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Extant members of Paenungulata (sirenians, proboscideans, and hyracoideans) form a monophyletic clade which originated in Africa. While paenungulates are all herbivorous, they differ greatly in size, life history, and habitat. Therefore, we would expect both phylogenetically related similarities and ecologically driven differences in their use and specializations of sensory systems, especially in adaptations in sirenians related to their fully aquatic habitat. Here we review what is known about the sensory modalities of this clade in an attempt to better elucidate their sensory adaptations. Manatees have a higher frequency range for hearing than elephants, who have the best low-frequency hearing range known to mammals, while the hearing range of hyraxes is unknown. All paenungulates have vibrissae assisting in tactile abilities such as feeding and navigating the environment and share relatively small eyes and dichromatic vision. Taste buds are present in varying quantities in all three orders. While the olfactory abilities of manatees and hyraxes are unknown, elephants have an excellent sense of smell which is reflected by having the relatively largest cranial nerve related to olfaction among the three lineages. Manatees have the relatively largest trigeminal nerve-the nerve responsible for, among other things, mystacial vibrissae-while hyraxes have the relatively largest optic nerve (and therefore, presumably, the best vision) among the Paenungulata. All three orders have diverged significantly; however, they still retain some anatomical and physiological adaptations in common with regard to sensory abilities.

What sound quality has led to exclude infrasound from sound in the conventional hearing range? We examined whether temporal segregation of pressure pulses is a distinctive property and evaluated this perceptual limit via an adaptive psychophysical procedure for pure tones and carriers of different envelopes. Further, to examine across-domain similarity and individual covariation of this limit, here called the critical segregation rate (CSR), it was also measured for various periodic visual and vibrotactile stimuli. Results showed that sequential auditory or vibrotactile stimuli separated by at least ~80‒90 ms (~11‒12-Hz repetition rates), will be perceived as perceptually segregated from one another. While this limit did not statistically differ between these two modalities, it was significantly lower than the ~150 ms necessary to perceptually segregate successive visual stimuli. For the three sensory modalities, stimulus periodicity was the main factor determining the CSR, which apparently reflects neural recovery times of the different sensory systems. Among all experimental conditions, significant within- and across-modality individual CSR correlations were observed, despite the visual CSR (mean: 6.8 Hz) being significantly lower than that of both other modalities. The auditory CSR was found to be significantly lower than the frequency above which sinusoids start to elicit a tonal quality (19 Hz; recently published for the same subjects). Returning to our initial question, the latter suggests that the cessation of tonal quality — not the segregation of pressure fluctuations — is the perceptual quality that has led to exclude infrasound (sound with frequencies < 20 Hz) from the conventional hearing range.

The auditory biology of Monachinae seals is poorly understood. Limited audiometric data and certain anatomical features suggest that these seals may have reduced sensitivity to airborne sounds compared to related species. Here, we describe the in-air hearing abilities of a Hawaiian monk seal (Neomonachus schauinslandi) trained to participate in a psychophysical paradigm. We report absolute (unmasked) thresholds for narrowband signals measured in quiet conditions across the range of hearing and masked thresholds measured in the presence of octave-band noise at two frequencies. The behavioral audiogram indicates a functional hearing range from 0.1 to 33 kHz and poor sensitivity, with detection thresholds above 40 dB re 20 µPa. Critical ratio measurements are elevated compared to those of other seals. The apparently reduced terrestrial hearing ability of this individual—considered with available auditory data for a northern elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostris)—suggests that hearing in Monachinae seals differs from that of the highly sensitive Phocinae seals. Exploration of phylogenetic relationships and anatomical traits support this claim. This work advances understanding of the evolution of hearing in amphibious marine mammals and provides updated information that can be used for management and conservation of endangered Hawaiian monk seals. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00359-021-01498-y.

Knowledge on crocodyliform paleoneurology has significantly improved with development of computed tomography. However, studies so far have been able to reconstruct brain endocasts based only on single specimens for each taxon. Here for the first time, we reconstructed brain endocasts for multiple fossil specimens of the same crocodyliform taxon (Baurusuchus), consisting of complete skulls of two medium sized specimens, one large adult, and a late juvenile. In addition, we were able to reconstruct the inner ear anatomy of a fragmentary skull using microtomography. We present estimates of brain size using simple models, based on modern Crocodylia, able to adapt brain to endocranial cavity ratios to expected ontogenetic variation instead of using fixed ratios. We also analyzed relative brain sizes, olfactory ratios, facial sensation, alert head posture, best hearing frequencies, and hearing range. The calculated endocranial volumes showed that they can be greatly altered by taphonomic processes, altering both total and partial endocranial volumes. Reconstructed endocasts are compatible with different degrees of occupation along the endocranial cavity and some of their characteristics might be useful as phylogenetic characters. The relative brain size of Baurusuchus seems to be small in comparison to modern crocodilians. Sensorial abilities were somewhat similar to modern crocodilians and hearing ranges and best mean frequencies remarkably similar to modern taxa, whereas olfactory ratio values are a little higher. Differing from its modern relatives, Baurusuchus hypothesized alert head posture is compatible with a terrestrial habit.

Hearing is considered the primary sensory modality of cetaceans and enables their vital life functions. Information on the hearing sensitivity variability within a species obtained in a biologically relevant wild context is fundamental to evaluating potential noise impact and population-relevant management. Here, non-invasive auditory evoked-potential methods were adopted to describe the audiograms (11.2–152 kHz) of a group of four wild Yangtze finless porpoises (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis asiaeorientalis) during a capture-and-release health assessment project in Poyang Lake, China. All audiograms presented a U shape, generally similar to those of other delphinids and phocoenids. The lowest auditory threshold (51–55 dB re 1 µPa) was identified at a test frequency of 76 kHz, which was higher than that observed in aquarium porpoises (54 kHz). The good hearing range (within 20 dB of the best hearing sensitivity) was from approximately 20 to 145 kHz, and the low- and high-frequency hearing cut-offs (threshold > 120 dB re l μPa) were 5.6 and 170 kHz, respectively. Compared with aquarium porpoises, wild porpoises have significantly better hearing sensitivity at 32 and 76 kHz and worse sensitivity at 54, 108 and 140 kHz. The audiograms of this group can provide a basis for better understanding the potential impact of anthropogenic noise.

