Natural Sounds Research Articles

Natural soundscapes of lowland river habitats and the potential threat of urban noise pollution to migratory fish

Migratory fish populations have experienced great declines, and considerable effort have been put into reducing stressors, such as chemical pollution and physical barriers. However, the importance of natural sounds as an information source and potential problems caused by noise pollution remain largely unexplored. The spatial distribution of sound sources and variation in propagation characteristics could provide migratory fish with acoustic cues about habitat suitability, predator presence, food availability and conspecific presence. We here investigated the relationship between natural soundscapes and local river conditions and we explored the presence of human-related sounds in these natural soundscapes. We found that 1a) natural river sound profiles vary with river scale and cross-sectional position, and that 1b) depth, width, water velocity, and distance from shore were all significant factors in explaining local soundscape variation. We also found 2a) audible human activities in almost all our underwater recordings and urban and suburban river parts had elevated sound levels relative to rural river parts. Furthermore, 2b) daytime levels were louder than night time sound levels, and bridges and nearby road traffic were much more prominent with diurnal and weekly patterns of anthropogenic noise in the river systems. We believe our data show high potential for natural soundscapes of low-land river habitat to serve as important environmental cues to migratory fish. However, anthropogenic noise may be particularly problematic due to the omnipresence, and relatively loud levels relative to the modest dynamic range of the natural sound sources, in these slow-flowing freshwater systems.

Early stage lung cancer detection from speech sounds in natural environments

In the diagnosis of early-stage lung cancer, conventional methods often rely on periodic imaging techniques using medical devices. However, recent studies suggest that speech sounds could offer valuable insights into the diagnosis of disease. This study investigates the different characteristics of speech sounds recorded in natural environments between individuals diagnosed with lung cancer and those who are healthy. Using signal processing techniques and a self-supervised contrastive learning approach, we investigate the classification of these speech sounds for the diagnosis of early-stage lung cancer. Our results show that it is possible to utilize naturally recorded speech sounds. Using the Graph Attention Transformer Fine-Tuning Contrastive Learning (GAT-ftCL) model, which leverages graph neural networks to capture complex relationships in data and fine-tunes the learning process through contrastive learning, we achieve an accuracy of 90.90% in distinguishing individuals diagnosed with lung cancer from healthy individuals. Furthermore, the model achieves a remarkable accuracy of 92.85% in specifically identifying individuals with early stage (stage 1) lung cancer within the stage 1 group and healthy individuals. These results underline the diagnostic potential of natural speech sounds, especially in the detection of early-stage lung cancer.

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex reduced attentional bias toward natural emotional sounds.

Previous research has indicated that the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) exerts an influence on attentional bias toward visual emotional information. However, it remains unclear whether the left DLPFC also play an important role in attentional bias toward natural emotional sounds. The current research employed the emotional spatial cueing paradigm, incorporating natural emotional sounds of considerable ecological validity as auditory cues. Additionally, high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) was utilized to examine the impact of left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) on attentional bias and its subcomponents, namely attentional engagement and attentional disengagement. The results showed that (1) compared to sham condition, anodal HD-tDCS over the left DLPFC reduced the attentional bias toward positive and negative sounds; (2) anodal HD-tDCS over the left DLPFC reduced the attentional engagement toward positive and negative sounds, whereas it did not affect attentional disengagement away from natural emotional sounds. Taken together, the present study has shown that left DLPFC, which was closely related with the top-down attention regulatory function, plays an important role in auditory emotional attentional bias.

