scholarly journals Song, Dance, and Smell Routine? Interpreting the Content and Function of Multimodal Signals in a Songbird, the Dark-Eyed Junco (Junco Hyemalis)

2011 ◽  
Vol 34 ◽  
pp. 115-120
Author(s):  
Dustin Reichard ◽  
Marine Drouilly ◽  
Danielle Whittaker ◽  
Stephen Ferguson
Keyword(s):  
New Technologies ◽  
Animal Communication ◽  
Sensory System ◽  
High Amplitude ◽  
Biased Sampling ◽  
Plasma Testosterone ◽  
Multimodal Signals ◽  
Courtship Signal ◽  
And Function ◽  
Low Amplitude

The study of animal communication has been dominated by a focus on signal types that are easily recognized and quantified by human observers. This approach has inevitably limited our ability to identify cryptic signals such as low-amplitude vocalizations and signals that transmit beyond the range of our sensory system, such as most olfactory signals. Only recently with the development of new technologies and less biased sampling techniques have we begun to unravel the importance and function of these non-traditional signal types. Here we report the results of two experiments focusing on poorly studied signals using a common songbird, the dark-eyed junco. We investigated the effect of low-amplitude song on male physiology and the occurrence of bill-wiping behavior during courtship and aggressive interactions. Preliminary results suggest that males do not alter their plasma testosterone or corticosterone levels in response to a song playback of high-amplitude or low-amplitude song, indicating that a stronger stimulus may be necessary to affect circulating hormones. Males that received intrusions of a live male or female conspecific performed significantly more bill-wiping in response to the female conspecific, suggesting that bill-wiping may be an important and overlooked courtship signal in this species.

Predicting spatial activity patterns in a neural map from a probabilistic atlas of 3-D reconstructed neurons

1995 ◽  
Vol 53 ◽  
pp. 812-813
Author(s):  
G. Jacobs ◽  
F. Theunissen
Keyword(s):  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Sensory System ◽  
Neural System ◽  
Probabilistic Atlas ◽  
Uniform Sample ◽  
Dimensional Reconstruction ◽  
The Time Domain ◽  
And Function ◽  
Visualization Techniques

In order to understand how the algorithms underlying neural computation are implemented within any neural system, it is necessary to understand details of the anatomy, physiology and global organization of the neurons from which the system is constructed. Information is represented in neural systems by patterns of activity that vary in both their spatial extent and in the time domain. One of the great challenges to microscopists is to devise methods for imaging these patterns of activity and to correlate them with the underlying neuroanatomy and physiology. We have addressed this problem by using a combination of three dimensional reconstruction techniques, quantitative analysis and computer visualization techniques to build a probabilistic atlas of a neural map in an insect sensory system. The principal goal of this study was to derive a quantitative representation of the map, based on a uniform sample of afferents that was of sufficient size to allow statistically meaningful analyses of the relationships between structure and function.

scholarly journals Vocal plasticity in a reptile

2017 ◽  
Vol 284 (1855) ◽  
pp. 20170451 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henrik Brumm ◽  
Sue Anne Zollinger
Keyword(s):  
Signal Detection ◽  
Communication Systems ◽  
Vocal Communication ◽  
Animal Communication ◽  
High Amplitude ◽  
Vocal Plasticity ◽  
Lombard Effect ◽  
Gekko Gecko ◽  
High Degree ◽  
Signalling Systems

Sophisticated vocal communication systems of birds and mammals, including human speech, are characterized by a high degree of plasticity in which signals are individually adjusted in response to changes in the environment. Here, we present, to our knowledge, the first evidence for vocal plasticity in a reptile. Like birds and mammals, tokay geckos ( Gekko gecko ) increased the duration of brief call notes in the presence of broadcast noise compared to quiet conditions, a behaviour that facilitates signal detection by receivers. By contrast, they did not adjust the amplitudes of their call syllables in noise (the Lombard effect), which is in line with the hypothesis that the Lombard effect has evolved independently in birds and mammals. However, the geckos used a different strategy to increase signal-to-noise ratios: instead of increasing the amplitude of a given call type when exposed to noise, the subjects produced more high-amplitude syllable types from their repertoire. Our findings demonstrate that reptile vocalizations are much more flexible than previously thought, including elaborate vocal plasticity that is also important for the complex signalling systems of birds and mammals. We suggest that signal detection constraints are one of the major forces driving the evolution of animal communication systems across different taxa.

