Natural Decrease Research Articles

“I like the sound of that”: understanding the effectiveness of audio in ads

PurposeSports advertisements such as the Super Bowl showcase products and brands that have invested increasingly large sums financially to gain viewers’ attention. However, how audio features in advertisements impact viewers' behavior remains unexplored.Design/methodology/approachUsing the lens of signaling theory, this research uses advanced data analytics of voice and music audio in Super Bowl advertisements to examine its impacts on viewers.FindingsResults show that advertisement viewers prefer more voiced frames and have a greater liking behavior of voiced frames with a low intensity (less loud) and a higher F1 frequency, which is typically associated with male vocal tracts. A fast music tempo works better for longer advertisements. The model controls for various types of ad appeals. The research underlines the importance of voice and music in signaling successful brand features that are likely to increase the ad-liking behavior of consumers (positive effect).Research limitations/implicationsThe current research implies that brands advertising through sports ads must carefully select voice actors and music in order to provide the most positive signals for a brand to have the most significant effect and, thus, a greater return on the high sums invested in the ads.Originality/valueFirst, this research contributes in terms of a new research process for using audio analytics in advertising. The detailed research process outlined can be used for future research examining audio and music from advertisements. Second, our findings provide additional support to the important role of voice features (e.g. intensity and frequency) as signals in inducing responses from consumers (Biswas et al., 2019; Hagtvedt and Brasel, 2016). Third, the study surfaces a new theoretical association: the effect of tempo in moderating the relationship between duration and propensity to like an ad.

Depopulation and deep aging: the former Yugoslav and Western Balkans space between the second demographic transition and emigration

The article introduces the tentative concept of deep aging – a label used for a situation when the overall ageing effects of the second demographic transition, due to fertility below replacement level, are topped by the excessive emigration of the fertile contingent (additional loss of active population). Deep ageing thus accelerates population decline. But the loss of fertile contingent may affect the total fertility rates and its apparent rise (TFR). Here, the tempo effect of fertility plays the decisive role. The article first assesses the demographic change in the European macroregions in the period after the fall of the Iron Curtain (1990–2020). It then analyses the changes in the area of former Yugoslavia to assess the extent of population change in the last intercensal period, 2011–2022. Building on the previous research of population loss and migration flows after the break-up of Yugoslavia, the overall population change in the region is being assessed. It is also shown that tempo distortion of fertility rates considerably affects the realistic level of fertility and that approximate completed fertility rates fell less dramatically. Since the migration data are less reliable, the analysis of intercensal change was applied to assess the migration losses across the ex-Yugoslav space. To assess the extent of deep ageing, the intercensal projection of fertile contingent was introduced. The stage of deep ageing is the most pronounced in Croatia and Serbia, especially at the younger fertile group, while the overall loss of fertile population is profound and will certainly affect the further future decrease in population. Similarly difficult demographic situation is in other post-Yugoslav countries, where only Slovenia has not yet slid into the stage of deep ageing.

Exposure to volatile ferroptosis inhibitor, TEMPO, reduced cutaneous ischemia-reperfusion injury progression to pressure ulcer formation in a mouse model

BackgroundIschemia– reperfusion (I/R) injury-induced oxidative stress is a key factor in the pathogenesis of pressure ulcer formation. Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent programmed cell death that connects oxidative stress and inflammation in various diseases. Recent studies revealed the protective effect of inhibition of ferroptosis in I/R injury. However, the role of ferroptosis in cutaneous I/R injury remains elusive. ObjectiveTo assess the role of ferroptosis in the progression of cutaneous I/R injury. MethodsCutaneous I/R injury experiments and histopathological studies were performed in wild-type mice with or without exposure to volatile ferroptosis inhibitor, TEMPO (2,2,6,6-Tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl). The suppressive effects of TEMPO on ferroptosis inducing cell death and oxidative stress were examined in vitro. ResultsInhibition of ferroptosis with TEMPO significantly reduced ulcer formation after cutaneous I/R injury. Fluctuated ferroptosis markers, such as GPX4, ACSL4, and 4-HNE expression in the I/R skin site, were reversed by TEMPO treatment. Inhibition of ferroptosis reduced apoptosis, CD3+ infiltrating lymphocytes, and improved vascularity in the I/R skin site. Inhibition of ferroptosis also suppressed the enhancement of Nrf2 activation. In vitro, ferroptosis and the activation of ferroptosis-related gene expression by RSL3 stimulation were markedly ameliorated by TEMPO treatment in mouse fibroblasts. Inhibiting ferroptosis also suppressed the elevation of the mRNA levels of NOX2 and HO-1 caused by ferroptosis. ConclusionCutaneous I/R injury-induced ferroptosis likely promotes cell death, vascular loss, infiltration of inflammatory cells, and oxidative stress. The inhibition of ferroptosis with TEMPO might have potential clinical application as novel therapeutic agent for cutaneous I/R injury.

