Where we perceive before we look: The distribution of presaccadic attention assessed with dynamic 1/f noise

Already before the onset of a saccadic eye movement, we preferentially process visual information at the upcoming eye fixation. This 'presaccadic shift of attention' is typically assessed via localized test items, which potentially bias the attention measurement. Here we show how presaccadic attention shapes perception from saccade origin to target when no scene-structuring items are presented. Participants made saccades into a 1/f ('pink') noise field, in which we embedded a brief orientation signal at various locations shortly before saccade onset. Local orientation discrimination performance served as a proxy for the allocation of attention. Results demonstrate that (1) saccades are preceded by shifts of attention to their goal location even if they are directed into an unstructured visual field, but the spread of attention, compared to target-directed saccades, is broad; (2) the presaccadic attention shift is accompanied by considerable attentional costs at the presaccadic eye fixation; (3) objects markedly shape the distribution of presaccadic attention, demonstrating the relevance of an item-free approach for measuring attentional dynamics across the visual field.

STI direct test method based on wavelet transform to extract envelope

Speech transmission index (STI for short) is an important index to evaluate the quality of speech transmission of the room, it can better reflect the degree of voice signal affected by room reverberation and noise in the transmission process.This paper presents an algorithm for directly measuring STI index, white noise is filtered by Paul Kellet filter to generate pink noise, the signal envelope is extracted by wavelet transform, which improves the extraction accuracy of signal envelope and makes the measurement of STI index more accurate.

Does bedtime music listening improve subjective sleep quality and next-morning well-being in young adults? A randomized cross-over trial

Previous research has found that young adults exhibit patterns of poor sleep, and that poor sleep is associated with a host of negative psychological consequences. One potential intervention to improve sleep quality is listening to music at bedtime. While there exist previous works investigating the efficacy of listening to music as a form of sleep aid, these works have been hindered by statistically weak designs, a lack of systematic investigation of critical characteristics of music which may affect its efficacy, and limited generalizability. In light of the limitations in the existing literature, a 15-day randomized cross-over trial was carried out with 62 young adults. Participants completed five nights of bedtime listening to each condition (happy music vs. sad music vs. pink noise, which acted as an active control condition) over three weeks. Upon awakening each morning, participants rated their subjective sleep quality, current stress, positive and negative affective states, and current life satisfaction. Frequentist and Bayesian multilevel modeling revealed that happy and sad music was both beneficial for subjective sleep quality and next-morning well-being, compared to the pink noise condition; potential nuances are discussed. The current study bears potential practical applications for healthcare professionals and lay individuals.

COMPLEXITY-BASED EVALUATION OF THE CORRELATION BETWEEN HEART AND BRAIN RESPONSES TO MUSIC

The evaluation of the correlation between the activations of various organs has great importance. This work investigated the synchronization of the brain and heart responses to different auditory stimuli using complexity-based analysis. We selected three pieces of music based on the difference in the complexity of embedded noise (including white noise, brown noise, and pink noise) in them. We played these pieces of music for 11 subjects (7 M and 4 F) and computed the fractal dimension and sample entropy of EEG signals and R–R time series [as heart rate variability (HRV)]. We found strong correlations ([Formula: see text] in the case of fractal dimension and [Formula: see text] in the case of sample entropy) among the complexities of EEG signals and HRV. This finding demonstrates the synchronization of the brain and heart responses and auditory stimuli from the complexity perspective.