CHILDHOOD IMAGE IN THE NOVEL “DAWN” BY B. K. ZAITSEV

The purpose of the article is to consider the specifics of depicting the theme of childhood in the novel “Dawn” by B. K. Zaitsev. In modern literary studies, the theme of childhood in the works of Russian writers who found themselves in exile after the revolutionary events is actively being developed and studied. The relevance of the work is due to the fact that it explores one of the important topics in the literature of the Russian diaspora. The novelty of the research consists in comparing the novel by B. K. Zaitsev with 19th century Russian classical prose about childhood, in clarifying the question of traditions and innovation in solving the theme of childhood by the writer of the Russian diaspora. The paper considers theoretical issues related to the spatial and temporal structure of the novel “Dawn,” the disclosure of the figurative and motivational series, artistic means and techniques. All this is necessary not only to understand the peculiarities of the embodiment of the childhood image in B. K. Zaitsev’s prose, but also to determine the national identity of Russian literature about childhood. In the center of Zaitsev’s novelis the image of a child living in a manor, which is depicted according to Russian literary traditions of the 18th — 19th centuries. Describing the ancestral “nest” with its material content, special semantics, autobiographical basis, recreating the world of a child, B. K. Zaitsev relies on the novel “Childhood” by L. N. Tolstoy. Idyllic time dominates the structure of the novel “Dawn.” Its important components include the motifs of light, aromas, smells, sounds of nature, the synesthesia characteristic of a child’s worldview. The child experiences the fullness of the joy of being akin to being in Eden. The world of childhood, permeated with Divine grace, apart from biographical and historical time, is addressed to the category of Eternity. Childhood is spiritualized and sacralized. Mother and father are organically included in the world of the novel, associated with the idea of the orderliness and stability of being. Family meals together and rituals become events that create an atmosphere of happiness. Children’s worldview is presented through a system of oppositions of “their own”/“someone else’s”space. Childhood is associated with thanatological events. The description of the reading circle becomes mandatory in revealing the inner world of the child hero. The writer’s novel is an example of an image of childhood conditioned by a new era, modernist innovations consisting in changing the relationship between the author and the child.

The Effect of Music Therapy on the Sleep Quality of Patients with Heart Failure: The Miracle of Nature Music.

Patients with heart failure experience poor sleep quality due to the nature of disease they suffer from. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of music on the sleep quality of patients with heart failure. The present study is a randomized clinical trial, which was performed on 76 patients with heart failure, hospitalized in the cardiac ward of an educational hospital. These patients had obtained a score of 5 or higher on Pittsburgh's sleep quality index. The block randomization method was used to generate the allocation sequence. Thus, the number of subjects in each block was determined to be 4 people in 18 blocks. Intervention was collection of nature music played through headphones for 30 minutes over three nights, and at the end of the third night, the Pittsburgh's index was completed again by both groups. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. After the intervention, the mean scores of mental quality of sleep (p = 0.007) and daily function disorders improved significantly in the intervention group (p = 0.025). Significant differences were seen between the mean scores of mental quality of sleep (p < 0.001), daily function disorders (p = 0.002), delay in falling asleep (p = 0.01), sleep disorders (p < 0.001), and use of sleeping pills (p < 0.001) before and after the intervention in the intervention group. Playing relaxing music like nature sounds and spending time in nature after discharge can improve the sleep quality and sense of relaxation in patients with heart failure. The implementation of such affordable and amusing interventions can be proposed by nurses in heart failure patients.

EXPLORING THE CONCEPT OF AMBIENT SOUND FOR WELL-BEING: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF THEORIES AND EVIDENCEON

This study investigates the impact of ambient sound on well-being, focusing on its definition, theoretical foundations, and cultural interpretations. The objectives are to explore and analyse underlying theories and concepts, and to examine cultural perceptions of ambient sound’s influence on human life. The researchers searched multiple databases, including JSTOR, PubMed, and Scopus, using keywords related to ambient sound and its synonyms. A total of 162 articles were examined and only 46 articles were included in the review. The results of this review proposed that definition of ambient sound highlights its role as the comprehensive auditory backdrop that shapes individuals’ perceptions, understanding, and experiences of a specific location, incorporating various elements such as natural sounds, background noises, and human-generated sounds. This definition underscores the significance of ambient sound in shaping the overall sonic atmosphere and cultural interpretation of a particular space. Additionally, the perception of environmental noise varies across cultures, and cultural factors influence the use and acceptance of noise cancellation technology and the significance attributed to natural sounds. Further research is needed to explore the potential benefit of ambient sound as a background sound within a various settings such as therapeutic environment.