The Formal Demography of Peak Population

When will the human population peak? In this article, we build on classical results by Ansley Coale, who showed that when fertility declines steadily, births reach their maximum before fertility reaches replacement level, and the decline in total population size does not occur until several decades after fertility has reached that level. We extend Coale's results by modeling longevity increases, net immigration, and a slowdown in fertility decline that resembles current projections. With these extensions, our models predict a typical lag between replacement-level fertility and population decline of about 35 to 40 years, consistent with projections by the United Nations and about 15 years longer than the lag predicted by Coale. Our analysis helps reveal underlying factors in the timing of peak population.

Fertility Trends and Population Policy in the Canton of Sarajevo

The demography of Bosnia and Herzegovina fits into the Southeast-European trends with sub-replacement fertility and high emigration rates. At the national level, natural decline started in 2007, while migration is influenced by the war and its aftermath, as well as several economic and political push factors (low wages, corruption, high unemployment, etc.), and also has a serious impact on birth and death rates. On the other hand, demographic trends in the Canton of Sarajevo differ from the national pattern. It reached sub-replacement fertility more than a decade later (2019), and migration still has a positive balance: besides significant emigration rates, immigration to the Canton, especially from the other parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina, is higher. Since migration involves younger generations, it is also a factor behind the more favourable fertility rates, and can be evaluated as a consequence of better socio-economic development in the capital and its gravitational area. In the Canton, there have been several factors that contributed to the decline of birth rates in the past decades. Changing functions of family and children in the society, increasing women's employment, educational level and career aspirations, growing individualism and rationality, the changing social climate in relation to children, higher personal standards, and other socio-psychological factors should be mentioned. Birth rates were also (positively) influenced by other factors. One of the most important points is that the Canton has certainly one of the best support policies in Bosnia and Herzegovina including financial support and allowances for newborn children, subsidies in preschool education, primary and secondary schools as well as scholarships for pupils and students. Positive economic trends such as new constructions of residential buildings, business, and shopping centres, as well as an even stronger concentration of attractive institutions and activities should be emphasised. In 2021, the total fertility rate accounted for 1.38 in the Canton, while it has shown a great variation among the municipalities. The municipality with the lowest total fertility rate (Novi Grad) had the highest total number of live births in the Canton, while the municipality with the lowest total number of live births (Trnovo) was the only one with total fertility rate values above the replacement level. Due to its demographic, economic and political significance, the Canton of Sarajevo is a key area for population revitalisation in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Therefore, local measures have national significance, and can act as a model for the rest of the country in terms of population policy as well.

Exploring the accuracy of musical tempo memory: The effects of reproduction method, reference tempo, and musical expertise

Although people commonly remember and recreate the tempo of musical pieces with high accuracy, comparatively less is known regarding sources of potential variation in musical tempo memory. This study therefore aimed to investigate musical tempo memory accuracy and the effects of reference tempo, reproduction method, musical expertise, and their interaction. A sample of 403 individuals with varying levels of musical training participated in the experimental online study, including nonmusicians, amateur musicians, and professional musicians. Participants were tasked with reproducing the tempos of 19 popular pop/rock songs using two methods: tempo tapping and adjusting the tempo of the audio file based on the previously tapped tempo. Results from multilevel models revealed overall high accuracy in tempo memory, with tempo adjusting yielding greater accuracy compared with tempo tapping. Higher musical expertise was associated with increased accuracy in tempo production. In addition, we observed a quadratic effect of reference tempo, with the greatest accuracy in tempo reproduction around 120 bpm. Gender, age, familiarity with the pieces, and accompaniment strategies were also associated with greater accuracy. These findings provide insights into the factors influencing musical tempo memory and have implications for understanding the cognitive processes involved in tempo perception and reproduction.