The conservation status of wild walruses (Odobenus rosmarus) is influenced by rapid warming of the Arctic, loss of seasonal sea ice, and increasing pressures related to anthropogenic activities and associated noise. Few data are available regarding acoustic sensitivity in walruses, although the species is known to be vulnerable to human disturbance. Here, we provide new information to describe the range of sound frequencies that are audible to walruses. These data were obtained through partnership with the Walrus Conservation Consortium and two zoological facilities. Two adult female walruses were trained to cooperate in an auditory detection task by responding to relatively high-amplitude airborne tones of approximately 80 dB re 20 μPa. Once performance was reliable, behavioral responses were generalized to a range of frequencies spanning more than six octaves. The upper- and lower-frequency limits of hearing were determined during audiometric testing with fully calibrated sounds. Results confirmed an audible range of hearing extending from 60 Hz to 23 kHz in air. Hearing range in water is expected to be similar or broader at high frequencies. This study provides evidence that hearing in walruses is different from that of other marine carnivores, including seals, sea lions, and sea otters, and better than suggested by early reports for the species.

Two female harbor seals were exposed for 60 min to a continuous one-sixth-octave noise band centered at 32 kHz at sound pressure levels of 92 to 152 dB re 1 mu Pa, resulting in sound exposure levels (SELs) of 128 to 188 dB re 1 mu Pa(2)s. This was part of a larger project determining frequency-dependent susceptibility to temporary threshold shift (TTS) in harbor seals over their entire hearing range. After exposure, TTSs were quantified at 32, 45, and 63 kHz with a psychoacoustic technique. At 32 kHz, only small TTSs (up to 5.9 dB) were measured 1-4 min (TTS1-4) after exposure, and recovery was within 1 h. The higher the SEL, the higher the TTS induced at 45 kHz. Below similar to 176 dB re 1 mu Pa(2)s, the maximum TTS1-4 was at 32 kHz; above similar to 176 dB re 1 mu Pa(2)s, the maximum TTS1-4 (up to 33.8 dB) was at 45 kHz. During one particular session, a seal was inadvertently exposed to an SEL of similar to 191 dB re 1 mu Pa(2)s and at 45 kHz, her TTS1-4 was >45 dB; her hearing recovered over 4 days. Harbor seals appear to be equally susceptible to TTS caused by sounds in the 2.5-32 kHz range.

Sensory hypersensitivity, especially in the auditory system, is a common symptom in Fragile X Syndrome (FXS), the most common monogenic form of intellectual disability. However, linking phenotypes across genetic background strains of mouse models has been a challenge and could underly some of the issues with translatability of drug studies to the human condition. This study is the first to characterize the auditory brainstem response (ABR), a minimally invasive physiological readout of early auditory processing that is also used in humans, in a commonly used mouse background strain model of FXS, C57BL/6J. We measured morphological features of pinna and head and used ABR to measure hearing range, monaural and binaural auditory responses in hemizygous males, homozygous females and heterozygous females compared to wildtype mice. Consistent with previous work we showed no difference in morphological parameters across genotypes or sexes. Male FXS mice had increased threshold for high frequency hearing at 64 kHz compared to wildtype males, while females had no difference in hearing range between genotypes. In contrast, female homozygous FXS mice had decreased amplitude of wave IV of the monaural ABR, while there was no difference in males for amplitudes and no change in latency of ABR waveforms across sexes and genotypes. Lastly, FXS males had increased latency of the binaural interaction component (BIC) at 0 ITD compared to wildtype males. These findings further clarify auditory brainstem processing in FXS by adding more information across genetic background strains allowing for a better understanding of shared phenotypes.

Hearing ability of mammals can be impacted by many factors including social cues, environment, and physical properties of animal morphology. Despite being used commonly to study social behaviors, hearing of the monogamous prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster) has never been fully characterized. In this study, we measure morphological head and pinna features and use auditory brainstem responses to measure auditory capabilities of prairie voles characterizing monaural and binaural hearing and hearing range. Additionally, we measured unbonded male and female voles to characterize differences due to sex. We found that prairie voles show a hearing range with greatest sensitivity between 8 – 32 kHz, robust binaural hearing, and characteristic monaural ABRs. We show no differences between the sexes for binaural hearing or hearing range, however female voles have increased amplitude of peripheral ABR waves I and II and increased latency of wave IV. Our results confirm that prairie voles have both low and high frequency hearing, binaural hearing, and despite biparental care and monogamy, differences in processing of sound information between the sexes. These data further highlight the necessity to understand sex-specific differences in neural processing that may underly variability in behavioral responses between sexes.HighlightsMonogamous prairie voles hear across both low and high frequencies.Female prairie voles show differences in monaural hearing compared to males.There is no difference in binaural hearing or pinna/head size morphology between the sexes.