Delineating leachate-groundwater interaction at Gyadi-Gyadi dumpsite, Kano, using natural electromagnetic (EM) field detector and Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES)

Geophysical investigations are mostly used for hydrogeological studies, mining, geotechnical investigation and environmental surveys. Geophysical investigation of groundwater within the dumpsite is highly critical because the extent of interaction between leachate plume/contaminated zone and aquifer zones could significantly reduce groundwater quality. The textural complexity and clay content of soils could change their electrical properties, thus reflecting inconsistent resistivity values using the resistivity method. This research investigates the extent of leachate infiltration from waste dumpsite into groundwater at Gyadi-Gyadi Kano State, using natural Electromagnetic (EM) field and Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES) methods. Six natural EM profiles were obtained in various locations within the study area using PQWT-TC 150 model. Six VES data points were occupied along the EM profile lines using SAS 1000 ABEM resistivity meter. The two techniques employed revealed some intercalations of low resistivity (conductive) as well as very low electrical potential differences in the study area. The low resistivity media are mixtures of leachates into groundwater units, thereby creating formations from the surface to a depth of about 40 m. The first and second layers have experience leachate-aquifer interaction in the northern, southern and eastern parts of the study area to about 40 m depth, and the leachate-aquifer interaction has extended to the deep aquifer of about 70 m depth at the western part. Shallow aquifer has not been infiltrated by leachate at about >100 m away from the waste dumpsite. Therefore, for potable groundwater exploitation in this area, it is advised that boreholes should be sited >100 m away from the dumpsite, where leachate-aquifer interaction has attenuated. The natural EM field detector is evidently constrained by issues of over-generalization and summation of potential values, probably due to its relatively low resolution. Hence it might not be capable of precisely delineating varying geological units. In contrast, the resistivity method is able to delineate and discretize the subsurface into sub-units of different resistive zones. This implies that VES is better suited for accurately defining the true subsurface geology, while the NEF detector is effective for determining the extent of a leachate plume.

The temporal dynamics of conscious and unconscious audio-visual semantic integration

We compared the time course of cross-modal semantic effects induced by both naturalistic sounds and spoken words on the processing of visual stimuli, whether visible or suppressed form awareness through continuous flash suppression. We found that, under visible conditions, spoken words elicited audio-visual semantic effects over longer time (−1000, −500, −250 ms SOAs) than naturalistic sounds (−500, −250 ms SOAs). Performance was generally better with auditory primes, but more so with congruent stimuli. Spoken words presented in advance (−1000, −500 ms) outperformed naturalistic sounds; the opposite was true for (near-)simultaneous presentations. Congruent spoken words demonstrated superior categorization performance compared to congruent naturalistic sounds. The audio-visual semantic congruency effect still occurred with suppressed visual stimuli, although without significant variations in the temporal patterns between auditory types. These findings indicate that: 1. Semantically congruent auditory input can enhance visual processing performance, even when the visual stimulus is imperceptible to conscious awareness. 2. The temporal dynamics is contingent on the auditory types only when the visual stimulus is visible. 3. Audiovisual semantic integration requires sufficient time for processing auditory information.

RainMind: Investigating Dynamic Natural Soundscape of Physiological Data to Promote Self-Reflection for Stress Management

Metaphorical auditory displays are increasingly recognized for data presentation and self-reflection. This article presents the design and evaluation of RainMind, a web-based soundscape application that represents physiological data with dynamic natural sounds for daily stress reflection. Based on different combinations of auditory display with visualization, we identified three modes: the Visual-Aided Mode (VAM), the Audio-Aided Mode (AAM), and the Audio-Visual Mode (AVM). Through a within-subject study involving 30 participants, we conducted a mixed-methods evaluation to assess the task load, engagement, and user experience among the three modes. The findings indicated that the combination of dynamic natural soundscapes with visualization (AVM) contributes to a lower task load compared to the other two modes. Moreover, dynamic natural soundscapes as metaphors for stress data significantly enhanced engagement and user experience of self-reflection compared to static natural sounds. Based on our study, we discuss the potential of leveraging dynamic natural soundscapes as a new way of data-driven self-reflection.