The Global Decline in Human Fertility: The Post-Transition Trap Hypothesis.

Over the past half a century many countries have witnessed a rapid fall in total fertility rates, particularly in the world's most advanced economies including the industrial powerhouses of Eastern Asia and Europe. Such nations have now passed through the first and second demographic transitions and are currently exhibiting fertility rates well below the replacement threshold of 2.1, with no sign of recovery. This paper examines the factors responsible for driving these demographic transitions and considers their impact on both fertility and fecundity (our fundamental capacity to reproduce). I argue that because the first demographic transition was extremely rapid and largely driven by socioeconomic factors, it has had no lasting impact on the genetic/epigenetic underpinnings of human fecundity. However, the second demographic transition will be different. A series of conditions associated with low fertility societies, including relaxed selection pressure for high-fertility genotypes, the indiscriminate use of assisted reproductive technologies to treat human infertility, and environmental contamination with reproductive toxicants, may impact our genetic constitution in ways that compromise the future fecundity of our species. Since any fundamental change in the genetic foundations of human reproduction will be difficult to reverse, we should actively pursue methods to monitor human fecundity, as sub-replacement fertility levels become established across the globe.

배경음악의 템포가 제품 태도에 미치는 영향 : 윤리적 소비를 중심으로

배경음악의 템포가 제품 태도에 미치는 영향 : 윤리적 소비를 중심으로

Effect of tempo on the age-related changes in temporal expectation driven by rhythms.

Temporal expectation refers to the capacity to allocate resources at a particular point in time, enabling us to enhance our behavior performance. Empirical evidence indicates that, among younger adults, temporal expectation can be driven by rhythm (i.e., regular sequences of stimuli). However, whether there are age-related changes in rhythm-based temporal expectation has not been clearly established. Furthermore, whether tempo can influence the relationship between rhythm-based temporal expectation and aging remains unexplored. To address these questions, both younger and older participants took part in a rhythm-based temporal expectation task, engaging three distinct tempos: 600 ms (fast), 1800 ms (moderate), or 3000 ms (slow). The results demonstrated that temporal expectation effects (i.e., participants exhibited significantly faster responses during the regular trials compared to the irregular trials) were observed in both the younger and older participants under the moderate tempo condition. However, in the fast and slow tempo conditions, the temporal expectation effects were solely observed in the younger participants. These findings revealed that rhythm-based temporal expectations can be preserved during aging but within a specific tempo range. When the tempo falls within the range of either being too fast or too slow, it can manifest age-related declines in temporal expectations driven by rhythms.

Research on the Impact of the Adjustment of Fertility Policy on China's National Economy and Society

Since the family planning policy was put into effect, the aging of the Chinas population has become more and more serious, which has hindered Chinas economic and social development. In order to alleviate or even change this trend, China has decided to encourage childbirth and has successively issued the universal two-child policy and Three-child policy. This article adopts literature research and case analysis methods to study the effect of the adjustment of fertility policies on Chinas national economy and society from six aspects. At the same time, the influence of Japans fertility policy on Chinas fertility policy in response to its Sub-replacement fertility problem, which has similar population issues to China, was analyzed. Finally, based on the analysis of the changes brought about by the adjustment of the fertility policy in China, several suggestions were put forward for the adjustment of Chinas fertility policy based on future population trends, providing a reference for the formulation of Chinas fertility policy.