Frequency Response Analysis of Piecewise Nonlinear Vibration Isolator

2005 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick Stahl ◽  
G. Nakhaie Jazar
Keyword(s):  
Low Frequency ◽  
High Amplitude ◽  
Relative Displacement ◽  
Response Analysis ◽  
Frequency Response Analysis ◽  
State Behavior ◽  
Vibration Isolators ◽  
Short Period ◽  
Secondary Suspension ◽  
Low Amplitude

Non-smooth piecewise functional isolators are smart passive vibration isolators that can provide effective isolation for high frequency/low amplitude excitation by introducing a soft primary suspension, and by preventing a high relative displacement in low frequency/high amplitude excitation by introducing a relatively damped secondary suspension. In this investigation a linear secondary suspension is attached to a nonlinear primary suspension. The primary is assumed to be nonlinear to model the inherent nonlinearities involved in real suspensions. However, the secondary suspension comes into action only during a short period of time, and in mall domain around resonance. Therefore, a linear assumption for the secondary suspension is reasonable. The dynamic behavior of the system subject to a harmonic base excitation has been analyzed utilizing the analytic results derived by applying the averaging method. The analytic results match very well in the transition between the two suspensions. A sensitivity analysis has shown the effect of varying dynamic parameters in the steady state behavior of the system.

scholarly journals Influence of Technology on Socio-spatial City Development

Prostor ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 29 (1 (61)) ◽  
pp. 118-129
Author(s):  
Ljiljana Vujadinović ◽  
Svetlana K. Perović
Keyword(s):  
Social Life ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Spatial Dimension ◽  
Social Changes ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Spiritual Values ◽  
City Development ◽  
Material Goods ◽  
And Function ◽  
The City

This paper is studying influence of new technologies on city development with accent on socio-spatial dimension. The primary goal of the paper is to point out the reflections of earlier ideas in the context of modern technological processes in cities. All social, technical and technological components of a community, and finally civilization, are reflected within space of the city. Although having remained the greatest consumer of many material goods, city has also become a ‘’producer’’ of many technical-technological and spiritual values of civilization. Taking into account acceleration of phenomena in the world of technology and technology featuring modernity, it reasonably brings a question on realistic chance for prediction of their further course and related social changes that are about to cause it. In many scenarios of urban future, one can sense the idea of a city as a result of high technological achievements of civilization. Special attention is paid on informational city which, connecting a lot of people into systems of interactive information technology change the way of their mutual communication, as well as their social life and culture of behaviour. Measure of organization and function of city is set by telecommunication technologies, information, and computers. If city is a ‘’print of a society in space’’, then a contemporary moment refers to ‘’digitalization’’ of human beings, digitalization of their interactions, new aesthetics, value and other criteria. The tendency of this paper is to contribute to the understanding of new technologies on 21st century cities interpreted primarily through the prism of certain theoretical and experimental ideas and concepts of the 20th century.

scholarly journals The Ontogeny and Function of Placental Macrophages

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jake R. Thomas ◽  
Praveena Naidu ◽  
Anna Appios ◽  
Naomi McGovern
Keyword(s):  
Human Placenta ◽  
Outer Layer ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Placental Development ◽  
Fetal Health ◽  
Hofbauer Cells ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Placental Macrophages ◽  
And Function ◽  
Insight Into

The placenta is a fetal-derived organ whose function is crucial for both maternal and fetal health. The human placenta contains a population of fetal macrophages termed Hofbauer cells. These macrophages play diverse roles, aiding in placental development, function and defence. The outer layer of the human placenta is formed by syncytiotrophoblast cells, that fuse to form the syncytium. Adhered to the syncytium at sites of damage, on the maternal side of the placenta, is a population of macrophages termed placenta associated maternal macrophages (PAMM1a). Here we discuss recent developments that have led to renewed insight into our understanding of the ontogeny, phenotype and function of placental macrophages. Finally, we discuss how the application of new technologies within placental research are helping us to further understand these cells.