Hearing in subterranean rodents exhibits numerous peculiarities, including low sensitivity and restriction to a narrow range of comparatively low frequencies. Past studies provided two conflicting hypotheses explaining how these derived traits evolved: structural degeneration and adaptive specialization. To further elucidate this issue, we recorded auditory brainstem responses from three species of social subterranean rodents that differ in the degree of specialization to the underground habitat: the naked mole-rat (Heterocephalus glaber) and the Mashona mole-rat (Fukomys darlingi), which represent the ancient lineage of African mole-rats (Bathyergidae), and the coruro (Spalacopus cyanus), a South American rodent (Octodontidae) that adopted a subterranean lifestyle in more recent geological time. Additionally, we measured call amplitudes of social vocalizations to study auditory vocal coupling. We found elevated auditory thresholds and severe hearing range restrictions in the African mole-rats, with hearing in naked mole-rats tending to be more sensitive than in Mashona mole-rats, in which hearing notably deteriorated with increasing age. In contrast, hearing in coruros was similar to that of epigeic rodents, with its range extending into ultrasonic frequencies. However, as in the mole-rats, the coruros’ region of best hearing was located at low frequencies close to 1 kHz. We argue that the auditory sensitivity of African mole-rats, although remarkably poor, has been underestimated by recent studies, whereas data on coruros conform to previous results. Considering the available evidence, we propose to be open to both degenerative and adaptive interpretations of hearing physiology in subterranean mammals, as each may provide convincing explanations for specific auditory traits observed.

Artificial lights may be altering interactions between bats and moth prey. According to the allotonic frequency hypothesis (AFH), eared moths are generally unavailable as prey for syntonic bats (i.e., bats that use echolocation frequencies between 20 and 50 kHz within the hearing range of eared moths) due to the moths' ability to detect syntonic bat echolocation. Syntonic bats therefore feed mainly on beetles, flies, true bugs, and non-eared moths. The AFH is expected to be violated around lights where eared moths are susceptible to exploitation by syntonic bats because moths' evasive strategies become less effective. The hypothesis has been tested to date almost exclusively in areas with permanent lighting, where the effects of lights on bat diets are confounded with other aspects of human habitat alteration. We undertook diet analysis in areas with short-term, localized artificial lighting to isolate the effects of artificial lighting and determine if syntonic and allotonic bats (i.e., bats that use echolocation frequencies outside the hearing range of eared moths) consumed more moths under conditions of artificial lights than in natural darkness. We found that syntonic bats increased their consumption of moth prey under experimentally lit conditions, likely owing to a reduction in the ability of eared moths to evade the bats. Eared moths may increase in diets of generalist syntonic bats foraging around artificial light sources, as opposed to allotonic species and syntonic species with a more specialized diet.

Tikus merupakan hewan pengerat yang mendatangkan kerugian, baik di rumah maupun industri. Ada beberapa cara yang sudah dikenal untuk mengusir dan membasmi tikus seperti racun tikus, penjepret tikus, dan pengusir tikus elektrik. Dalam upaya mengurangi dampak negatif dari penggunaan racun untuk mengendalikan tikus, salah satu cara alternatif yang dapat digunakan adalah menggunakan gelombang ultrasonik. Tikus merupakan salah satu hewan yang peka terhadap gelombang ultrasonik karena tikus memiliki jangkauan pendengaran antara 5-60 kHz. Namun dalam kondisi tertentu dapat melebih hingga 100 kHz. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk merancang prototype untuk pengujian gelombang ultrasonik pengusir tikus berbasis mikrokontroler. Gelombang ultrasonik yang dibangkitkan dari modul NE555 telah diukur menggunakan osiloskop dengan frekuensi tertentu untuk dapat dikeluarkan oleh buzzer. Dan diujikan pada tikus guna mendapatkan data frekuensi keberapa yang sangat mengganggu pendengaran tikus.

Cisplatin is a highly effective chemotherapy medicine used in the treatment of many childhood cancers. Like all medications, cisplatin has many side effects and as always the treatment of cancer in children is a balance between the risks of the medications used and their potential benefits. While many side effects of cisplatin chemotherapy are reversible, one major side effect is permanent and irreversible hearing loss (ototoxicity) in both ears which may worsen with time. The severity of cisplatin-related ototoxicity is associated with age and the cumulative dose received: the younger the child and the higher the total dose, the more severe the hearing loss may be. The spectrum of hearing loss varies from mild to moderate high tone hearing loss, to profound loss across the hearing range and permanent deafness. In addition to hearing loss, some children, especially adolescents, also experience tinnitus and vertigo. Cisplatin ototoxicity is one of most important of the many long-term effects experienced by children who are cured of their cancer. The burden of this toxicity may be compounded by other long-term health issues that emerge with time. This chapter will focus on cisplatin-induced hearing loss, its mechanisms, its health impact on the young person and ways to mitigate or reduce the severity of ototoxicity. This chapter has been written by a multi-disciplinary team including paediatric oncologists, audiologists, a psychologist, a health scientist and a parent of a child growing up with high frequency hearing loss.

Although many crustaceans produce sounds, their hearing abilities and mechanisms are poorly understood, leaving uncertainties regarding whether or how these animals use sound for acoustic communication. Marine invertebrates lack gas-filled organs required for sound pressure detection, but some of them are known to be sensitive to particle motion. Here, we examined whether the American lobster (Homarus americanus) could detect sound and subsequently sought to discern the auditory mechanisms. Acoustic stimuli responses were measured using auditory evoked potential (AEP) methods. Neurophysiological responses were obtained from the brain using tone pips between 80 and 250 Hz, with best sensitivity at 80–120 Hz. There were no significant differences between the auditory thresholds of males and females. Repeated controls (recordings from deceased lobsters, moving electrodes away from the brain and reducing seawater temperature) indicated the evoked potentials' neuronal origin. In addition, AEP responses were similar before and after antennules (including statocysts) were ablated, demonstrating that the statocysts, a long-proposed auditory structure in crustaceans, are not the sensory organs responsible for lobster sound detection. However, AEPs could be eliminated (or highly reduced) after immobilizing hairfans, which cover much of lobster bodies. These results suggest that these external cuticular hairs are likely to be responsible for sound detection, and imply that hearing is mechanistically possible in a wider array of invertebrates than previously considered. Because the lobsters' hearing range encompasses the fundamental frequency of their buzzing sounds, it is likely that they use sound for intraspecific communication, broadening our understanding of the sensory ecology of this commercially vital species. The lobsters' low-frequency acoustic sensitivity also underscores clear concerns about the potential impacts of anthropogenic noise.