Effect of music tempo on reaction time during study: an investigation on university students

Several studies have been conducted to reveal the impact of specific music on cognitive functions. However, the effect of music tempo of human intelligence still holds great potential for further research. The purpose of this research is to examine the influence of specific music tempos (adagietto, moderato, and assai) on the concentration levels of students at Diponegoro University during the study. This experiment uses the stroop task paradigm in a design experiment within the subject from August to September 2023. The study involved a total of 42 participants from the Industrial Engineering Department with four treatment conditions (no distraction, adagietto tempo, moderato tempo, and assai tempo). Data collection was carried out for each treatment at a 24-hour interval. Then, the result data for the three variables (accuracy, reaction time, & stroop effect) are analyzed. The results of the statistical analysis indicate a significant increase in reaction time with ρ < 0.05 (0.004 < 0.05). The post hoc test indicates a significant difference between non-music treatment and assai tempo with ρ < 0.05 (0.008 < 0.05). The tempo assai treatment resulted in higher reaction times compared to the no music treatment, with values of 772.826 ms and 665.489 ms, respectively.

Have Countries Ignored Infertility for Too Long? - India Case Study

Fertility has been one of man’s desired attributes since the beginning of recorded history and remains a driving need for young couples to prove their fertility as soon as possible after marriage. Though this trend is changing a bit over a decade, due to some people with higher education, getting married late, working couple and some who are intentionally delaying parenthood. In India, pregnancy is usually viewed as a normal physiologic phenomenon, that does not require any intervention by professionals, unless there is some problem in conceiving, or pregnancy going to full term or in birthing. Most Indian families believe that they have little or no control over their pregnancies or outcomes. The importance of motherhood in traditional patriarchal cultures is rooted in the teachings of all the religions. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has recognised infertility as a public health issue. Although biological factors are the primary cause, factors like social, health, and lifestyle factors do have an adverse effect on a couple’s ability to reproduce. The current fertility rate for India in 2024 is 2.122 births per woman, in 2023 it was 2.139 births per woman, in 2022 it was 2.159, in 2021 = 2.179 births per woman, and 2.159 in 2020, witnessing a reduction of 0.95% each year. Replacement level fertility needed to maintain a stable population size, is estimated to be 2.1. below which the population starts declining as we see in China (1.705 in 2023) today. High levels of infertility will generate low desire for contraception. Fertility and infertility are social conditions which are intricately connected. Where fertility is highly valued, infertility will conversely be devalued. Infertile across Indian women in 2019-21 (NFHS-5) by duration of marriage varied from i) women married for ≥1 year = 42.9%, ii) married for ≥2 years =30.7% Married for ≥3 years =24.1%, married duration ≥4 years =20.7% and married for ≥5 years = 18.7%. Age at marriage, biological factors, and lifestyle factors are strongly linked to infertility. People with higher education levels, late marriages, working couple and those intentionally delaying parenthood are more likely to experience primary infertility. Materials and Methods: This article is based on authors experience of guiding four cases of primary sterility in last 5 years. For different reasons first case has succeeded, second is progressing towards success, third is 30% hopeful as the cause is not necessarily associated with infertility and in the fourth all efforts have failed except IVF which the couple could not afford. The case studies suggest that Infertility in India needs to be Public Health Concern!

The effect of music tempo on movement flow.

There has been much controversy over the effects of music tempo on movement flow. In this study, a single-factor repeated-measurement design was used to explore the effect of music tempo (fast, slow, and no music control) on movement flow by measuring both subjective experiences and objective electroencephalographic (EEG) characteristics during brisk walking. In the experiment, 20 college students walked briskly on a treadmill using EEG equipment. Each participant walked for 10 min on three different days. Their brain waves were recorded during brisk walking on a treadmill. After each walk, the participants completed a form of short flow state scale-2 (S FSS-2), which covered nine major aspects of flow. The results showed that music tempo had a significant effect on subjective experiences and objective physiological characteristics; that is, a higher subjective flow level for fast-tempo music in brisk walking and a significant enhancement of mean power values in the subconscious brain waves of the delta, theta, alpha, and beta bands for fast tempo music were observed. A fast tempo facilitated the movement flow. The findings of this study can be instructive for the use of music in exercises to improve sports training outcomes.

Exploring the dynamics of intentional sensorimotor desynchronization using phasing performance in music.

