Auditory sense in certain sphingid moths

Moths of the genus Celerio, hovering and feeding from blossoms, have been observed to react vigorously to high-pitched sounds. The acoustic receptor appears to involve the labial palps. Its characteristics have been determined from responses made, when the moth is exposed to artificial sound pulses, by an interneuron originating in its head. These responses have been found only in 4 out of 19 sphingid species tested.     

网箱中黑鲷音响驯化的诱集效果探究

音响驯化作为鱼类行为控制技术之一,对海洋牧场内的鱼种行为控制有明显的作用。在驯化声源中,目标鱼种栖息海域背景噪声有望具有更佳的驯化效果。为此,在天然水域的网箱中采用录制的黑鲷栖息地背景噪声对黑鲷(Sparus macrocephalus)进行了音响驯化。由现场观察及数据分析,自然海域声音配合投饵能对黑鲷产生较好的集聚效果。黑鲷幼苗音响驯化一般经历3个过程,即环境适应,对饵料的需求达到一定量,建立声音与摄食之间的条件反射;黑鲷能识别声音,并维持一定的记忆时间。实验结果表明,采用海域背景噪声的音响驯化,配合投饵是一种有效的手段,并可以使黑鲷对声音的短期记忆转化为长期记忆。研究亮点:目前国内音响驯化研究环境主要停留在室内水槽中,自然水域网箱中的音响驯化国内未见报道。并且尝试将黑鲷放流海域的水下背景噪声作为驯化声源,探究鱼群诱集效果。另外将Atkinson-Shiffrin记忆理论运用到鱼类音响驯化领域中,探讨了定时声音刺激对黑鲷的行为反馈以及记忆变化的影响。     

教师正确的吐字发音方法探析

教师只有掌握正确的吐字发音方法，做到字正腔圆，利用普通话语音圆润悦耳的音色和抑扬顿挫的音调讲课，才能收到以声传情，声情并茂的表达效果，使学生在学习知识抽时，得到语言美的享受。     

Hearing in honey bees: detection of air-particle oscillations

Although the airborne sounds produced by dancing honey bees seem essential in the bees' dance communication, attempts to show directly that bees can detect airborne sounds have been unsuccessful. It is shown here that bees can in fact detect airborne sounds and that they do so by detecting air-particle movements. Most vertebrates, by contrast, detect pressure oscillations. Because all traveling sound waves have both components, either can be used in sound detection. The bees' acoustic sense appears to be sensitive enough to allow bees to detect the air-particle movements that occur within several millimeters of a sound-emitting dancer.     

Forms of Sounds as Shown on an Oscilloscope by Roulette Figures

It has been found that with an oscilloscope driven through a simple network of two resistors and two capacitors it is possible to produce recognizable pictures from speech sounds. These pictures thus become a natural phonetic alphabet, with which both standard pronunciation and the nuances of dialect and accent can be represented. While a given speech sound has certain invariant characteristics, it has also an overlay of accent, which can be represented in the alphabetic character. It is suggested that the technique may be useful in teaching deaf children to speak.     

Auditory responses in avian vocal motor neurons: a motor theory for song perception in birds

The hypoglossal motor neurons that innervate the vocal organ (syrinx) of the male zebra finch show a selective, long-latency (50-millisecond) response to sound. This response is eliminated by lesions to forebrain song-control nuclei. Different song syllables elicit a response from different syringeal motor neurons. Conspecific vocalizations may therefore be perceived as members of a set of vocal gestures and thus distinct from other environmental sounds. This hypothesis is an avian parallel to the motor theory of speech perception in humans.     

