A model of time-varying music engagement

The current paper offers a model of time-varying music engagement, defined as changes in curiosity, attention and positive valence, as music unfolds over time. First, we present research (including new data) showing that listeners tend to allocate attention to music in a manner that is guided by both features of the music and listeners’ individual differences. Next, we review relevant predictive processing literature before using this body of work to inform our model. In brief, we propose that music engagement, over the course of an extended listening episode, may constitute several cycles of curiosity, attention and positive valence that are interspersed with moments of mind-wandering. Further, we suggest that refocussing on music after an episode of mind-wandering can be due to triggers in the music or, conversely, mental action that occurs when the listener realizes they are mind-wandering. Finally, we argue that factors that modulate both overall levels of engagement and how it changes over time include music complexity, listener background and the listening context. Our paper highlights how music can be used to provide insights into the temporal dynamics of attention and into how curiosity might emerge in everyday contexts

Exploring Barriers and Enablers to Participatory Arts Engagement in Early Adolescence

Participatory arts engagement is argued to afford an array of prosocial and positive wellbeing outcomes across the lifespan. However, young people may face barriers to engagement that hinder access to the arts’ putative benefits. We explored the barriers to participatory arts engagement that early adolescents face and the extent to which wellbeing levels are associated with the perception of such barriers. We also explored associations between adolescents’ individual differences in personality, curiosity and wellbeing and their relative interest in different types of art activities. Participants completed questionnaires that measured their perceived barriers to engagement and their individual differences in personality, curiosity, and well-being. They also completed items measuring their interest in taking up a list of arts opportunities that varied in terms of affordance for solitary creativity, performing to an audience, or working with others in a group. Results showed a key barrier to arts engagement to be related to motivation. Specifically, participants reported relatively low levels of desire and drive to engage. Critically, however, we found a relationship between participants’ interest in taking up particular arts opportunities and their patterns of personality and curiosity. Finally, our data revealed low wellbeing to be associated with reduced interest in arts activities involving performing to an audience and working with others. Taken together, our results speak to the potential relevance - if art engagement’s putative benefits are to be exploited - of tailoring arts opportunities to young people’s personalities and interests, and of facilitating entry points for young people with poorer wellbeing

Preserved Statistical Learning of Tonal and Linguistic Material in Congenital Amusia

Congenital amusia is a lifelong disorder whereby individuals have pervasive difficulties in perceiving and producing music. In contrast, typical individuals display a sophisticated understanding of musical structure, even in the absence of musical training. Previous research has shown that they acquire this knowledge implicitly, through exposure to music’s statistical regularities. The present study tested the hypothesis that congenital amusia may result from a failure to internalize statistical regularities – specifically, lower-order transitional probabilities. To explore the specificity of any potential deficits to the musical domain, learning was examined with both tonal and linguistic material. Participants were exposed to structured tonal and linguistic sequences and, in a subsequent test phase, were required to identify items which had been heard in the exposure phase, as distinct from foils comprising elements that had been present during exposure, but presented in a different temporal order. Amusic and control individuals showed comparable learning, for both tonal and linguistic material, even when the tonal stream included pitch intervals around one semitone. However analysis of binary confidence ratings revealed that amusic individuals have less confidence in their abilities and that their performance in learning tasks may not be contingent on explicit knowledge formation or level of awareness to the degree shown in typical individuals. The current findings suggest that the difficulties amusic individuals have with real-world music cannot be accounted for by an inability to internalize lower-order statistical regularities but may arise from other factors

Assessment of speed of writing among left-handed and righthanded undergraduate students of University of Benin

The term handedness describes a characteristic form of specialization whereby a person by preference uses  one hand for clearly identified activities, such as writing. In most manual tasks usually, the preferred hand is  used more than the unpreferred hand. The aim of this study was to compare the speed in writing of left-handed  and right-handed undergraduates at University of Benin. One hundred (100) undergraduate students  irrespective of gender were used. Fifty of the students were males while the remaining fifty were females. Fifty  (50) were left-handed and fifty (50) were right –handed. The students were made to undergo a speed test  in writing and the time taken to complete the test was recorded in seconds. Result was expressed as Mean  ±SEM. Difference between means were assessed using students t-test and p value less than 0.05 (p<0.05) was chosen for significance. Results showed no significant difference in the speed of writing between  left-handed users and right-handed users, though the right-handers were slightly faster. When the right-handers and left-handers used their non dominant hand, left-handers were faster. In the change from dominant hand to non-dominant hand, left-handers were faster. This can be applied in post traumatic rehabilitation involving damage to the dominant hand.Keywords: Dominant hand, Left-handed, Right-handed, Speed, Writin

Effect of cement dust on lung function of adult cement loaders in Benin City, Nigeria