Humans tend to synchronize spontaneously to rhythmic stimuli or with other humans, but they can also desynchronize intentionally in certain situations. In this study, we investigate the dynamics of intentional sensorimotor desynchronization using phasing performance in music as an experimental paradigm. Phasing is a compositional technique in modern music that requires musicians to desynchronize from each other in a controlled manner. A previous case study found systematic nonlinear trajectories in the phasing performance between two expert musicians, which were explained by coordination dynamics arising from the interaction between the intrinsic tendency of synchronization and the intention of desynchronization. A recent exploratory study further examined the dynamics of phasing performance using a simplified task of phasing against a metronome. Here we present a further analysis and modeling of the data from the exploratory study, focusing on the various types of phasing behavior found in non-expert participants. Participants were instructed to perform one phasing lap, and individual trials were classified as successful (1 lap), unsuccessful (> 1 laps), or incomplete (0 lap) based on the number of laps made. It was found that successful phasing required a gradual increment of relative phase and that different types of failure (unsuccessful vs. incomplete) were prevalent at slow vs. fast metronome tempi. The results are explained from a dynamical systems perspective, and a dynamical model of phasing performance is proposed which captures the interaction of intrinsic dynamics and intentional control in an adaptive-frequency oscillator coupled to a periodic external stimulus. It is shown that the model can replicate the multiple types of phasing behavior as well as the effect of tempo observed in the human experiment. This study provides further evidence that phasing performance is governed by the nonlinear dynamics of rhythmic coordination. It also demonstrates that the musical technique of phasing provides a unique experimental paradigm for investigating human rhythmic behavior.

Effect of Movement Tempo During Resistance Training on Hypertrophy and Muscular Fitness: A Narrative Literature Review

Although many studies have demonstrated whether movement tempo, a training variable during resistance exercise, has an effect on muscle performance, there are still gray areas related to muscle hypertrophy and muscular fitness in different populations. The aim of this narrative systematic review was to investigate the effect of movement tempo on muscular performance such as maximal strength, skeletal muscle hypertrophy, muscle power and muscular endurance in resistance training performed at specific frequencies. Three electronic databases were searched using terms related to movement tempo and resistance training. The included studies were those published in English using randomized and non-randomized comparative dynamic resistance exercise interventions in healthy adults. The results suggest that changing the tempo of movement during resistance training may have an effect on muscle hypertrophy, but the results are not conclusive. There are conflicting research results, although faster tempos seem to be advantageous in terms of power outcomes at different movement tempos. More studies are needed to evaluate muscular endurance performance in terms of movement tempo. Differences in the size of the muscles studied, the structure of the training programs, and the standardization of the experimental approach and data collection tools used may partially explain the inconsistency in the results between tempos in different contraction phases or in the same contraction phases.

Effect of musical cues on gait in individuals with Parkinson disease with comorbid dementia

BackgroundIndividuals with Parkinson disease and comorbid dementia (PDD) demonstrate gait impairments, but little is known about how these individuals respond to interventions for gait dysfunction. Rhythmic auditory stimulation (RAS), which utilizes music or other auditory cues to alter gait, has been shown to be effective for improving gait in individuals with PD without dementia, but has not been explored in individuals with PDD. Research questionCan individuals with PDD modulate their gait in response to music and mental singing cues? MethodsThis single center, cross-sectional, interventional study included 17 individuals with PDD. Participants received Music and Mental singing cues at tempos of 90 %, 100 %, 110 %, and 120 % of their uncued walking cadence. Participants were instructed to walk to the beat of the song. Gait variables were collected using APDM Opal sensors. Data were analyzed using mixed effect models to explore the impact of tempo and cue type (Music vs Mental) on selected gait parameters of velocity, cadence, and stride length. ResultsMixed effects models showed a significant effect of tempo but not for cue type for velocity (F=11.51, p < .001), cadence (F=11.13, p < .001), and stride length (F=5.68, p = .002). When looking at the marginal means, velocity at a cue rate of 90 % was significantly different from 100 %, indicating participants walked slower with a cue rate of 90 %. Participants did not significantly increase their velocity, cadence, or stride length with faster cue rates of 110 % and 120 % SignificanceIndividuals with PDD appear to be able to slow their velocity in response to slower cues, but do not appear to be able to increase their velocity, cadence, or stride length in response to faster cue tempos. This is different from what has been reported in individuals with PD without dementia. Further research is necessary to understand the underlying mechanism for these differences.