Monitoring of swarming sounds in bee hives for early detection of the swarming period

Beekeeping, known as one of the oldest forms of agriculture, in its complexity requires control for honey production with what modern technology can offer. Honey is included in animal production implying that farmers have interest in big productions according to the best blooming time, the presence of parasites, the genetic strain of his bees and the swarming periods of the honeybees (queen and her workers leaving the hive).This last fact has a big economic interest for the beekeeper as swarming means honey loss since bees start collecting the honey to migrate. Here for a method that enables the prediction of the swarming is required to prevent the queen from leaving the hives. In this experiment an acoustic method based on labelling of sounds is proposed to predict the swarming period. Three hives were monitored during 270 h. The microphones were sited inside the hives together with a temperature and humidity sensor. The sounds were recorded with a sample rate of 2 kHz, and analyzed via Matlab and Cool Edit Pro. During this period 9 swarming activities occurred. Swarming is indicated by an increase in the power spectral density at about 110 Hz; approaching to swarm the sound augmented in amplitude and frequency to 300 Hz, occasionally a rapid change occurred from 150 Hz to 500 Hz. Another finding indicating the initiation of a swarming period is the raise in temperature from 33 °C to 35 °C until the actual time of swarming when the temperature starts dropping to 32 °C. With more activity, ventilation from bee wings causes drop of temperature. Less information comes from the correlation between sound and humidity since this parameter is too much influenced by the external conditions and no significant variation occurred according to a swarm. This increase of temperature, together with the changes in acoustical features of the sound recorded in the hive, may be used as a predictor for swarming of the bees to reduce honey loss.     

Real time computer stress monitoring of piglets using vocalization analysis

The analysis of animal vocalization allows the interpretation of stress pattern in a non-invasive way, and it may be used to assess welfare as well as health status and social adaptation. This paper presents the development of software to monitor and analyze distinct sounds emitted by piglets correlating the noise response with levels of stress for assessing welfare. The software was developed using Delphi5. Through the component UwaveIn the sound was recorded with an electronic microphone and set to a PC hardware that registered the signal of amplitude noise intensity, expressed in decibel (dB), converting them into bytes. Fourier Transform was used to describe the sound spectrum and transform it into frequency and intensity. Validation of the software was done in a commercial swine farm using piglets from sows’ nursery. Five examples of vocalization were studied related to distinct levels of stress (fear and alertness) due to regular management procedures. The real time monitoring allowed the detection of piglet stress exposure through the surface point polynomial adjustment. The acoustic signal recorded in the software could be partitioned allowing an evaluation of the sonograph through time.     

Aeroelastic flutter produces hummingbird feather songs

During courtship flights, males of some hummingbird species produce diverse sounds with tail feathers of varying shapes. We show that these sounds are produced by air flowing past a feather, causing it to aeroelastically flutter and generate flutter-induced sound. Scanning laser doppler vibrometery and high-speed video of individual feathers of different sizes and shapes in a wind tunnel revealed multiple vibratory modes that produce a range of acoustic frequencies and harmonic structures. Neighboring feathers can be aerodynamically coupled and flutter either at the same frequency, resulting in sympathetic vibrations that increase loudness, or at different frequencies, resulting in audible interaction frequencies. Aeroelastic flutter is intrinsic to stiff airfoils such as feathers and thus explains tonal sounds that are common in bird flight.     

大黄鱼的发声及信号特性研究

对大黄鱼Pseudosciaena crocea觅食及产卵时的发声及信号特性进行了研究。结果表明:不同行为下大黄鱼发声信号的频谱特性一致,即约在800 Hz频率处有一个明显的谱峰;但不同行为下发声的时域信号差距较大,即觅食时大黄鱼的发声信号都是简单的单脉冲,脉冲间隔大多集中在1~30 ms,脉冲间隔比较小,而产卵时大黄鱼的发声信号则大部分是连续的双脉冲或三脉冲,只有极个别的单脉冲或多脉冲,脉冲间隔则集中在100~130 ms,脉冲间隔要大得多。     

Cerebellar vermis: essential for long-term habituation of the acoustic startle response

The acoustic startle response in rats shows both short-term habituation, which recovers in seconds or minutes, and long-term habituation, which is effectively permanent. Lesions of the cerebellar vermis significantly attenuated long-term habituation without affecting the short-term process or altering initial response levels. In this response system the cerebellar vermis is part of an essential circuit for long-term habituation.     