Experimental recreationist noise alters behavior and space use of wildlife

Providing outdoor recreational opportunities to people and protecting wildlife are dual goals of many land managers. However, recreation is associated with negative effects on wildlife, ranging from increased stress hormones1,2 to shifts in habitat use3,4,5 to lowered reproductive success.6,7 Noise from recreational activities can be far reaching and have similar negative effects on wildlife, yet the impacts of these auditory encounters are less studied and are often unobservable. We designed a field-based experiment to both isolate and quantify the effects of recreation noise on several mammal species and test the effects of different recreation types and group sizes. Animals entering our sampling arrays triggered cameras to record video and broadcast recreation noise from speakers ∼20m away. Our design allowed us to observe and classify behaviors of wildlife as they were exposed to acoustic stimuli. We found wildlife were 3.1-4.7 times more likely to flee and were vigilant for 2.2-3.0 times longer upon hearing recreation noise compared with controls (natural sounds and no noise). Wildlife abundance at our sampling arrays was 1.5 times lower the week following recreation noise deployments. Noise from larger groups of vocal hikers and mountain bikers caused the highest probability of fleeing (6-8 times more likely to flee). Elk were the most sensitive species to recreation noise, and large carnivores were the least sensitive. Our findings indicate that recreation noise alone caused anti-predator responses in wildlife, and as outdoor recreation continues to increase in popularity and geographic extent,8,9 noise from recreation may result in degraded or indirect wildlife habitat loss.

Synthesis of natural sound based on Nyquist

In recent years, sound synthesis has become an important part of daily life with the rapid development of the technology. There are many methods of natural sound synthesis, but each of them has its disadvantages. This paper explored a novel method of natural sound synthesis based on Nyquist. This method has significant advantages in high speed, convenience, flexibility, randomness, and small file size. The research investigates the effectiveness of this method by synthesizing four distinct natural sounds - rain, wind, thunder, and a combination of all three - using unit generators in Nyquist. To further evaluate the result, Mel spectrograms and a questionnaire are applied. The evaluation shows that the synthesized sounds meet expectations and are relatively real and natural. This method can be combined with other technology, such as the large language model, to provide better accessibility. This method can generate natural sounds for many tasks, especially those requiring high speed.

Effects of natural sound on human stress recovery based on EEG techniques

Natural sounds are an essential part of a restorative environment. Although numerous studies have established the positive impact of natural sounds on human health and well-being, few have examined the differences between natural sounds on human stress recovery. This study examined the impact of natural sounds on stress recovery by comparing a silent environment (control group) with three experimental groups exposed to flowing water sound, birdsong, and wind sounds. The investigation entailed the assessment of subjective assessments and EEG signals from 30 subjects (12 males and 18 females). The subjective evaluations indicated that the PRS scores for the sounds of flowing water and birdsong were superior to those of the silent environment. The EEG results revealed that EEG-α activity was more pronounced in response to natural sounds than the silent environment, with birdsong evoking the most significant EEG-α activity. Wind sounds increased the mental stress of the subjects. Conversely, birdsong and flowing water sound were beneficial for alleviating mental stress. Additionally, the analysis of event-related potentials (ERP) demonstrated that natural sounds elicited higher P300 amplitudes in central and parietal lobe sensors and had little effect on the frontal region. The study also demonstrated the correlation between EEG and subjective stress evaluations, providing insights into stress reduction theories and offering practical suggestions for optimizing the acoustic environment in urban settings.

The Effect of Training on Localizing HoloLens-Generated 3D Sound Sources.