Funding: D.J.F.R. and D.T. are supported by National Capability funding from NERC to SMRU (Grant No. SMRU1001). There is high spatial overlap between grey seals and shipping traffic, and the functional hearing range of grey seals indicates sensitivity to underwater noise emitted by ships. However, there is still very little data regarding the exposure of grey seals to shipping noise, constraining effective policy decisions. Particularly, there are few predictions that consider the at-sea movement of seals. Consequently, this study aimed to predict the exposure of adult grey seals and pups to shipping noise along a three-dimensional movement track, and assess the influence of shipping characteristics on sound exposure levels. Using ship location data, a ship source model, and the acoustic propagation model, RAMSurf, this study estimated weighted 24-h sound exposure levels (10–1000 Hz) (SELw). Median predicted 24-h SELw was 128 and 142 dB re 1 μPa2s for the pups and adults, respectively. The predicted exposure of seals to shipping noise did not exceed best evidence thresholds for temporary threshold shift. Exposure was mediated by the number of ships, ship source level, the distance between seals and ships, and the at-sea behaviour of the seals. The results can inform regulatory planning related to anthropogenic pressures on seal populations. Postprint

Despite the excitement that followed the report of infrasound sensitivity in pigeons 40 years ago, there has been limited followup, with only eleven species of birds having auditory thresholds at frequencies below 250 Hz. With such sparse data on low-frequency hearing, there is little understanding of why some birds hear very low frequencies while others do not. To begin to expand the phylogenetic and ecological sample of low-frequency hearing in birds, we determined the behavioral audiogram of the Indian peafowl, Pavo cristatus. Peafowl are thought to use low frequencies generated by the males’ tail feathers and wing flutters during courtship displays, and their crest feathers are reported to resonate at infrasound frequencies. The peafowl were able to respond to frequencies as low as 4 Hz, and their hearing range at 60 dB SPL extended from 29 Hz to 7.065 kHz (7.9 octaves). Removing the crest feathers reduced sensitivity at their resonant frequencies by as much as 7.5 dB, indicating a modest contribution to detectability in that range. However, perforation of the tympanic membranes severely reduced sensitivity to low frequencies, indicating that sensitivity to low frequencies is mediated primarily by the ears and cannot be attributed to some other sensory modality.

Despite the predominance of low-frequency hearing in anuran amphibians, a few frog species have evolved high-frequency communication within certain environmental contexts. Huia cavitympanum is the most remarkable anuran with regard to upper frequency limits; it is the first frog species known to emit exclusively ultrasonic signals. Characteristics of the Distortion Product Otoacoustic Emissions from the amphibian papilla and the basilar papilla were analysed to gain insight into the structures responsible for high-frequency/ultrasound sensitivity. Our results confirm the matching of vocalization spectra and inner ear tuning in this species. Compared to most anurans, H. cavitympanum has a hyperextended hearing range spanning from audible to ultrasonic frequencies, far above the previously established ‘spectral limits’ for the amphibian ear. The exceptional high-frequency sensitivity in the inner ear of H. cavitympanum illustrates the remarkable plasticity of the auditory system and the extent to which evolution can modify a sensory system to adapt it to its environment.

Crop damages inflicted by animals are one of the biggest challenges throughout the world. Animals such as pigs, monkeys, and many others may cause Spartan damage to crops. They can damage the plants by feeding on plant parts or only by organization more than the field and squashing in excess of the crops. Therefore, animals may easily cause significant yield losses and incite additional financial problems. In order to decrease the problems or damages caused by animals to the farmer which destroys the farm, there are many ways. The ways include haunting the animals, producing the sounds manually, and using chemical compounds for repelling birds and animals; some are regulated by state and federal laws while others are untested. So, the actuation of ultrasonic devices can repel hazardous animals by using the principles of bioacoustics. Humans have a hearing range of 20 Hz–20 kHz. Similarly, each and every animal as its individual hearing range like rats can hear from 200 Hz to 90 kHz; snakes can hear from 80 Hz to 1 kHz, now over the whole hearing range only in a certain range, known as a most sensitive hearing section which helps to repel animals. An up-gradation to the preexisting methods, utilizing ultrasonic frequencies has been processed to deter animals. Ultrasonic animal repelled produces different sound frequencies depending on the animal species to repel at a particular time. Hence, the high-frequency and high amount sound waves are used to drive away from the animals, which cause harm to farms. Those ultrasonic sounds can repel animals or rodents (including rats, pigs, and monkeys). For repelling different animals, separate electronic circuits will be designed to produce sound waves of different frequencies. These frequencies are time-multiplexed using Arduino UNO and radiate into the air to repel animals. These signals are to be amplified using an amplification circuit. These amplified signals are given to the speaker to produce different sounds at different time intervals. However, these frequencies do not disturb the hearing ability of persons.