Application of instantaneous rotations to S‐wave vertical seismic profiling

Geophysics ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 62 (5) ◽  
pp. 1365-1368
Author(s):  
M. Boulfoul ◽  
Doyle R. Watts
Keyword(s):  
High Amplitude ◽  
Seismic Profile ◽  
P Wave ◽  
Petroleum Exploration ◽  
S Wave ◽  
Amplitude Variation With Offset ◽  
Seismic Profiling ◽  
Vertical Seismic Profiling ◽  
Seismic Models ◽  
Low Amplitude

The petroleum exploration industry uses S‐wave vertical seismic profiling (VSP) to determine S‐wave velocities from downgoing direct arrivals, and S‐wave reflectivities from upgoing waves. Seismic models for quantitative calibration of amplitude variation with offset (AVO) data require S‐wave velocity profiles (Castagna et al., 1993). Vertical summations (Hardage, 1983) of the upgoing waves produce S‐wave composite traces and enable interpretation of S‐wave seismic profile sections. In the simplest application of amplitude anomalies, the coincidence of high amplitude P‐wave reflectivity and low amplitude S‐wave reflectivity is potentially a direct indicator of the presence of natural gas.

Variability of the dynamics of somatometric parameters in schoolchildren with different nutritional status (longitudinal study)

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (5) ◽  
pp. 68-72
Author(s):  
V.L. Gritsinskaya ◽  
◽  
V.P. Novikova ◽  
A.I. Khavkin ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nutritional Status ◽  
High Amplitude ◽  
Physical Development ◽  
Growth Spurt ◽  
Pubertal Growth Spurt ◽  
Pubertal Growth ◽  
Normal Limits ◽  
Study Participants ◽  
Two Peaks ◽  
Low Amplitude

Objective. To identify specific features of pubertal growth spurt in adolescents depending on their nutritional status in prepuberty. Patients and methods. We analyzed the dynamics of height and weight in 645 children (331 boys and 314 girls) aged between 8 and 16 years. All study participants were divided into three groups depending on whether their weight and height at the age of 8 years were within the normal limits given in the ‘WHO Growth Reference 2007’: children with physical development; underweight children; and overweight children. Results. The dynamics of somatometric parameters during pubertal growth spurt varied between children with different nutritional status. Underweight boys demonstrated prolonged and low-amplitude pubertal growth pattern; in boys with normal physical development, the growth spurt was usually shorter and had high amplitude. In overweight boys, the pubertal growth spurt started with higher annual increase in height, had a more pronounced amplitude, and was shorter than in peers (р < 0.001 ÷ р < 0.05). Both underweight girls and girls with normal physical development demonstrated low-amplitude pubertal growth spurt lasting for two years. Overweight girls had two peaks of pubertal growth spurt, which usually started earlier than in other girls (р < 0.001 ÷ р < 0.01). Conclusion. Our findings can be used as a guide for predicting pubertal spurt in children during medical examinations, determining adequate physical activity in physical education classes at school and in sports sections. Key words: children, nutritional status, pubertal growth spurt

Oxygen Consumption by the Sea Anemone Calliactis Parasitica (Couch)

1980 ◽  
Vol 88 (1) ◽  
pp. 367-374
Author(s):  
A. E. BRAFIELD
Keyword(s):  
Oxygen Consumption ◽  
Oxygen Concentration ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
High Amplitude ◽  
Total Oxygen ◽  
Strip Chart ◽  
Calliactis Parasitica ◽  
Cycle Lengths ◽  
Mean Cycle ◽  
Low Amplitude