Sound localization is a crucial aspect of human auditory perception. VR (virtual reality) technologies provide immersive audio platforms that allow human listeners to experience natural sounds based on their ability to localize sound. However, the simulations of sound generated by these platforms, which are based on the general head-related transfer function (HRTF), often lack accuracy in terms of individual sound perception and localization due to significant individual differences in this function. In this study, we aimed to investigate the disparities between the perceived locations of sound sources by users and the locations generated by the platform. Our goal was to determine if it is possible to train users to adapt to the platform-generated sound sources. We utilized the Microsoft HoloLens 2 virtual platform and collected data from 12 subjects based on six separate training sessions arranged in 2 weeks. We employed three modes of training to assess their effects on sound localization, in particular for studying the impacts of multimodal error, visual, and sound guidance in combination with kinesthetic/postural guidance, on the effectiveness of the training. We analyzed the collected data in terms of the training effect between pre- and post-sessions as well as the retention effect between two separate sessions based on subject-wise paired statistics. Our findings indicate that, as far as the training effect between pre- and post-sessions is concerned, the effect is proven to be statistically significant, in particular in the case wherein kinesthetic/postural guidance is mixed with visual and sound guidance. Conversely, visual error guidance alone was found to be largely ineffective. On the other hand, as far as the retention effect between two separate sessions is concerned, we could not find any meaningful statistical implication on the effect for all three error guidance modes out of the 2-week session of training. These findings can contribute to the improvement of VR technologies by ensuring they are designed to optimize human sound localization abilities.

A hierarchy of processing complexity and timescales for natural sounds in human auditory cortex.

Efficient behavior is supported by humans' ability to rapidly recognize acoustically distinct sounds as members of a common category. Within auditory cortex, there are critical unanswered questions regarding the organization and dynamics of sound categorization. Here, we performed intracerebral recordings in the context of epilepsy surgery as 20 patient-participants listened to natural sounds. We built encoding models to predict neural responses using features of these sounds extracted from different layers within a sound-categorization deep neural network (DNN). This approach yielded highly accurate models of neural responses throughout auditory cortex. The complexity of a cortical site's representation (measured by the depth of the DNN layer that produced the best model) was closely related to its anatomical location, with shallow, middle, and deep layers of the DNN associated with core (primary auditory cortex), lateral belt, and parabelt regions, respectively. Smoothly varying gradients of representational complexity also existed within these regions, with complexity increasing along a posteromedial-to-anterolateral direction in core and lateral belt, and along posterior-to-anterior and dorsal-to-ventral dimensions in parabelt. When we estimated the time window over which each recording site integrates information, we found shorter integration windows in core relative to lateral belt and parabelt. Lastly, we found a relationship between the length of the integration window and the complexity of information processing within core (but not lateral belt or parabelt). These findings suggest hierarchies of timescales and processing complexity, and their interrelationship, represent a functional organizational principle of the auditory stream that underlies our perception of complex, abstract auditory information.

Evaluation of the Turkish soundscape circumplex model, and the effects of sound source dominance, sequence, and gender on the perceived affective quality