In the California Current off the United States West Coast, there are three offshore cetacean species that produce narrow-band high frequency (NBHF) echolocation pulses: Dall's porpoise (Phocoenoides dalli) and two species of Kogia. NBHF pulses exist in a highly specialized acoustic niche thought to be outside the hearing range of killer whales and other potential mammal-eating odontocetes. Very little is known about the dwarf and pygmy sperm whales (K. sima and K. breviceps), including their NBHF pulse characteristics. This paper presents a multivariate clustering method using data from unmanned drifting acoustic recorders and visually verified porpoise recordings to discriminate between probable porpoise and Kogia clicks. Using density clustering, this study finds three distinct clusters whose geographic distributions are consistent with the known habitat range for Kogia and Dall's porpoise. A Random Forest classification model correctly assigned 97% of the clicks to their cluster. Visually verified Dall's porpoise clicks from towed hydrophones were strongly associated with one of the clusters, while a second cluster tended to be outside the geographic range of Dall's porpoise and unlike the Dall's porpoise cluster. These clicks, presumed to be made by Kogia, exhibited greater spectral variance than previous Kogia echolocation studies. It is possible that the structure of Kogia NBHF pulses may not be as stereotypical as previously described.

The purpose of this study was to determine if the Japanese quail, a domesticated, gallinaceous bird, could detect infrasound. Behavioral thresholds were determined for three birds, two males and one female, ranging from 16 Hz to 8 kHz. The animals’ hearing range, at a cutoff of 60 dB SPL (re 20 μN/m2), covers 6.88 octaves, ranging from 59.5 Hz to 7 kHz. All animals had the greatest sensitivity to 2 kHz, with an average threshold of 4.4 dB SPL. Although the birds’ threshold at 16 Hz was equivalent to that of humans, at no frequency did the birds’ sensitivity ever exceed that of humans. Therefore, the Japanese quail does not hear infrasound.

Background: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with partial (hypopnea) and full (apnea) upper airway obstructions. The standard method for identifying these obstructions and leading to OSA diagnosis is overnight polysomnography (PSG). One of the important outcomes of PSG is the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), which represents the average number of obstructions per hour, computed over the total duration of sleep. AHI is a single number summary of the dynamics of the upper airway during sleep. PSG is complicated, requires more than 20 body-contact sensors and is not available for population screening. There is a need for simple and automated technologies that can characterise the upper airways in more detail. In this paper, we address this need by proposing a method to identify individual apnea and hypopnea events via the analysis of breathing and snoring sounds collected through a microphone, which requires no physical contact with a subject. We also explore snoring and breathing sounds over a wide frequency band, exceeding the capacity of human hearing. Hypothesis: Our primary hypothesis is that snoring sounds carry sufficient information to characterise partial and full collapses of the upper airway in OSA. We also hypothesise that snoring sounds have a frequency spectrum extending beyond the human hearing range, and the spectrum's high-frequency components can provide critical information on airway collapses. Method: We recorded streams of respiratory sounds using a bedside microphone (4 Hz–100 kHz) from patients undergoing PSG studies in a sleep laboratory. Audio streams were divided into non-overlapping segments of 5 s durations. Segments containing partial or full snores were manually extracted for further investigation. Altogether we extracted 19,715 such segments from 18 subjects. We then obtained the power spectrum of each of the segments and estimated spectral energies in 16 frequency bands covering the range: 4 Hz–35 kHz. Significantly, when the upper airway narrows during or in the vicinity of apnea/hypopnea events, spectral energy tends to shift to higher frequencies. In this research, we developed indices which capture these energy shifts and function as surrogate measures of airway patency. We then calibrated proposed sound based indices using PSG derived apnea and hypopnea events. Our indices allowed us to individually pick apnea and hypopnea events and estimate a sound based AHI which we named the frequency spectrum index. Results: Our results indicated that snoring sounds extend to frequencies beyond the upper limit of the nominal hearing range, i.e. 20 kHz (p < 0.0001). At the patient level, the frequency spectrum index shows a correlation of r = 0.80 with the PSG based hypopnea index, with the highest correlation in the frequency band of 5–15 kHz. Similarly, the frequency spectrum index showed a correlation of r = 0.82 with the PSG based obstructive apnea index, where, interestingly, the highest correlation occurs in the 25–30 kHz band, which is outside the human range of hearing band. Conclusion: The snoring sound based frequency spectrum index has the potential to characterise full and partial closures of the upper airway. Snoring sounds are spread over a wide spectrum and critical information on the full closure of the upper airway is predominantly carried in frequencies beyond human hearing capacity.

The soundscapes of many coastal habitats include vocalizations produced by species of the family Batrachoididae (toadfish and midshipman). We describe the calling and grunting behavior of male Amphichthys cryptocentrus, a tropical toadfish, and predict how these vocalizations are influenced by conspecifics. We recorded individual males, which produced broadband grunts and multi-note, harmonic “boatwhistle” calls. Grunts were either in combination with calls or stand-alone. We used a null model to test if these latter grunts were produced at random or in response to calls from conspecifics. The model supports the hypothesis that grunts were in response to calls from neighboring males, suggesting acoustic competition. Using the most conservative estimate of hearing abilities we predict that males responded to the second harmonic of neighbor’s calls (230 Hz) at amplitudes of approximately 100–125 dB re 1μPa2/Hz. We also observed that call and grunt rates increased when males were exposed to higher rates of acoustic activity from neighboring fish. Fish used grunts to respond to background calls that occurred at different amplitudes, suggesting they responded to the calls of multiple neighboring fish and not just the highest amplitude neighbor. This communication with multiple fish within hearing range suggests a communication network in which the spatial distribution of individual toadfish relative to one another will impact their vocal behavior. Thus, the density and distribution, and not just abundance, of these toadfish at a given site will influence the characteristics of the chorus and the role of this species in the local soundscape.