Cement is one of the important construction materials used for housing and infrastructure development. It is made from a mixture of clay and limestone that is calcined in kiln. The aim of this research is to investigate the effect of cement dust on lung function of adult cement loaders in Benin City using a total of 60 apparently healthy male and female subjects divided into two groups (experimental and control) of thirty subjects each between the ages of 25-40 years after ethical clearance. Anthropometric and Spirometry measurements were carried out on all subjects and data appropriately documented. Results obtained show reduction in the forced vital capacity of the experimental group(3.0L and 1.0L) compared to the control(1.0L).The forced expiratory volume in one second was reduced for the experimental group compared to the control(3.2L/Second and 1.0L/second respectively).The peak expiratory flow rate of the experimental group were reduced well when compared to the control (5.0L and 0.5L respectively).The results were statistically significant (P<0.05), hence cement loaders are advised to wear protective gadgets.Keywords: Cement, Lung function, Spirometry, Peak Expiratory flow rat

Pupil responses to pitch deviants reflect predictability of melodic sequences

Humans automatically detect events that, in deviating from their expectations, may signal prediction failure and a need to reorient behaviour. The pupil dilation response (PDR) to violations has been associated with subcortical signals of arousal and prediction resetting. However, it is unclear how the context in which a deviant occurs affects the size of the PDR. Using ecological musical stimuli that we characterised using a computational model, we showed that the PDR to pitch deviants is sensitive to contextual uncertainty (quantified as entropy), whereby the PDR was greater in low than high entropy contexts. The PDR was also positively correlated with unexpectedness of notes. No effects of music expertise were found, suggesting a ceiling effect due to enculturation. These results show that the same sudden environmental change can lead to differing arousal levels depending on contextual factors, providing evidence for a sensitivity of the PDR to long-term context

Effects of Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) Seed on Blood Glucose and Electrolyte Parameters in Diabetic Wistar Rats

Given the prevalence of diabetes worldwide, with its associated complications, this study is aimed at investigating the effect of citrullus lanatus seed extract on blood glucose concentration and electrolyte parameters. Citrullus lanatus is an antioxidant and has been shown to reduce oxidative stress (Khaki et al., 2013). Effects of phytochemicals (flavonoids) on pancreatic β-cells leading to their proliferation and secretion of more insulin have been proposed by Mahesh and Menon (2004), as the mechanism by which medicinal plants used in the treatment of diabetes mellitus reduce hyperglycaemia in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Fifteen female wistar rats were used in the study, they were divided into three groups of five rats each, namely; the control group, diabetes control group administered distilled water, and diabetes group administered watermelon seed extract. The diabetic groups were made diabetic by single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (60 mg/kg). Daily watermelon seed extract was administered orally (200 mg per kilogram body weight), one week post streptozotocin injection. On 29th day the rats were sacrificed and blood was collected via the inferior vena cava, into plain bottles and fluoride oxalate sample tubes for electrolyte; (Na+, K+, HCO3-, Cl-) and glucose analyses, respectively. Results showed that plasma glucose concentration decreased significantly (P<0.05) at week 2 and 4. However, administration of methanolic extract of Citrullus lanatus seed did not have any significant effects (P>0.05) on Na+, K+ , Cl- , and HCO3- concentrations . In conclusion, watermelon seed extract may be of supportive treatment to combat diabetes complications.Keywords: Watermelon; Diabetes; blood glucose; electrolyte; Wistar rat

The Idiosyncrasy of Involuntary Musical Imagery Repetition (IMIR) Experiences: The Role of Tempo and Lyrics

Involuntary musical imagery repetition (IMIR), colloquially known as “earworms,” is a form of musical imagery that arises involuntarily and repeatedly in the mind. A growing number of studies, based on retrospective reports, suggest that IMIR experiences are associated with certain musical features, such as fast tempo and the presence of lyrics, and with individual differences in music training and engagement. However, research to date has not directly assessed the effect of such musical features on IMIR and findings about individual differences in music training and engagement are mixed. Using a cross-sectional design (Study 1, n = 263), we examined IMIR content in terms of tempo (fast, slow) and presence of lyrics (instrumental, vocal), and IMIR characteristics (frequency, duration of episode and section) in relation to 1) the musical content (tempo and lyrics) individuals most commonly expose themselves to (music-listening habits), and 2) music training and engagement. We also used an experimental design (Study 2, n = 80) to test the effects of tempo (fast or slow) and the presence of lyrics (instrumental or vocal) on IMIR retrieval and duration. Results from Study 1 showed that the content of music that individuals are typically exposed to with regard to tempo and lyrics predicted and resembled their IMIR content, and that music engagement, but not music training, predicted IMIR frequency. Music training was, however, shown to predict the duration of IMIR episodes. In the experiment (Study 2), tempo did not predict IMIR retrieval, but the presence of lyrics influenced IMIR duration. Taken together, our findings suggest that IMIR is an idiosyncratic experience primed by the music-listening habits and music engagement of the individual