Oxygen consumption by Calliactis parasitica, measured in a continuousflow polarographic respirometer, yielded a slope of 0·92 when plotted against body weight on log scales. This high value is discussed in terms of the sea anemone's basically laminate nature. Strip-chart records of the oxygen concentration of water which had just passed a specimen of Calliactis commonly showed rhythmic fluctuations, either of low amplitude and high frequency or high amplitude and low frequency (mean cycle lengths 11 and 34 min respectively). The fluctuations are explained in terms of rhythmic muscular contractions which irrigate the enteron for respiratory purposes. Analysis of the slow fluctuations indicates that the endoderm is responsible for about 18% of the total oxygen consumption. The oxygen concentration of water in the enteron, measured and recorded continuously, was 4–27% of the air-saturation level. These strip chart records also frequently showed rhythmic fluctuations (mean cycle length 12 min), apparently resulting from the muscular contractions.

Electrical Resistive Spiking of Fungi

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Adamatzky ◽  
Alessandro Chiolerio ◽  
Georgios Sirakoulis
Keyword(s):  
Electrical Resistance ◽  
Electronic Devices ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
High Amplitude ◽  
Average Amplitude ◽  
Average Width ◽  
C 23 ◽  
C 30 ◽  
Low Amplitude

We study long-term electrical resistance dynamics in mycelium and fruit bodies of oyster fungi P. ostreatus. A nearly homogeneous sheet of mycelium on the surface of a growth substrate exhibits trains of resistance spikes. The average width of spikes is c. 23[Formula: see text]min and the average amplitude is c. 1[Formula: see text]k[Formula: see text]. The distance between neighboring spikes in a train of spikes is c. 30[Formula: see text]min. Typically, there are 4–6 spikes in a train of spikes. Two types of electrical resistance spikes trains are found in fruit bodies: low frequency and high amplitude (28[Formula: see text]min spike width, 1.6[Formula: see text]k[Formula: see text] amplitude, 57[Formula: see text]min distance between spikes) and high frequency and low amplitude (10[Formula: see text]min width, 0.6[Formula: see text]k[Formula: see text] amplitude, 44[Formula: see text]min distance between spikes). The findings could be applied in monitoring of physiological states of fungi and future development of living electronic devices and sensors.

Metaphors and other slippery creatures

2019 ◽  
Vol 52 (2) ◽  
pp. 345-352
Author(s):  
James E. Strick
Keyword(s):  
Cell Biology ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Building Blocks ◽  
State University ◽  
Arizona State University ◽  
Living Things ◽  
History Of ◽  
Dialectical Relationship ◽  
Rich Material ◽  
And Function

What are cells? How are they related to each other and to the organism as a whole? These questions have exercised biology since Schleiden and Schwann (1838–1839) first proposed cells as the key units of structure and function of all living things. But how do we try to understand them? Through new technologies like the achromatic microscope and the electron microscope. But just as importantly, through the metaphors our culture has made available to biologists in different periods and places. These two new volumes provide interesting history and philosophy of the development of cell biology. Reynolds surveys the field's changing conceptual structure by examining the varied panoply of changing metaphors used to conceptualize and explain cells – from cells as empty boxes, as building blocks, to individual organisms, to chemical factories, and through many succeeding metaphors up to one with great currency today: cells as social creatures in communication with others in their community. There is some of this approach in the Visions edited collection as well. But this collection also includes rich material on the technologies used to visualize cells and their dialectical relationship with the epistemology of the emerging distinct discipline of cell biology. This volume centres on, but is not limited to, ‘reflections inspired by [E.V.] Cowdry's [1924 volume] General Cytology’; it benefits from a conference on the Cowdry volume as well as a 2011 Marine Biological Lab/Arizona State University workshop on the history of cell biology.

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