Ultrasound is sound whose frequency is above the human hearing range. It is nowadays widely used for the evaluation of a patient’s internal organs. Ultrasound waves are transmitted into the human body by an instrument called the transducer. Inside the body the sound waves are reflected and scattered differently by the different tissues and organs. The reflected sound waves are used by the computer to form an image of the internal structures and tissues. Use of ultrasound is safe with negligible bio-effects.Bangladesh Med J. 2017 Jan; 46 (1): 44-47

To study intra-species variability in audiograms, the hearing sensitivity of a six-year-old female and a three-year-old male harbor porpoise was measured by using a standard psycho-acoustic technique under low ambient noise conditions. The porpoises' hearing thresholds for 13 narrow-band sweeps with center frequencies between 0.125 and 150 kHz were established. The resulting audiograms were U-shaped and similar. The main difference (25 dB) in mean thresholds between the two porpoises was at the high-frequency end of the hearing range (at 150 kHz). Maximum sensitivity (47 dB re 1 μPa for the female and 44 dB re 1 μPa for the male) occurred at 125 kHz. The range of most sensitive hearing (defined as within 10 dB of maximum sensitivity) was from 16 to ∼140 kHz. Sensitivity declined sharply above 125 kHz. All five porpoises for which a valid behavioral audiogram now exists were rehabilitated stranded animals, all were tested with similar psycho-acoustic techniques, and all had similar audiograms. The present study provides further evidence to confirm that the hearing range and sensitivity of the first three harbor porpoises, which have been used in secondary research and on which policy decisions have been based, are representative of those of young harbor porpoises in general.

Traditional sound sources and sound detectors are usually independent and discrete in the human hearing range. To minimize the device size and integrate it with wearable electronics, there is an urgent requirement of realizing the functional integration of generating and detecting sound in a single device. Here we show an intelligent laser-induced graphene artificial throat, which can not only generate sound but also detect sound in a single device. More importantly, the intelligent artificial throat will significantly assist for the disabled, because the simple throat vibrations such as hum, cough and scream with different intensity or frequency from a mute person can be detected and converted into controllable sounds. Furthermore, the laser-induced graphene artificial throat has the advantage of one-step fabrication, high efficiency, excellent flexibility and low cost, and it will open practical applications in voice control, wearable electronics and many other areas., The functional integration of sound generation and detection on a single device is required to assist mute people. Here, the authors demonstrate a graphene-based artificial throat capable of detecting and converting diverse throat vibrations into meaningful sound within a single device.

Black sea bass (Centropristis striata) is an important fish species in both commercial and recreational fisheries of southern New England and the mid-Atlantic Bight. Due to the intense urbanization of these waters, this species is subject to a wide range of anthropogenic noise pollution. Concerns that C. striata are negatively affected by pile driving and construction noise predominate in areas earmarked for energy development. However, as yet, the hearing range of C. striata is unknown, making it hard to evaluate potential risks. This study is a first step in understanding the effects of anthropogenic noise on C. striata by determining the auditory bandwidth and thresholds of this species using auditory evoked potentials (AEPs), creating pressure and acceleration audiograms. These physiological tests were conducted on wild-caught C. striata in three size/age categories. Results showed that juvenile C. striata significantly had the lowest thresholds, with hearing sensitivity decreasing in the larger size classes. Furthermore, Centropristis striata has fairly sensitive hearing relative to other related species. Preliminary investigations into the mechanisms of their hearing ability were undertaken with gross dissections and an opportunistic micro computed tomography image to address the auditory structures including otoliths and swimbladder morphology. Crucially, the hearing range of C. striata, and their most sensitive frequencies, directly overlap with high-amplitude anthropogenic noise pollution such as shipping and underwater construction.

The administration of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) often leads to immune-related adverse events. However, their effect on auditory function is largely unexplored. Thorough preclinical studies have not been published yet, only sporadic cases and pharmacovigilance reports suggest their significance. Here we investigated the effect of anti-PD-1 antibody treatment (4 weeks, intraperitoneally, 200 &mu, g/mouse, 3 times/week) on hearing function and cochlear morphology in C57BL/6J mice. ICI treatment did not influence the hearing thresholds in click or tone burst stimuli at 4&ndash, 32 kHz frequencies measured by auditory brainstem response. The number and morphology of spiral ganglion neurons were unaltered in all cochlear turns. The apical-middle turns (&lt, 32 kHz) showed preservation of the inner and outer hair cells (OHCs), whilst ICI treatment mitigated the age-related loss of OHCs in the basal turn (&gt, 32 kHz). The number of Iba1-positive macrophages has also increased moderately in this high frequency region. We conclude that a 4-week long ICI treatment does not affect functional and morphological integrity of the inner ear in the most relevant hearing range (4&ndash, 32 kHz, apical-middle turns), but a noticeable preservation of OHCs and an increase in macrophage activity appeared in the &gt, 32 kHz basal part of the cochlea.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is characterized by upper airway obstructions known as apnea/hypopnea events. Narrowing of the upper airway during or near the vicinity of apnea/hypopnea causes the spectrum of the snores to shift to higher frequencies. Using an instrumentation quality wideband (WB) microphone (4Hz-100kHz), we previously demonstrated that potentially diagnostically useful frequency shifts could be detected even in regions beyond the human hearing range. WB-microphone based systems are expensive and not available for home use or population screening application. In this paper we explore the feasibility of using smart phones to analyze snoring sounds in the 20Hz-22kHz band to identify events of upper airway obstructions. Modern smart phones have internal microphones with bandwidths up to 22kHz, above the nominal human hearing range, and provide a good platform for sound acquisition and processing. For the work of this paper we used a Samsung Galaxy S3 phone and recorded overnight respiratory sound data from 8 patients undergoing routine Polysomnography (PSG) study in a hospital. Our target was to develop models to classify each standard 30 second epoch of data as non-apnea or apnea. Using 700 epochs we developed logistic regression models with the input as snoring sound features and the outputs as the diagnostic classification of each event (apnea/non-apnea). Models developed within a 20Hz-15kHz band had accuracies of 89-93%, sensitivities 70-78% and kappa index ranging 0.75-0.83 on validation data set. When the same models were developed on the 20Hz-22kHz frequency band the improved performance shows accuracies 94- 97%, sensitivities 93-100%, and kappa ranging 0.86-0.91. The study shows that smart phones based high frequency band (15-22kHz) of snoring sounds carry information about the upper airway obstructions. Our non-contact, smart phone based snoring sound technology has potential to identify upper airway obstructions.

