Auditory filter shapes of CBA/CaJ mice: behavioral assessments

Auditory filter shape and frequency tuning may be derived by measuring changes in pure tone thresholds as a function of the bandwidth of notched-noise maskers. When these psychophysical methods were applied to CBA/CaJ mice, the resulting filter shapes were well fit by roex(p,r) functions originally developed for human subjects. The equivalent rectangular bandwidths (ERBs) of the filter shapes ranged from 16 to 19% of test frequencies between 8 to 16 kHz. These ERBs correspond well to the performance of humans at high frequencies and the limited number of mammalian species that have been characterized with notched-noise procedures. Frequency tuning was maintained throughout most of the adult lifespan and then showed a selective high-frequency loss at ages beyond 2 years. These results suggest that auditory filtering effects in adult CBA/CaJ mice are similar to normal processes in other mammalian species and provide an excellent model of human presbycusis when they begin to degrade in aging individuals.     

Adaptation of 2f1-2f2 distortion product otoacoustic emission in young-adult and old CBA and C57 mice.

The phenomenon of efferent-mediated adaptation of 2f1-f2 distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) was investigated in two strains (CBA/JNia and C57BL/6JNia) of mice of various ages using stimuli presented monaurally or binaurally. The present study demonstrated the existence of the DPOAE adaptation phenomenon in mice analogous to that previously reported in cats. The present data were fitted with one- or two-exponential functions. With a one-exponential fit in 2-month old mice, the adaptation magnitude ranged from 0 to 4 dB with the average value of 0.5 to 1.6 dB and the average time constant was 0.5 to 2.3 s. With a two-exponential fit, the shorter time constant was 0.3 to 1.7 s. The adaptation magnitude and time constant were similar between the monaural and binaural stimulations. We observed that there was a statistically significant decrease of adaptation magnitude in older CBA mice with age-related hearing loss when compared with young adult mice. The results from the young adult mice should be useful in future studies, e.g., a study of developmental changes in post-natal mice, or changes accompanying an alteration in the central auditory system arising from any etiology. We suggest that this phenomenon can be used as a tool for advancing basic knowledge of the auditory system and for assessing an impairment of the olivocochlear system, e.g., in aging.     

Time varying forgetting factor for the noise estimation in multi-channel noise reduction

We introduce a time varying forgetting factor for the noise estimation in multi-channel noise reduction. In conventional multi-channel noise reduction system, the noise statistics are estimated during noise-only periods and kept fixed during speech-present periods. For deciding whether the current frame is speech-present period or not, a voice activity detector (VAD) is usually used. Instead of this conventional scheme that needs an explicit VAD, we adopt a time varying forgetting factor which is parameterized from the normalized cross correlation (NCC). The simulation results show that multi-channel noise reduction using the proposed method yields better performance in several typical objective measures.     

Auditory nerve representation of a complex communication sound in background noise.

A population study of auditory nerve responses in the bullfrog, Rana catesbeiana, analyzed the relative contributions of spectral and temporal coding in representing a complex, species-specific communication signal at different stimulus intensities and in the presence of background noise. At stimulus levels of 70 and 80 dB SPL, levels which approximate that received during communication in the natural environment, average rate profiles plotted over fiber characteristic frequency do not reflect the detailed spectral fine structure of the synthetic call. Rate profiles do not change significantly in the presence of background noise. In ambient (no noise) and low noise conditions, both amphibian papilla and basilar papilla fibers phase lock strongly to the waveform periodicity (fundamental frequency) of the synthetic advertisement call. The higher harmonic spectral fine structure of the synthetic call is not accurately reflected in the timing of fiber firing, because firing is "captured" by the fundamental frequency. Only a small number of fibers synchronize preferentially to any harmonic in the call other than the first, and none synchronize to any higher than the third, even when fiber characteristic frequency is close to one of these higher harmonics. Background noise affects fiber temporal responses in two ways: It can reduce synchronization to the fundamental frequency, until fiber responses are masked; or it can shift synchronization from the fundamental to the second or third harmonic of the call. This second effect results in a preservation of temporal coding at high noise levels. These data suggest that bullfrog eighth nerve fibers extract the waveform periodicity of multiple-harmonic stimuli primarily by a temporal code.     

A road traffic noise pattern simulation model that includes distributions of vehicle sound power levels

Annoyance, sleep disturbance and other health effects of road traffic noise exposure may be related to both level and number of noise events caused by traffic, not just to energy equivalent measures of exposure. Dynamic traffic noise prediction models that include instantaneous vehicle noise emissions can be used to estimate either of these measures. However, current state-of-the-art vehicle noise emission models typically consider a single emission law for each vehicle category, whereas measurements show that the variation in noise emission between vehicles within the same category can be considerable. It is essential that the influence of vehicles that are producing significantly more (or less) noise than the average vehicle are taken into account in modeling in order to correctly predict the levels and frequency of occurrence of road traffic noise events, and in particular to calculate indicators that characterize these noise events. Here, an approach for predicting instantaneous sound levels caused by road traffic is presented, which takes into account measured distributions of sound power levels produced by individual vehicles. For the setting of a receiver adjacent to a dual-lane road carrying free flow traffic, the effect of this approach on estimated percentile levels and sound event indicators is investigated.     