The International Standard Organization (ISO) standards series onsoundscapefor the identification, data collection and data analysis present a general framework for the soundscape studies that are conducted globally. Perceived Affective Qualities (PAQs) including 8 soundscape perceptual attributes in ISO/TS 12913–2:2018 and ISO/TS 12913–3:2019 are published in English language. Therefore, the ‘Soundscape Attributes Translation Project’ focuses on the reliable standardized translations of the PAQs in other languages. In the previously published Turkish translation and validation study, the PAQs were presented as; ‘hareketli’ (eventful), ‘coşkulu’ (vibrant), ‘keyifli’ (pleasant), ‘sakin’ (calm), ‘durağan’ (uneventful), ‘tekdüze’ (monotonous), ‘rahatsız edici’ (annoying), and ‘karmaşık’ (chaotic). Within the scope of this follow-up study, firstly, sound sources in each audio stimulus are identified according to their dominance to explore their relation with the Soundscape Circumplex Model (SCM) quadrants and found that the human dominant audio stimuli are evaluated as ‘vibrant’ in SCM. Other noise dominating audio stimuli are categorized as ‘monotonous’ while traffic combined with other noise audio stimuli are evaluated as ‘chaotic’. When the audio stimuli evaluated as ‘calm’ are investigated, they are either purely dominated by natural sounds or mixture of each category dominated by natural sounds. Secondly, a comparison between the Turkish and the English participants’ evaluation of audio stimuli according to the SCM is done and found that they are similar except two audio stimuli. Furthermore, the effect of audio stimulus sequence and gender on 8 PAQs are statistically analysed through Kruskall-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests; respectively and found that both are significant. The sequences shifting from ‘chaotic’ to ‘calm’ or vice versa frequently are seen to be evaluated with higher scores whereas more homogenous ones in sequence, i.e. audio stimuli having the same dominating sound source are sequenced together mostly are graded with lower scores of 8 PAQs except ‘chaotic’ compared to drastic changes in the sound source and found that men grade ‘coşkulu’ (vibrant), ‘durağan’ (uneventful), ‘tekdüze’ (monotonous), ‘rahatsız edici’ (annoying) and ‘karmaşık’ (chaotic) more than women by 5, 11, 24, 8 and 10 points, respectively according to the median values. Finally, conformance to the SCM is evaluated by the principal component analysis (PCA) and found that it can be reduced to two dimensions named as “pleasantness” and “eventfulness” in expected order but the main PAQs pleasant-annoying and eventful-uneventful are not aligned indicating the lack of achieving the ideal circumplexity. It is believed that the results of this study could contribute to both national and international future soundscape research with a focus on listening tests applying PAQs.

The effect of teaching the alphabet with onomatopoeia on writing skills in Turkish lessons for foreigners

One of the difficulties in teaching Turkish, which is a phonetically rich language, to foreigners, is that similar sounds are often confused with each other. Since even a single punctuation mark is crucial for writing and reading Turkish letters (ı-i, o-ö, u-ü, c-ç, g-ğ, s-ş, etc.), students who use the Arabic alphabet have great difficulty writing and pronouncing Turkish words correctly. The difficulties that foreigners have in spelling vowels (ı-i, o-ö, u-ü) and consonants (c-ç, g-ğ, m-n, s-ş) when learning Turkish also have a negative impact on their writing and speaking skills. Especially in essay writing classes, students often misspell words, which makes it necessary to determine and implement more effective strategies in alphabet lessons. When teaching the Turkish alphabet, it is of great importance that the teacher uses “onomatopoeia,” which is considered an important feature of Turkish, to overcome this problem. In this study, the effect of onomatopoeia, the word corresponding to sounds in nature, on writing skills in Turkish classes for foreigners was investigated. This study, taken from a class of nine students at the Afyon Kocatepe University Turkish Language Teaching Centre at A1 level in the semesters of 2013–2014, was based on the analysis of three essays written by the students before and after studying onomatopoeia. The analysis of the data revealed that teaching the alphabet with onomatopoeic words was effective for the students in terms of the letters whose spellings were confused with each other and made a significant contribution to the writing skills of foreigners.

Combined Effects of the Visual–Acoustic Environment on Public Response in Urban Forests

Urban forests are increasingly recognized as vital components of urban ecosystems, offering a plethora of physiological and psychological benefits to residents. However, the existing research has often focused on single dimensions of either visual or auditory experiences, overlooking the combined impact of audio–visual environments on public health and well-being. This study addresses this gap by examining the effects of composite audio–visual settings within three distinct types of urban forests in Fuzhou, China: mountain, mountain–water, and waterfront forests. Through field surveys and quantitative analysis at 24 sample sites, we assessed visual landscape elements, soundscapes, physiological indicators (e.g., heart rate, skin conductance), and psychological responses (e.g., spiritual vitality, stress relief, emotional arousal, attention recovery) among 77 participants. Our findings reveal that different forest types exert varying influences on visitors’ physiology and psychology, with waterfront forests generally promoting relaxation and mountain–water forests inducing a higher degree of tension. Specific audio–visual elements, such as plant, water scenes, and natural sounds, positively affect psychological restoration, whereas urban noise is associated with increased physiological stress indicators. In conclusion, the integrated effects of audio–visual landscapes significantly shape the multisensory experiences of the public in urban forests, underscoring the importance of optimal design that incorporates natural elements to create restorative environments beneficial to the health and well-being of urban residents. These insights not only contribute to the scientific understanding of urban forest impact but also inform the design and management of urban green spaces for enhanced public health outcomes.

