Quantifying complex patterns of bioacoustic variation: use of a neural network to compare killer whale (Orcinus orca) dialects

A quantitative measure of acoustic similarity is crucial to any study comparing vocalizations of different species, social groups, or individuals. The goal of this study was to develop a method of extracting frequency contours from recordings of pulsed vocalizations and to test a nonlinear index of acoustic similarity based on the error of an artificial neural network at classifying them. Since the performance of neural networks depends on the amount of consistent variation in the training data, this technique can be used to assess such variation from samples of acoustic signals. The frequency contour extraction and the neural network index were tested on samples of one call type shared by nine social groups of killer whales. For comparison, call similarity was judged by three human subjects in pairwise classification tasks. The results showed a significant correlation between the neural network index and the similarity ratings by the subjects. Both measures of acoustic similarity were significantly correlated with the groups' association patterns, indicating that both methods of quantifying acoustic similarity are biologically meaningful. An index based on neural network analysis therefore represents an objective and repeatable means of measuring acoustic similarity, and allows comparison of results across studies, species and time.     

An approach to the study of strong-field laser-induced autoionization

Summary An approach is presented to the study of laser-induced autoionization which usescomplex dressed states as a basis, instead of the commonly used Fano eigenstates. The complex dressed states are the eigenstates of an effective Hamiltonian governing the equations of motion for the atomic probability amplitudes in the broad background assumption and in the rotating frame at the laser frequency. The electron and photon spectra are described in terms of the eigenvalues associated with the complex dressed states.

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Riassunto Viene presentato un approccio allo studio dell'autoionizzazione indotta da laser che, al posto degli autostati di Fano, utilizza quale base una coppia distati vestiti complessi. Tali stati sono gli autostati di una hamiltoniana effettiva che governa le equazioni di moto per le ampiezze di probabilità atomiche in un sistema di riferimento ruotante alla frequenza del laser e nell'ipotesi di continuo largo. Gli spettri di elettroni e fotoni sono descritti in termini degli autovalori associati agli stati vestiti complessi.

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Резюме Предлагается подход к исследованию автоионизации, индуцированной лазерным сильным полем, в котором используются, как, базис, комплексные “одетые” состояния, вместо обычных собственных состояний Фано. Комплексные “одетые” состояния представляют собственные состояния эффективного гамильтониана, определяющего уравнения движения для амплитуды вероятности атома во вращвющейся системе отсчета с лазерной частотой и в предположении широкого континуума. Электронные и фотонные спектры описываются в терминах собственных значений, связанных с комплексными “одетыми” состояниями.

     

Intra- and intergroup vocal behavior in resident killer whales, Orcinus orca

Vocal communication within and between groups of individuals has been described extensively in birds and terrestrial mammals, however, little is known about how cetaceans utilize their sounds in their natural environment. Resident killer whales, Orcinus orca, live in highly stable matrilines and exhibit group-specific vocal dialects. Single call types cannot exclusively be associated with particular behaviors and calls are thought to function in group identification and intragroup communication. In the present study call usage of three closely related matrilines of the Northern resident community was compared in various intra- and intergroup contexts. In two out of the three matrilines significant changes in vocal behavior depending both on the presence and identity of accompanying whales were found. Most evidently, family-specific call subtypes, as well as aberrant and variable calls, were emitted at higher rates, whereas "low arousal" call types were used less in the presence of matrilines from different pods, subclans, or clans. Ways in which the observed changes may function both in intra- and intergroup communication.     

Ab initio computational studies of conformationally restricted cope rearrangements. First examples of fully concerted allenyl cope rearrangements

Results of (8,8)CASPT2/6-31G//(8,8)CASSCF/6-31G level calculations on the potential surface for the conformationally restricted allenyl Cope rearrangements of syn-5-propadienylbicylco[2.1.0]pent-2-ene (14) and syn-6-propadienylbicyclo[2.1.1]hex-2-ene (15) are reported. Both are found to proceed through concerted pathways. Also included are the results of (6,6)CASPT2/6-31G//(6,6)CASSCF/6-31G level calculations on the Cope rearrangements of syn-5-ethenylbicyclo[2.1. 0]pent-2-ene (18), syn-6-ethenylbicyclo[2.1.1]hex-2-ene (19), and syn-7-vinylnorborene (20), which are found to involve diallylic diradical intermediates 26, 30, and 36, respectively. Previous studies have shown that the allenyl Cope rearrangement of 1,2, 6-heptatriene (1) to 3-methylene-1,5-hexadiene (2) involves a single transition structure that either proceeds to the monoallylic cyclohexane-1,4-diyl derivative 3 or bypasses 3 to form 2 directly. (4) More recently, the conformationally restricted allenyl Cope rearrangement of syn-7-allenylnorbornene (7) has also been found to involve tricyclic monoallylic cyclohexane-1,4-diyl intermediate 11. (7) The rearrangements of 14 and 15 appear to represent the first reported examples of fully concerted allenyl Cope rearrangements. Concertedness in these cases is ascribed to two parallel factors: (1) the relative instability of possible tricyclic diradical intermediates 16 and 17, compared to diradical intermediates 3 and 11 formed in the rearrangements of 1 and 7, respectively; and (2) the opportunity that exists to form sp-sp(2) sigma bonds in transition structures 21 and 23 that lead, respectively, to products 22 and 24. By contrast, only weaker sp(2)-sp(2) sigma bonds could form in unobserved concerted transition structures leading to products 28 and 32, formed in the nonconcerted rearrangements of 18 and 19.     

Vocal behavior of resident killer whale matrilines with newborn calves: the role of family signatures

Studies of the vocal behavior of resident killer whales or orcas, Orcinus orca, in British Columbia have shown that matrilines have unique call repertoires consisting of up to 17 different call types. These call types cannot be attributed exclusively to specific behaviors, and their function in social contexts is poorly understood. This study investigated the change in call patterns of three resident matrilines in a changed social environment, before and up to one year after the birth of a calf. Acoustic data were collected with a network of hydrophones and were supplemented by visual observations. Call use changed distinctly after the birth of a calf in all three observed matrilines. All call types that were recorded in control situations were also recorded in postbirth situations; however, aberrant versions of discrete calls and excitement calls made up a higher proportion of calls after birth. Most conspicuously, family-specific call types occurred significantly more frequently in the days following a birth in two of the three matrilines and gradually returned to prebirth values within 2 weeks. Their increased use after a calf's birth may facilitate the learning process of this "acoustic family badge" and thereby help to recognize and maintain cohesion with family members.     

High-beta equilibria of drift-optimized compact stellarators

Compact stellarator configurations have been obtained with good neoclassical confinement that are stable to both pressure- and current-driven modes for high values of beta. These configurations are drift-optimized tokamak-stellarator hybrids with a high-shear tokamak-like rotational transform profile and /B/ that is approximately poloidally symmetric. The bootstrap current is consistent with the required equilibrium current and, while larger than that in existing stellarators, is typically only a small fraction (1/3-1/5) of that in an equivalent tokamak. These configurations have strong magnetic wells and consequently high interchange stability beta limits up to beta=23%. Because of the reduced bootstrap current, these configurations are stable to low-n ideal MHD kink modes with no wall stabilization for values of beta ( approximately 7%-11%) significantly larger than in an equivalent advanced tokamak.