Philosophy and stimulus design for neuroethology of complex-sound processing

1992 ◽  
Vol 336 (1278) ◽  
pp. 423-428 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Tuning Curve ◽  
Constant Frequency ◽  
Sound Processing ◽  
Complex Sound ◽  
Complex Sounds ◽  
As Species ◽  
Excitatory Responses ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
Stimulus Design ◽  
Central Auditory Neurons

In research on the neural mechanisms for the processing of biologically important sounds such as species-specific sounds and sounds produced by prey and predators, it is necessary to study responses of central auditory neurons to biologically im portant sounds, information-bearing elements (IBES) in them, and tone bursts. The tone bursts or constant-frequency (CF) components can be an IBE in many species of animals. Information-bearing parameters characterizing these sounds must be systematically varied, and tuning of neurons to individual parameters must be studied. The measurement of a tuning curve must be performed not only for excitatory responses, but also for inhibitory and facilitative responses, if any. The selectivity of a neuron to a particular type of sound must be tested for whether it is level-tolerant. Responses to complex sounds can probably be explained on the basis of those to IBES and tone bursts, so that the use of the tone bursts, even though they are not IBES, is as essential as that of the biologically important sounds.

scholarly journals Harmonic template neurons in primate auditory cortex underlying complex sound processing

2017 ◽  
Vol 114 (5) ◽  
pp. E840-E848 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lei Feng ◽  
Xiaoqin Wang
Keyword(s):  
Auditory Cortex ◽  
Common Marmoset ◽  
Neural Mechanisms ◽  
Sound Processing ◽  
Harmonic Complex ◽  
Complex Sound ◽  
Complex Sounds ◽  
Animal Vocalizations ◽  
The Common ◽  
Hearing Range

Harmonicity is a fundamental element of music, speech, and animal vocalizations. How the auditory system extracts harmonic structures embedded in complex sounds and uses them to form a coherent unitary entity is not fully understood. Despite the prevalence of sounds rich in harmonic structures in our everyday hearing environment, it has remained largely unknown what neural mechanisms are used by the primate auditory cortex to extract these biologically important acoustic structures. In this study, we discovered a unique class of harmonic template neurons in the core region of auditory cortex of a highly vocal New World primate, the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus), across the entire hearing frequency range. Marmosets have a rich vocal repertoire and a similar hearing range to that of humans. Responses of these neurons show nonlinear facilitation to harmonic complex sounds over inharmonic sounds, selectivity for particular harmonic structures beyond two-tone combinations, and sensitivity to harmonic number and spectral regularity. Our findings suggest that the harmonic template neurons in auditory cortex may play an important role in processing sounds with harmonic structures, such as animal vocalizations, human speech, and music.

scholarly journals Flight-call as species-specific signal in South American parrots and the effect of species relatedness in call similarity

2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 143-151 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos B. de Araújo ◽  
Paulo A. M. Marques ◽  
Jacques M. E. Vielliard
Keyword(s):  
South American ◽  
Specific Signal ◽  
As Species ◽  
Species Specific

scholarly journals Trichothecene Genotypes of Fusarium graminearum Populations Isolated from Winter Wheat Crops in Serbia

Toxins ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 460 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vesna Krnjaja ◽  
Slavica Stanković ◽  
Ana Obradović ◽  
Tanja Petrović ◽  
Violeta Mandić ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fusarium Graminearum ◽  
Gene Clusters ◽  
Sensu Stricto ◽  
Molecular Techniques ◽  
Weather Data ◽  
Morphological Observation ◽  
Specific Primer ◽  
Head Blight ◽  
As Species ◽  
Species Specific