Acoustic monitoring system to quantify ingestive behavior of free-grazing cattle

Estimating forage intake by free-grazing livestock is difficult and expensive. Previous approaches include behavioral observation, ratio techniques using indigestible markers, mechanical recording of ingestive jaw motion, and acoustic recording of ingestive behaviors. Acoustic recording shows great potential but has been limited by the difficulty and time required to manually identify and classify ingestive events. We present an acoustic recording and analysis system that automatically detects, classifies, and quantifies ingestive events in free-grazing beef cattle. The system utilizes a wide-frequency acoustic microphone close to the animal's mouth, mathematical signal analysis to detect and measure ingestive events, and streaming data analysis capable of handling an unlimited amount of data. Analysis parameters can be reconfigured for different animals, forages and other changing conditions. The system measures the acoustic parameters of ingestive events, such as duration, amplitude, spectrum and energy, which can support further event classification and become the inputs to a forage intake model. We validated our detection and classification technique against the results of trained human observers based on field studies with grazing steer. The software detected 95% of manually identified bites in an event-by-event comparison. Field observations and sound attenuation analysis indicate that sounds from adjacent livestock and ambient pastoral environments have an insignificant effect upon the integrity of the recorded acoustic data set. We conclude that wideband acoustic analysis allows us to identify ingestive events accurately and automatically over extended periods of time.     

Automatic acoustic detection of the red palm weevil

The red palm weevil (RPW) is a key pest of horticultural and ornamental palm species in Asia, the Middle East and the Mediterranean region, currently dispersing in Mediterranean European countries, endangering the landscape. The RPW larvae bore deep into palm crowns, trunks and offshoots, concealed from visual inspection until the palms are nearly dead. Traded palm trees are intensively transported between and within countries, spreading the pest worldwide. Consequently, an urgent need exists to identify and monitor concealed RPW larvae. Acoustic signals of boring RPW larvae can be recorded from the infested palms using off-the-shelf recording devices, but the resolution of the signals emitted by healthy palms is often difficult to discriminate. The purpose of this research was to develop a mathematical method to automatically detect acoustic activity of RPW in offshoots and implement it in a prototype setup. The methodology applied was similar to techniques used in the field of speech recognition, utilizing Vector quantization (VQ) or Gaussian mixture modeling (GMM). The algorithm successfully achieved detection ratios as high as 98.9%. The study shows that it is feasible to detect RPW sounds using the mathematical method of speech recognition and commercial recording devices, which could be utilized to monitor trade and transportation of offshoots.     

Dynamics of the vocal imitation process: how a zebra finch learns its song

Song imitation in birds provides good material for studying the basic biology of vocal learning. Techniques were developed for inducing the rapid onset of song imitation in young zebra finches and for tracking trajectories of vocal change over a 7-week period until a match to a model song was achieved. Exposure to a model song induced the prompt generation of repeated structured sounds (prototypes) followed by a slow transition from repetitive to serial delivery of syllables. Tracking this transition revealed two phenomena: (i) Imitations of dissimilar sounds can emerge from successive renditions of the same prototype, and (ii) developmental trajectories for some sounds followed paths of increasing acoustic mismatch until an abrupt correction occurred by period doubling. These dynamics are likely to reflect underlying neural and articulatory constraints on the production and imitation of sounds.     

Sound Production by the Satinfin Shiner,Notropis analostanus,and Related Fishes

Several sounds are produced by minnows. Only one is not of purely mechanical origin, and it is classed as a "biological" sound. This sound is variously produced by males when fighting and chasing as well as during courtship. Females emit a similar sound. Testosterone injections and elevated temperatures result in an increased rate of biological sound emission.     