Deletion of the alpha-synuclein locus in a subpopulation of C57BL/6J inbred mice

Background  

The presynaptic protein α-synuclein is involved in a range of neurodegenerative diseases. Here we analyze potential compensatory mechanisms in α-synuclein null mutant mice. Furthermore, the findings reveal problems that may be associated with inbred mouse strains.     

Auditory discrimination of rise and decay times in tone and noise bursts.

There are indications in the literature on speech perception that differences in rise and decay times of the amplitude envelope are relevant physical correlates in phonemic contrasts. Yet, little is known about the perception of rise and decay times as such. In the present study we have attempted to establish JND's for both rise and decay times of 1000-Hz sine waves as well as white noise bursts by means of an adjustment method. The rise and decay of stimulus amplitude were synthesized to be linear functions of time. Results show that the JND for a change in rise/decay time is generally about 25% of the duration of the rise/decay time. This Weber fraction is a minimum at rise/decay times of about 80 ms and increases significantly for rise/decay times below 20 ms. Of the four signal condition noise bursts were performed with the greatest accuracy (at moderate rise/decay times), while changes in onset time of sine waves were discriminated best at very short rise times (where energy splatter may have contributed an additional cue).     

Estimation of noise levels for models of chaotic dynamical systems

We investigate how far it is possible to identify and separate dynamical noise from measurement noise in observed nonlinear time series. Using Bayesian methods, we derive estimates for the two noise levels, and find that, given a good model of the dynamics, these can give accurate results even if the dynamical noise level is orders of magnitude smaller than the measurement noise level, whereas a simple calculation of root mean square error badly understates the dynamical noise. We argue that this allows better estimates of the underlying dynamical time series, and so better predictions of its future and of its fundamental dynamical properties.     

Measurement of wind noise levels in streamlined probes

This paper investigates the wind noise pressure spectra measured by aerodynamically designed devices in turbulent flow. Such measurement probes are often used in acoustic measurements in wind tunnels to reduce the pressure fluctuations generated by the interaction of the devices with the incident flow. When placed in an outdoor turbulent environment however, their performance declines noticeably. It is hypothesized that these devices are measuring the stagnation pressures generated by the cross flow components of the turbulence. Predictions for the cross flow contribution to the stagnation pressure spectra based on measured velocity spectra are developed, and are then compared to the measured pressure spectra in four different probe type devices in windy conditions outdoors. The predictions agree well with the measurements and show that the cross flow contamination coefficient is on the order of 0.5 in outdoor turbulent flows in contrast to the published value of 0.15 for measurements in a turbulent jet indoors.     

Computer simulation model for the prediction of traffic noise levels

This paper describes a computer simulation model capable of predicting the noise levels generated by traffic passing through road intersections controlled by roundabouts where departures from free-flow traffic conditions occur. The model depends for its operation on the acoustical and flow characteristics of single vehicles travelling on a road from which the overall noise generated by traffic streams can be deduced using a sampling/integration technique. Distance effects, ground cover, vehicle type, velocity and headway characteristics, etc. are taken into account in the model and the simplest possible input parameters are used deliberately to facilitate the eventual use of the model by highway and planning authorities. Good agreement has been achieved between measured and predicted L₁₀ values for freely flowing traffic negotiating roundabouts. Further applications of the model involving road intersections controlled by traffic lights and the effect of traffic queues are nearing completion.     

Changes in amplitude and phase of distortion-product otoacoustic emission fine-structure and separated components during efferent activation

Medial olivocochlear (MOC) efferent fibers synapse directly on the outer hair cells (OHCs). Efferent activation evoked by contralateral acoustic stimulation (CAS) will affect OHC amplification and subsequent measures of distortion-product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs). The aim of this study was to investigate measures of total and separated DPOAEs during efferent activation. Efferent activation produces both suppression and enhancement of the total DPOAE level. Level enhancements occurred near fine-structure minima and were associated with consistent MOC evoked upward shifts in DPOAE fine-structure frequency. Examination of the phase of the separated components revealed that frequency shifts stemmed from increasing phase leads of the reflection component during CAS, while the generator component phase was nearly invariant. Separation of the two DPOAE components responsible for the fine-structure revealed more consistent reduction of the levels of both components. Using vector subtraction (which takes into account both level and phase) to estimate the changes in the unseparated DPOAE provided consistent evidence of DPOAE suppression. Including phase information provided a more sensitive, valid and consistent estimate of CAS function even if one does not know the position of the DPOAE in the fine-structure.     