As of yet there is no literature record of the hearing range of the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra, L. 1758), a key species for natural conservation efforts in Europe. We recorded in-air pure tone hearing thresholds of anaesthetized otters using auditory brainstem responses (ABR) and report the results of the Eurasian otter. The recorded potentials showed the typical mammalian auditory brainstem response consisting of 5 distinct positive peaks during the first 10 ms after stimulus onset. At 80 dB SPL the hearing ranged from around 200 Hz to 32 kHz, with lowest thresholds around 4 kHz.

Sonic crystals are periodic arrangement of scatterers made of material with low acoustic impedance or sound hard materials [1] . Sonic crystals have numerous applications such as green belts and sound barriers. Here we showed that a typical maze structure at children playground can attenuate noise effectively for frequencies ranging from 12.5 Hz to 20,000 Hz. The original designer for the maze structure probably does not have that in mind. The maze structure can be viewed as a sonic crystal structure with sound attenuation characteristics. We found that the maze was able to attenuate noise up to 17.9 dBA for frequency range below 1000 Hz and 23 dBA for higher frequency range up to 20,000 Hz. The maze structure was able to mitigate noise at a wide range of frequencies in addition to the center frequency ( f c ) of 478 Hz which was estimated based on the Bragg’s Law. The periodic effects of the maze was also proven by numerical studies. Our results demonstrated that the maze structure commonly found in children playgrounds was able to attenuate noise covering the whole human hearing range.

The matched filter hypothesis proposes that the tuning of auditory sensitivity and the spectral character of calls will match in order to maximize auditory processing efficiency during courtship. In this study, we analyzed the acoustic structure of male calls and both male and female hearing sensitivities in the little torrent frog (Amolops torrentis), an anuran species who transmits acoustic signals across streams. The results were in striking contradiction to the matched filter hypothesis. Auditory brainstem response results showed that the best hearing range was 1.6–2 kHz consistent with the best sensitive frequency of most terrestrial lentic taxa, yet completely mismatched with the dominant frequency of conspecific calls (4.3 kHz). Moreover, phonotaxis tests show that females strongly prefer high‐frequency (4.3 kHz) over low‐frequency calls (1.6 kHz) regardless of ambient noise levels, although peripheral auditory sensitivity is highest in the 1.6–2 kHz range. These results are consistent with the idea that A. torrentis evolved from nonstreamside species and that high‐frequency calls evolved under the pressure of stream noise. Our results also suggest that female preferences based on central auditory system characteristics may evolve independently of peripheral auditory system sensitivity in order to maximize communication effectiveness in noisy environments.

The pure-tone thresholds of three budgerigars were determined from 8 Hz to 10 kHz. At a level of 60 dB sound pressure level (re 20 μN/m2), their hearing range extends 6.6 octaves from 77 Hz to 7.6 kHz, with a best sensitivity of 1.1 dB at 3 kHz. Unlike pigeons and chickens, budgerigars do not have better low-frequency hearing than humans. This difference implies anatomical, physiological, and ecological differences between birds that hear infrasound (so far, pigeons and chickens) and those that do not (budgerigars).

Although the visual and geomagnetic orientation cues used by sea turtle hatchlings during sea-finding have been well studied, the potential for auditory stimuli to act as an orientation cue has not been explored. We investigated the response of sea turtle hatchlings to natural and anthropogenic noises present on their nesting beaches during sea-finding. The responses of hatchling leatherback sea turtles, Dermochelys coriacea, collected from the Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge, St. Croix, were measured in the presence of aerial acoustic sounds within hatchlings’ hearing range of 50 to 1600 Hz. The highest sound energy produced by beach waves occurs at frequencies 50–1000 Hz, which overlaps with the most sensitive hearing range of hatchling leatherbacks (50–400 Hz). Natural beach wave sounds, which have highest sound energy at frequencies of 50–1000 Hz, may be masked by human conversations (85–650 Hz) and vehicle traffic noise (60–8000 Hz). In the presence of three stimuli, a) beach wave sounds (72.0 dB re: 20 μPa), b) human conversation (72.4 dB re: 20 μPa), and c) vehicle traffic noise (71.1 dB re: 20 μPa), hatchlings exhibited no phonotaxic response (wave sounds: mean angle = 152.1°, p = 0.645; human conversation: mean angle = 67.4°, p = 0.554; traffic noise: mean angle = 125.7°, p = 0.887). These results may be due to the hatchlings being unable to localize sounds in the experimental arena. Visual and auditory cues may also converge to affect sea-finding orientation. Future studies should focus on the localization ability of sea turtles and on the role that sound may play in orientation when combined with other sensory and environmental cues.