Fusarium graminearum as the main causal agent of Fusarium head blight (FHB) and its ability to produce trichothecenes was investigated by molecular techniques. A total of 37 strains isolated from the wheat, harvested in Serbia in 2005, 2008 and 2015, and previously designated by morphological observation as F. graminearum, were used for trichothecene genotypes characterization. The strains were identified using the species-specific primer set FG16R/FG16F while genotypic characterization was done using specific TRI13 and TRI3 sequences of the trichothecene gene clusters. The PCR assays identified all strains as species of F. graminearum sensu stricto with the DON/15-ADON genotype. The quantification of the mycotoxin (DON) was performed using the biochemical assay. The high levels of DON (>20,000 µg kg−1) were recorded in all of the strains from 2005, four strains from 2008 and two strains from 2015. Weather data of the investigated seasons, showed that the optimal temperature, frequent rains and high relative humidity (RH) was very favourable for the development of F. graminearum, affecting the DON biosynthesis.

scholarly journals Uneven distribution of cryptic diversity among higher taxa of parasitic worms

2010 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 241-244 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Poulin
Keyword(s):  
Cryptic Species ◽  
Zoonotic Diseases ◽  
Helminth Parasites ◽  
Morphological Markers ◽  
Molecular Tools ◽  
Invasive Pathogens ◽  
Higher Taxa ◽  
As Species ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
Parasitic Worms

Cryptic species cause problems for estimates of biodiversity. In the case of parasites, cryptic species also plague efforts to detect potential zoonotic diseases or invasive pathogens. It is crucial to determine whether the likelihood of finding cryptic species differs among higher parasite taxa, to better calibrate estimates of diversity and monitor diseases. Using published reports of cryptic species of helminth parasites identified using molecular tools, I show that the number of species found is strongly related to the number of parasite individuals sequenced, weakly influenced by the number of host species from which parasites were obtained, and unaffected by the genetic markers used. After correction for these factors, more cryptic species of trematodes are found than in other helminth taxa. Although several features distinguish trematodes from other helminths, it is probable that our inability to discriminate among sibling species of trematodes results from their lack of structures serving as species-specific morphological markers. The available data suggest that current estimates of helminth diversity may need to be doubled (tripled for trematodes) to better reflect extant diversity.

An influence of characteristics of amplitude fluctuation on detectability of alert sound of electric powered vehicles

2021 ◽  
Vol 263 (2) ◽  
pp. 4634-4640
Author(s):  
Nozomiko Yasui ◽  
Masanobu Miura ◽  
Tetsuya Shimamura
Keyword(s):  
Sine Wave ◽  
Amplitude Fluctuation ◽  
Amplitude Envelope ◽  
Complex Sound ◽  
Complex Sounds ◽  
Periodic Fluctuation ◽  
Modulation Wave ◽  
Amplitude Fluctuations ◽  
Actual Environment ◽  
Fluctuation Frequency

The motor sound on electric powered vehicle is quiet at low speeds. Thus, pedestrians have difficulty detecting the vehicles approaching them under urban noise. Although the vehicles were designed to play an alert sound to solve this problem, it has not been solved yet. Our previous studies found that characteristics of amplitude fluctuation, fluctuation frequency, non-periodic fluctuation and amplitude envelope, are effective to make them detect approaching vehicles. However, those studies were investigated under only a specific actual environment, weren't examined validity of detectability in those studies. Here, this paper investigates under another actual environment, examine the validity. Investigations were carried out by using synthesized complex sounds which were designed to have periodic and non-periodic amplitude fluctuations. Those complex sounds have characteristics of amplitude fluctuations in gasoline powered vehicle. Amplitude envelopes such as modulation wave in amplitude-modulated sound were set for deviations for time and amplitude, and amplitude-modulated complex sounds were synthesized using sine wave, sawtooth wave, and rectangle wave. Then, their effects on detectability by pedestrians were assessed in another actual environment. The results found that amplitude fluctuation enhances the ability with which people detect approaching electric powered vehicles in case of some complex sound.

scholarly journals Restoration Scaling Approaches to Addressing Ecological Injury: The Habitat-Based Resource Equivalency Method