Empirical method for the prediction of business executive jet cabin noise levels

As a result of flight noise measurements made at various locations in the cabin of the standard lined/no interior Westwind model 1124 business executive jet, it was possible to develop an empirical method for predicting the overall sound pressure level (OASPL) at any required location in the cabin. The cabin overall sound level in decibels (linear) may be found from nomographs related to aircraft altitude, mach number or velocity. The noise spectrum at any location may be found from a reference spectrum shape corrected for local parameters. The accuracy of the prediction method, verified by additional tests, was found to be ± 1 dB.     

Comparison of the responses of the chorda tympani and glossopharyngeal nerves to taste stimuli in C57BL/6J mice

Background

Recent progress in discernment of molecular pathways of taste transduction underscores the need for comprehensive phenotypic information for the understanding of the influence of genetic factors in taste. To obtain information that can be used as a base line for assessment of effects of genetic manipulations in mice taste, we have recorded the whole-nerve integrated responses to a wide array of taste stimuli in the chorda tympani (CT) and glossopharyngeal (NG) nerves, the two major taste nerves from the tongue.

Results

In C57BL/6J mice the responses in the two nerves were not the same. In general sweeteners gave larger responses in the CT than in the NG, while responses to bitter taste in the NG were larger. Thus the CT responses to cyanosuosan, fructose, NC00174, D-phenylalanline and sucrose at all concentrations were significantly larger than in the NG, whereas for acesulfame-K, L-proline, saccharin and SC45647 the differences were not significant. Among bitter compounds amiloride, atropine, cycloheximide, denatonium benzoate, L-phenylalanine, 6-n-propyl-2-thiouracil (PROP) and tetraethyl ammonium chloride (TEA) gave larger responses in the NG, while the responses to brucine, chloroquine, quinacrine, quinine hydrochloride (QHCl), sparteine and strychnine, known to be very bitter to humans, were not significantly larger in the NG than in the CT.

Conclusion

These data provide a comprehensive survey and comparison of the taste sensitivity of the normal C57BL/6J mouse against which the effects of manipulations of its gustatory system can be better assessed.

     

Serum and aqueous humour cytokine response and histopathological alterations during ocular Toxoplasma gondii infection in C57BL/6 mice

Toxoplasma gondii, an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite, infects most species of warm-blooded animals, and in humans it causes toxoplasmosis. Healthy people that become infected rarely present clinical symptoms because the immune system prevents the parasite from causing illness. Congenital toxoplasmosis may result in abortion, hydrocephalus, as well as neurological and ocular disease (most frequently retinochoroiditis) of the newborn. In immunocompromised patients, reactivation of latent disease can cause encephalitis. Cell-mediated immunity to T. gondii antigens involves innate acute inflammatory responses and antigen-specific adaptive immunity. Considering the complexity of the immunological events triggered during toxoplasmosis, systemic and local responses were evaluated by cytokine measurements. Aqueous humour and serum were obtained from non-infected and T. gondii Me-49 strain infected C57BL/6 mice for cytokine quantification. Histopathological analyses were made with eyes enucleated from mice after 30 days of infection. ELISA assays showed an increase of IFN-γ levels both in serum and aqueous humour of infected mice in opposition to a decrease in IL-10 levels. On the other hand, TGF-β was high, whereas IL-12 and TNF-α were present in small levels in both groups. We also detected higher levels of IL-4 and IL-6 in aqueous humour than in serum of infected mice when compared to the control group. MIP-2 presented no significant differences between the two groups. Fas and Fas-L were also present in similar levels in serum of non-infected and infected mice, but both chemokines were increased in the aqueous humour of infected mice. Histopathological analysis of infected mice showed inflammatory infiltrates around blood vessels and alteration of the outer photoreceptor segments, on the external and inner nuclear layer. Parasites were observed in 82% of eyes, inside the blood vessels associated with inflammatory infiltrate. Edema, characterized by the increase of interstitial spaces between the FTR, forming lacunae was also noted. These alterations take the form of projections (retino-vitreal), characteristic of retinochoroiditis. In conclusion, T. gondii infection of C57BL/6 mice revealed that cytokine patterns alone do not assure susceptibility or resistance against infection, thus reinforcing the notion that it is necessary more than cytokine dosage to determine Th1 or Th2 profile in this model.     

The use of receiving arrays for measuring underwater noise levels of moving sources

A method of measuring underwater noise levels of moving ships with the use of a vertical receiving array is considered. An algorithm is proposed for synthesizing the weight vector that provides a given measurement accuracy with maximal noise suppression for the cases of an interference with a known structure and an a priori unknown interference (the adaptive synthesis). Results of both numerical simulation of the method and its experimental testing under actual sea conditions are presented.