Introduction Individuals with Cystic Fibrosis (CF) often receive frequent, prolonged anti-infective therapy including aminoglycosides which result in ototoxicity. There are, however, no current national or international screening recommendations. Although high-frequency audiometry has increased sensitivity for early detection of drug-induced hearing loss, formal audiometry is costly and requires further outpatient visits. We analyse the validity of an interactive Apple-iPad app-based high-frequency audiometer ( Shoebox MD ) that can be used by non-audiologists to test hearing in an outpatient setting to screen for ototoxicity in an adult CF population. Methods Adults with CF at the Royal Brompton and Harefield or Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trusts are being recruited over an 8 month period. Hearing was analysed with an iPad app in an outpatient setting by non-audiologists followed by formal audiometry. A threshold of ≥25 dB hearing loss at one or more audiometric frequencies was considered to be outside the normal hearing range. Correlation analysis was used to determine reliability of iPad compared to formal audiometry at individual frequencies. Sensitivity and specificities were analysed to determine efficacy of iPad audiometry as a screening tool. Demographics are currently being collected to determine risk factors for hearing loss development and genomic sequencing performed to analyse mitochondrial mutations associated with aminoglycoside related hearing loss. Results Interim results of the first 28 participants show an overall prevalence of hearing loss in our cohort of 39%. Significant positive correlation between the iPad interactive and formal audiometry was seen at high frequencies (see figure 1) but relatively poor correlation at low frequencies where hearing loss is however uncommon in our cohort. iPad interactive audiometry showed a sensitivity of 91%, specificity of 82% and negative predictive value of 93% to identify adults with hearing loss, highlighting its potential use for ototoxicity screening in this population. Conclusion We present interim results highlighting for the first time, the use of novel app-based audiometry as a screening tool for aminoglycoside induced hearing loss in adult CF with potential application in other chronic lung disease cohorts. Full results will be presented at the conference.

This paper describes a work on indoor positioning system for cellular phones and IoT devices. The uniqueness of the system is its ability to provide simultaneous and accurate positioning of many users, based on merely three acoustic signals transmissions from stationary Beacons, without timing synchronization or position calibration. In the demonstrated system, cellular phones were operating with their internal, unsynchronized clock at a sampling rate of 44,100 samples per second. This sampling rate has enabled using positioning signals beyond the human hearing range, not interfering with audible signals. The system was deployed and demonstrated successfully in crowded places while providing positioning accuracy of centimeters.

Acoustic radiation from three commercial pest deterrents and two hair dryers were measured in an anechoic chamber. The deterrents were chosen because the frequency range at which they emit the most energy is either in the very high-frequency sound band (11.2 kHz - 17.8 kHz) or the ultrasound band (greater than 17.8 kHz). These are sources that may be heard by a subset of the general population, with the young typically having better high frequency sensitivity. A hairdryer reported to increase the frequency of the motor noise above the audible hearing range was compared with a standard hairdryer. The outputs of the deterrents are compared against six international regulations and guidelines for audible and ultrasound exposure. Multiple ambiguities in the application of these guidelines are discussed. These ambiguities could lead to a device being considered as in compliance despite unconventionally high levels. Even if a device measured here meets a guideline, actual exposures are likely to exceed those taken here and may therefore breach guidelines if the listener is closer to the device or reflections increase the exposure level.

Cochlear implants are highly efficient devices that can restore hearing in subjects with profound hearing loss. Due to improved speech perception outcomes, candidacy criteria have been expanded over the last few decades. This includes patients with substantial residual hearing that benefit from electrical and acoustical stimulation of the same ear, which makes hearing preservation during cochlear implantation an important issue. Electrode impedances and the related issue of energy consumption is another major research field, as progress in this area could pave the way for fully implantable auditory prostheses. To address these issues in a systematic way, adequate animal models are essential. Therefore, the goal of this protocol is to provide an animal model of cochlear implantation, which can be used to address various research questions. Due to its large tympanic bulla, which allows easy surgical access to the inner ear, as well as its hearing range which is relatively similar to the hearing range of humans, the guinea pig is a commonly used species in auditory research. Cochlear implantation in the guinea pig is performed via a retroauricular approach. Through the bullostomy a cochleostomy is drilled and the cochlear implant electrode is inserted into the scala tympani. This electrode can then be used for electrical stimulation, determination of electrode impedances and the measurement of compound action potentials of the auditory nerve. In addition to these applications, cochlear implant electrodes can also be used as drug delivery devices, if a topical delivery of pharmaceutical agents to the cells or fluids of the inner ear is intended.

Summary Hummingbirds are a fascinating group of birds, but some aspects of their biology are poorly understood, such as their highly diverse vocal behaviors. We show here that the predominant vocalization of black jacobins ( Florisuga fusca ), a hummingbird prevalent in the mountains of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, consists of a triplet of syllables with high fundamental frequency (mean F0 ∼11.8 kHz), rapid frequency oscillations and strong ultrasonic harmonics and no detectable elements below ∼10 kHz. These are the most common vocalizations of these birds, and their frequency range is above the known hearing range of any bird species recorded to date, including hearing specialists such as owls. These observations suggest that black jacobins either have an atypically high frequency hearing range, or alternatively their primary vocalization has a yet unknown function unrelated to vocal communication. Black jacobin vocalizations challenge current notions about vocal communication in birds.

The perception of the pitch of harmonic complex sounds is a crucial function of human audition, especially in music and speech processing. Whether the underlying mechanisms of pitch perception are unique to humans, however, is unknown. Based on estimates of frequency resolution at the level of the auditory periphery, psychoacoustic studies in humans have revealed several primary features of central pitch mechanisms. It has been shown that (i) pitch strength of a harmonic tone is dominated by resolved harmonics; (ii) pitch of resolved harmonics is sensitive to the quality of spectral harmonicity; and (iii) pitch of unresolved harmonics is sensitive to the salience of temporal envelope cues. Here we show, for a standard musical tuning fundamental frequency of 440 Hz, that the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus), a New World monkey with a hearing range similar to that of humans, exhibits all of the primary features of central pitch mechanisms demonstrated in humans. Thus, marmosets and humans may share similar pitch perception mechanisms, suggesting that these mechanisms may have emerged early in primate evolution.