Articles tagged with Sound
A randomized controlled trial found that threatening to lose a reward is more effective than earning one in increasing physical activity among overweight and obese adults. The study also suggests that the way financial incentives are framed is important to their effectiveness.
Researchers at Mayo Clinic have discovered that apraxia of speech can evolve into a neurodegenerative disease, causing significant difficulties with speech, movement, and daily activities. Early diagnosis and therapy are crucial to develop compensations for producing sounds and improving communication.
Research by Marketing Professors Derick F. Davis, Rajesh Bagchi, and Lauren G. Block found that alliterative promotional messages facilitate quicker processing, leading to increased sales and preference among consumers. The study also demonstrated that altering message components can boost sales without lowering prices.
Researchers at the University of British Columbia found that adding flashing lights and music to a 'rat casino' model led to problem gambling behavior in rats. Blocking a specific dopamine receptor corrected this behavior, suggesting a common biological cause for risky decision-making across vices.
Snapping shrimp sound patterns show seasonal variations, with more snaps per minute during summer and fewer during winter. The research highlights the importance of long-term acoustic sampling in understanding marine soundscape ecology.
A University of Iowa study found that babies made more speech-like sounds during book reading than during puppet play or toy play, and mothers were more responsive to these sounds while reading. This interaction is crucial for language development in young children.
A team of astronomers has discovered that up to 60 percent of stars host strong magnetic fields, which can significantly alter the physical processes taking place in the core. The researchers used asteroseismology to detect these hidden fields and found that they are prevalent in intermediate mass stars.
Seniors struggle to process multisensory information, affecting tasks like driving and balance. Training methods, such as video games or brain stimulation, may help improve perceptions of time in older adults.
A new UCL study found that concentrating attention on a visual task significantly reduces brain response to sound and increases failures to detect audible sounds. This phenomenon, known as inattentional deafness, has serious implications for everyday life and tasks requiring focus, such as operating theatres or driving.
A study by McGill University researchers reveals that early exposure to a language shapes the brain's ability to process sounds from a second language later in life. Brain imaging showed that children who were adopted into French-speaking families and no longer spoke Chinese still had brains processing language similarly to bilingual c...
The study reveals that both humans and monkeys have a common brain area that recognizes the orderliness of sound sequences, suggesting evolutionary origins of cognitive functions underlying language. This knowledge may help understanding how we learn and lose language, such as in aphasia after a stroke or dementia.
A study published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience found that listeners' pupils dilate in response to emotional music, reflecting both the music's content and the listener's personal connection. The research used eye trackers to measure pupil size while participants listened to short music excerpts from the Romantic era.
A new portable device called HeartBuds detects sounds inside the body as well as traditional stethoscopes, while also being more sanitary. The technology has been shown to perform just as well as expensive stethoscope models in detecting heart murmurs and carotid bruits.
A new smartphone-compatible listening device, HeartBuds, has been shown to work as well as widely used FDA-approved traditional and digital stethoscopes in identifying heart murmurs. The study also found that the disposable stethoscope performed poorly on detecting abnormal sounds, making it a less reliable option.
Disney researchers developed mobile apps that add computer-generated animation, sound, and visuals to traditional activities like coloring books, scavenger hunts, and team games. The apps aim to create a seamless fusion of the real and virtual worlds, promoting creative play and exploration.
Researchers at the University of Rochester found that humans can detect and process sound delays as short as 40 milliseconds to fine-tune visual distance estimates. Participants consistently perceived shapes paired with delayed clicks as more distant, even when they were not, suggesting an unconscious link between sound delays and visu...
Researchers discovered that intrinsic neural connections can be used to help the blind detect their environment, making tasks easier and more intuitive. The study used a sensory substitution device to translate images into sound, allowing blind people to associate different sounds with features of their environment.
A new study suggests that geoduck farming in central Puget Sound could have significant impacts on the food web if farming activities increase by 120 percent. The equipment used to farm geoducks, including PVC pipes and nets, may have a greater impact than the addition of the clams themselves.
Scientists mapped the thalamus circuitry that may be involved in neurological disorders such as autism, ADHD, and schizophrenia. The study found that inhibitory neurons in the thalamus play a critical role in filtering out distractions.
