimulus being presented. Accordingly, this paper proposes a method for the derivation of signal-based measures aiming at predicting aspects of room acoustic perception from content specific signal representations produced by a binaural, nonlinear model of the human auditory system. Listening tests were performed to test the proposed auditory parameters for both speech and music. The results look promising; the parameters correlate with their corresponding perceptual attributes in most cases.