2020 ◽  
Vol 65 (2) ◽  
pp. 161-177 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Baker ◽  
Adam Domanski ◽  
Terill Hollweg ◽  
Jason Murray ◽  
Diana Lane ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Natural Resource ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
Error Rates ◽  
Hazardous Substances ◽  
Habitat Equivalency Analysis ◽  
Natural Resource Damage Assessment ◽  
As Species ◽  
Ecological Habitat ◽  
Multiple Species ◽  
Species Specific

AbstractNatural resource trustee agencies must determine how much, and what type of environmental restoration will compensate for injuries to natural resources that result from releases of hazardous substances or oil spills. To fulfill this need, trustees, and other natural resource damage assessment (NRDA) practitioners have relied on a variety of approaches, including habitat equivalency analysis (HEA) and resource equivalency analysis (REA). The purpose of this paper is to introduce the Habitat-Based Resource Equivalency Method (HaBREM), which integrates REA’s reproducible injury metrics and population modeling with HEA’s comprehensive habitat approach to restoration. HaBREM is intended to evaluate injury and restoration using organisms that use the habitat to represent ecological habitat functions. This paper seeks to expand and refine the use of organism-based metrics (biomass-based REA), providing an opportunity to integrate sublethal injuries to multiple species, as well as the potential to include error rates for injury and restoration parameters. Applied by NRDA practitioners in the appropriate context, this methodology can establish the relationship between benefits of compensatory restoration projects and injuries to plant or animal species within an affected habitat. HaBREM may be most effective where there are appropriate data supporting the linkage between habitat and species gains (particularly regionally specific habitat information), as well as species-specific monitoring data and predictions on the growth, density, productivity (i.e., rate of generation of biomass or individuals), and age distributions of indicator species.

Postnatal Maturation of Primary Auditory Cortex in the Mustached Bat, Pteronotus parnellii

2010 ◽  
Vol 103 (5) ◽  
pp. 2339-2354 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Vater ◽  
E. Foeller ◽  
E. C. Mora ◽  
F. Coro ◽  
I. J. Russell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Auditory Cortex ◽  
Cortical Neurons ◽  
Second Harmonic ◽  
Tuning Curve ◽  
Primary Auditory Cortex ◽  
Constant Frequency ◽  
Low Frequencies ◽  
Postnatal Maturation ◽  
Mustached Bat ◽  
Pteronotus Parnellii

The primary auditory cortex (AI) of adult Pteronotus parnellii features a foveal representation of the second harmonic constant frequency (CF2) echolocation call component. In the corresponding Doppler-shifted constant frequency (DSCF) area, the 61 kHz range is over-represented for extraction of frequency-shift information in CF2 echoes. To assess to which degree AI postnatal maturation depends on active echolocation or/and reflects ongoing cochlear maturation, cortical neurons were recorded in juveniles up to postnatal day P29, before the bats are capable of active foraging. At P1-2, neurons in posterior AI are tuned sensitively to low frequencies (22–45 dB SPL, 28–35 kHz). Within the prospective DSCF area, neurons had insensitive responses (>60 dB SPL) to frequencies <40 kHz and lacked sensitive tuning curve tips. Up to P10, when bats do not yet actively echolocate, tonotopy is further developed and DSCF neurons respond to frequencies of 51–57 kHz with maximum tuning sharpness ( Q10dB) of 57. Between P11 and 20, the frequency representation in AI includes higher frequencies anterior and dorsal to the DSCF area. More multipeaked neurons (33%) are found than at older age. In the oldest group, DSCF neurons are tuned to frequencies close to 61 kHz with Q10dB values ≤212, and threshold sensitivity, tuning sharpness and cortical latencies are adult-like. The data show that basic aspects of cortical tonotopy are established before the bats actively echolocate. Maturation of tonotopy, increase of tuning sharpness, and upward shift in the characteristic frequency of DSCF neurons appear to strongly reflect cochlear maturation.

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