A study published in Nature found that the thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN) plays a crucial role in multitasking by filtering out distracting sensory information. The TRN acts like a switchboard, continuously filtering sensory input and shifting attention to one sense while blocking out others.
Native ASL signers acquire intonation in three stages: appearance, reorganization, and mastery. Young signers use certain features with different frequencies than adults.
Infants at 4 months old can associate words with objects, suggesting early knowledge of language's relation to the world. This ability is crucial for language acquisition and learning about surroundings.
Researchers have identified a condition called aphantasia, where individuals are born without the ability to visualize images. This affects not only memory but also sense perception, leading to difficulties in recalling experiences and emotions.
A computer game was used to investigate how people respond to audiovisual distractions, finding that age didn't affect susceptibility. The game helped researchers collect data on attention and learning from irrelevant sounds, with potential applications as a training tool.
Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed an algorithm that can assess the onset time, pitch and magnitude of wheezing sounds to provide healthcare professionals with information about lung condition. The algorithm is effective regardless of patient size and can handle breathing pattern variability.
Researchers have developed a web-based tool allowing everyday people to record and submit speech errors, including 'tip-of-the tongue' states, slips of the tongue, and malapropisms. This crowdsourced database aims to provide new insights into language acquisition, production, and perception.
A Northwestern University study found that music training during high school can enhance the teenage brain's responses to sound and sharpen hearing and language skills. The research suggests that music instruction helps improve critical skills for academic success, potentially offsetting negative influences of poverty on sound processing.
A UCLA study found that the Sound Body Sound Mind curriculum tripled the percentage of students who passed California's standardized physical fitness test in under-resourced schools. The program increased students' confidence levels, enjoyment of physical activity, and knowledge about fitness.
Researchers developed a simple system to automate music genre categorization by focusing on just pitch, tempo, and amplitude variation patterns. The approach uses random sample consensus (RANSAC) as a classifier and demonstrated accuracy in seven major musical genres.
Researchers found that songbirds rely on patterns in much the same way as people do when learning to recognize and categorize speech sounds. By training starlings to differentiate between complex auditory patterns, the study showed that birds can learn to categorize motifs into meaningful categories.
Researchers found that American employees who experienced a sudden boost in status due to a language mandate felt mixed emotions, including happiness and fear. They knew their status was not tied to their performance or achievement, leading to feelings of instability and lack of control. This study highlights the complex nature of stat...
Researchers at Northwestern University discovered that a sleep-based intervention after training can significantly reduce implicit social biases. The study, published in Science, found that participants who received the intervention showed stronger bias reduction one week later. The findings challenge traditional views on habit learnin...
Researchers aim to identify annoying features of wind power plants from people's experiences in Finnish climatic conditions. A real-time feedback system and statistical models will be used to model the formation and dissemination of sound.
Scientists at Duke University have discovered a brain region that integrates the timing of speech, a crucial element of spoken language. The superior temporal sulcus (STS) became active during speech quilts with longer segments, suggesting it plays a key role in processing speech rhythms.
Researchers found that 6-month-old infants prefer listening to infant sounds over adult sounds, which could aid in learning how to talk. This preference may also help infants develop their own voice, a crucial step in speech production.
Researchers found that toddlers, especially those with siblings, understand the behavioral effects of different types of sound on others. Children made loud noises to wake up the doll and quieter noises to let it sleep, showing they understood how their sounds influenced social interactions.
Research by UIC Business found that servant leaders create a culture of trust, caring, cooperation, fairness, and empathy, leading to improved teamwork, loyalty, and dedication. This approach helps employees reach their full potential, driving business effectiveness.
A new study has found that high-pitched sounds can cause seizures in older cats, with certain breeds and triggers identified. The study, published in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, reveals that audiogenic reflex seizures (FARS) occur in pedigree and non-pedigree cats, often triggered by loud noises such as crinkling tin fo...
Researchers captured thousands of interactions within a single neuron as it responded to rhythmic clicks, showing how neurons switch from temporal coding to rate coding. This transformation allows the auditory system to process information about time and space, supporting multisensory integration.
The study developed a method enabling dialogue replacement for automated video redubbing, utilizing facial movements associated with speech sounds. The approach produced far more plausible alternative word sequences than conventional methods.