Response decrements in the cochlear nucleus of decerebrate cats during repeated acoustic stimulation

In the cochlear nucleus of decerebrate, paralyzed cats, multiple-unit responses to an acoustic stimulus showed significant decrements when the stimulus was repeatedly presented once every 5 seconds. These decrements developed in the absence of peripheral receptor adaptation. The responses recovered to the level prior to stimulation when stimulation was withheld for 5 to 10 minutes. Dishabituation by somatic stimulation of the forepaw, however, was less effective than in the intact cat. The continued development of response decrements after strychnine blockade of peripheral olivocochlear influences and central postsynaptic inhibition suggests a mechanism of decreased synaptic effectiveness, which has previously been postulated for neuronal habituation in brainstem and spinal cord.     

三种螽斯鸣唱行为的比较研究

研究了优雅蝈螽、鼓翅鸣螽和暗褐蝈螽3种螽斯的鸣唱行为、鸣声种类.结果表明它们具有明显的日节律,优雅蝈螽和暗褐蝈螽属昼鸣性昆虫,鼓翅鸣螽属夜鸣性昆虫,但在竞鸣时日节律受到影响.通过录音回放和示波器摄影分析,确定优雅蝈螽的鸣声分为呼唤声、求偶声和惊叫声;暗褐蝈螽分为出短鸣、呼唤声和求偶声;鼓翅鸣螽分为呼唤声、求偶声、做爱声和惊叫声.优雅蝈螽雄虫的停鸣期长于雌虫的食包期,而暗褐蝈螽和鼓翅鸣螽的则相反.     

共振声波技术防治柑桔大实蝇的可行性试验研究

运用大型模拟仿真软件ANSYS计算出柑桔大实蝇的固有频率约为55 Hz,对比研究共振声波对柑桔大实蝇行为效应和寿命影响,探讨共振声波技术防治柑桔大实蝇的可行性.1)采用声强120 dB,频率分别为55、100、180和300 Hz的声波分别辐照30 min,记录柑桔大实蝇的行为反应.结果表明:经低频声波辐照,柑桔大实蝇会产生不适反应,如头部不停摇晃,双翅快速摆动,并伴有肢体不停摩擦头部和尾部,趋向于活动在声强低的区域等.共振声波辐照下,柑桔大实蝇具有显著的趋避反应,有效趋避率达36.48％.2)采用频率55 Hz,声强分别为120、110、100、90和80 dB的声波分别辐照30 min,记录柑桔大实蝇的行为反应.结果表明:声强越大,柑桔大实蝇的趋避反应越明显,但声强低于80 dB时,无显著趋避反应.3)采用频率55 Hz,声强为120 dB的声波每次辐照4h,连续辐照直到全部死亡为止,记录柑桔大实蝇的死亡情况.结果表明:高强度共振声波对柑桔大实蝇的寿命具有显著的影响,辐照5d后实验组全部死亡,与对照组比较,最终死亡率提升42.80％.     

Anomalous sounds from the entry of meteor fireballs

A very bright fireball observed over New South Wales in 1978 produced anomalous sounds clearly audible to some of the observers. An investigation of the phenomenon indicates that bright fireballs radiate considerable electromagnetic energy in the very-low-frequency (VLF) region of the spectrum. A mechanism for the production of VLF emissions from the highly energetic wake turbulence of the fireball is proposed. Trials with human subjects revealed a very extended range of thresholds for the perception of electrically excited sounds among a sample population, particularly when the VLF electric field excites surface acoustic waves in surrounding objects. This fact, together with variable propagation effects and local conditions, can account for the sporadic distribution of reports of anomalous sounds from fireballs and auroras.     

Auditory induction: perceptual synthesis of absent sounds

Within certain auditory patterns, fainter sounds may be "heard" clearly when replaced by louder sounds having appropriate spectral compositions. This auditory induction of fainter by louder sounds can cancel the perceptual effects of masking. Phonemic restorations, which have been reported previously, appear to be a specialized application to speech of the much broader phenomenon of auditory induction. The rules governing auditory induction indicate that it helps maintain stable auditory perception in our frequently noisy environment.