The Effect of Soundscape on Sense of Place for Residential Historical and Cultural Areas: A Case Study of Taiyuan, China

A soundscape carries the culture and memories of historical and cultural areas, capable of evoking people’s emotions towards a place. This paper aims to explore the influence of the soundscape on the sense of place in historical and cultural areas using a mixed-method approach. Conducting on-site measurements, questionnaires, and semi-structured interviews in four areas in Taiyuan, China, this research utilized structural equation modeling and grounded theory for analysis. Research findings: Firstly, the soundwalk method identified 11 categories of soundscapes and the main sources of noise in residential areas were traffic sounds and commercial sounds. Secondly, residents showed the highest preference for natural sounds and traditional activity sounds. Preferences for activities’ sounds and traditional sounds, along with the perceived frequency of daily life sounds, entertainment activities’ sounds, and natural sounds were positively associated with the sense of place, while the perceived frequency of commercial sounds, traffic sounds, and pet sounds was negatively associated. Lastly, from the grounded theory, this research showed that traditional sounds effectively enhanced residents’ sense of place by triggering memories, embodying culture, and connecting emotions. Daily life sounds linked residents’ lives and prompted visions, while local dialects evoked emotion and culture. Activities’ sounds served as lubricants for the place, primarily triggering residents’ sense of place from a lifestyle and emotional connection.

Exploring the effects of soundscape perception on place attachment: A comparative study of residents and tourists

The critical role of soundscapes in nurturing place attachment, affecting individuals' emotional ties and perceptions of specific locations, has been historically undervalued. In this case, this study examined the profound interrelationships between soundscapes and human connections to place, with a focus on the contrasting perspectives of residents and visitors. Based on on-site surveys on Kulangsu Island involving both groups, this research examined the difference in soundscape perception and place attachment as well as their relationships between the two groups. The findings revealed that residents and visitors showed a shared inclination towards natural sounds alongside the recognition of artificial sounds, while a significant divide emerged in the evaluation of overall soundscapes. Residents displayed a heightened sense of place attachment compared to visitors, characterized by feelings of belongingness and uniqueness. Notably, visitors' place attachment was closely tied to various soundscape evaluation indicators, particularly correlated with the perception of artificial and mechanical sounds. In contrast, residents' place attachment is independent of soundscape evaluations, while is influenced positively by the preference for natural sounds. This contrast underscores the differing perspectives and objectives between the two groups. The results facilitate a deeper understanding of the pivotal role of soundscapes in shaping human-place relationships, informing both academic discourse and practical applications.

Control preoperative anxiety with self-relaxation

Anxiety experienced by preoperative patients is a normal response, but when the anxiety response causes disturbances in physiological and psychological function, this becomes an abnormal response. The impact of anxiety before surgery can have an impact on the operation so that it must be postponed. Action is needed to overcome the anxiety experienced by the patient. One that can by givingSelf relaxound therapy, that is by providing a combination of relaxation interventionsmaybeandnature sound developed by researchers which is done by perception and self-suggestion while listening to natural sounds and deep breathing exercises. The aim of this research is to determine the effect of relaxationself relaxound on patient anxiety before laparotomy surgery. This type of research uses quantitative research, by designquasi experiment using a non planequivalent without control group. This research was carried out in the surgical inpatient room on 32 respondents. Anxiety measurement uses a questionnaireZung Self Rating Scale. Data analysis usingPaired Sample T test with a significance limit of 0.05. The results of the analysis obtained a p value = 0.000 (α 0.05), which shows that there is a significant effect between therapyself relaxound with patient anxiety. Psychological problems are closely related to surgery, for this the researchers suggestSelf relaxound therapy can be considered as a nursing procedure for every preoperative patient.