Researchers used MRI to observe the effects of knuckle cracking on joint cavities, finding a rapid gas-filled cavity formation. The study's findings may pave the way for new research into the potential therapeutic benefits or harms of joint cracking.
A new study found that sound, light, and temperature levels in pediatric hospital wards vary greatly, leading to sleep deprivation and impacting disease recovery and quality of life. The research highlights the need for consistent clinical standards to be developed to improve children's experience and quality of life.
Echoes and fluctuations in volume are key cues for judging sound distance, a finding that opens up new possibilities for improving hearing aids and prostheses. Researchers used tiny microphones to record rabbit sounds and simulated modulated noise, measuring neural responses in the midbrain.
Elephant soundscapes tested for effectiveness in deterring night-time raids on farmland in southern India, with results showing 90% success rate using tiger sounds and 73% using leopard sounds. The study's findings suggest a potential solution to the growing problem of human-elephant conflict in agriculture.
Recreational anglers' understanding of rockfish biology and fishing practices influences their views on conservation. Education plays a crucial role in garnering long-term support for rockfish recovery.
Scientists have observed two large coronal holes on the sun, with one covering about 6-8% of the total solar surface and another 0.16%. These regions can emit fast solar winds that affect Earth. The unique magnetic fields in these areas extend far into space.
Researchers found that Puget Sound's water has an average pH of about 7.8, making it acidic for seawater, and is already higher in dissolved carbon dioxide than the Earth's atmosphere. The lab's unique location allows for studying adaptation to these changes.
A study published in the International Journal of Human Factors and Ergonomics found that an in-car alarm can cut crash rates for drivers over 60 by 50%, but had little effect on younger drivers. The team also discovered that female drivers under 35 responded safely to alarms, while males did not.
Researchers at Northwestern University have found a secret bodyguard for the ears - a newly discovered connection from the cochlea to the brain that warns of intense incoming noise. This novel pain system protects the ear from very loud or damaging noise, which may be why people jam their fingers in their ears when exposed to loud soun...
A study by New York University's Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development found that crowdsourcing using Amazon Mechanical Turk can produce high levels of agreement among listeners, even when individual responses are not highly accurate. With samples of nine or more AMT users, performance converges with that of ex...
A new study at MIT reveals the secret to the iconic Cremonese violins' powerful sound: elongated f-holes and thicker back plates. Researchers found that makers may have inadvertently crafted these features, as small errors in craftsmanship led to evolutionary changes.
Research shows that fluctuations in river flows are increasing with climate change, scrounging away salmon eggs and exhausting young fish. Habitat restoration projects and reducing stormwater runoff can ease flooding and peak flows threatening salmon redds.
Research from Northeastern professor of psychology Iris Berent and her colleagues finds that linguistic preferences are guided by abstract rules rather than motor system simulation. Abstract rules trigger motor action, not the other way around.
A study by University at Buffalo psychologist Chris McNorgan suggests that phonics is crucial for helping identify words during reading. The results indicate that better readers are more sensitive to audio information, which can improve reading instruction and diagnosis of reading disorders such as dyslexia.
Scientists have discovered distinctive sounds associated with iceberg births, which can help detect different types of glacial loss. Underground water reserves in Hawaii's high country could be a source of geothermal energy. Researchers on Mars have found 'knobby terrain' that suggests explosive past volcanic eruptions.
Research suggests mothers speak slightly less clearly to infants than adults, contradicting the widespread view of hyperarticulation. This finding may explain why babies excel at learning their language's distinct sounds despite less clear input.
A study found that working collaboratively improved medical students' diagnostic accuracy, with pairs of students outperforming individuals in selecting correct diagnoses. The collaboration also led to longer completion times but more confident decisions.
Researchers developed an intervention to help individuals gradually increase their hearing-aid use and satisfaction. The study found that over half of participants increased their hearing-aid use from zero to four hours, and 60% reported being satisfied with their devices.
A new analysis of seven years of bird sightings by volunteer birdwatchers found increasing trends for 14 species, including cormorants and harlequin ducks. The study suggests that these birds may be turning the corner, with positive trends also reported in nesting surveys.
Researchers at Bielefeld University have created a system called SoProMon that uses acoustic signals to monitor industrial processes. This approach enables staff to take proactive measures before issues arise, reducing the need for visual monitoring.