Changing fertility patterns in China

China's recent fertility data collected from the 2020 population census and 2017 fertility survey have considerably improved in quality. Based on these, we can assess the levels and patterns of fertility with high confidence. We reconstruct China's fertility history from 1990 using these two types of data and review the trends and characteristics of fertility transitions and changing fertility patterns in China. Over the past half century, China has experienced an extraordinary fertility transition and decline, which can be described as three stepwise downward jumps in fertility that occurred in the 1970s, 1990s, and 2010s. While the tempo effect has always depressed fertility, the quantum effect became positive in the most recent fertility decline, when China made successive adjustments to its fertility policy. Age, parity, and interval patterns of fertility in China have also undergone fundamental changes influenced by changing fertility policies and rapidly expanding higher education. The recent rapid decline in fertility is driven by the increasing postponement of marriage, a large reduction in fertility for lower education groups, and a rising proportion of younger women accessing higher education.

Effects of tempo of self-selected music on isokinetic strength performance and psychological outcomes.

Substantial research has supported using musical stimuli as an ergogenic aid before and during various forms of exercise. Researchers have demonstrated that music shifts attention from associative to dissociative, decreases perceived effort and discomfort, and increases arousal and pleasantness in longer-duration, low-to-moderate-intensity exercises. Strength training is shorter in duration and higher in intensity than aerobic or muscular endurance training. Limited research has examined the effects of music on strength performance and psychological outcomes. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of the tempo of self-selected music on isokinetic knee extension and flexion performance, effort, discomfort, attention, arousal, and pleasantness in resistance-trained young adults. Thirty resistance-trained college-aged adults completed three exercise testing sessions. In a randomized, counterbalanced order, a repeated measures design was used to expose the participants to three conditions (fast music, slow music, and no music). The Biodex isokinetic dynamometer and standardized psychological Likert-style scales were used to measure concentric maximum effort knee extension and flexion torque at 60°/s and psychological variables, respectively. This study found that music improves knee extension torque but not knee flexion in resistance-trained young adults. In addition, music or the tempo of music did not influence any psychological outcomes during isokinetic strength testing. Therefore, listening to music is not detrimental to performance or psychological outcomes, but this study provides minimal support for music's use as an ergogenic aid during strengthening exercise.

The dynamics of demographic situation and state of reproductive health of population of circumpolar region of the Russian Federation

The retrospective ecological epidemiological study was carried out using reports of the Federal statistical observation. To evaluate demographic processes the values of main demographic parameters were calculated. To analyze dynamics of demographic processes time series of demographic coefficients were constructed and values of growth rate indicators were calculated. The number of male and female population of the Komi Republic in 1990-2023 decreased by 46.5% and 37.1%. The specific weight of people older than able-bodied age increased in males from 4.9% to 14.7% and in females from 15.7% to 31.6%. The number of females of fertile age (16-49 years) in the Komi Republic decreased by 152.602 people (-47.5%) and their general fertility rate decreased by 33.3%. The birth rate in the group of young women aged 15-19 years decreased in 1990-2021 by 80.1%; and of women aged 20-24 years decreased by 60.4%. The frequency of abortions tends to decrease, but significantly exceeds the national average values. The replacement-level fertility is not achieved in the Komi Republic. Taking into account the peculiarities of demographic, social economic processes, it is necessary to develop and to implement regional program of reproductive health improvement.

The effects of background music tempo on consumer variety-seeking behavior: the mediating role of arousal.

Diversified purchases of consumers can help companies balance sales and inventories, which is of great significance to company profits. While existing research has explored the internal factors and external factors that influence consumers' variety-seeking behavior, little is known about the impact of background music, an important environmental cue in retail establishments, on consumer variety-seeking behavior. The present research investigates the influence of background music tempo on consumer variety-seeking behavior, along with its underlying mechanism and boundary condition. Five experiments revealed that background music tempo affects consumers' variety-seeking behavior (Study 1a, 1b & 4). Specifically, fast-tempo background music increases consumers' variety-seeking behavior (Study 1b). Arousal mediates the main effect (Study 2), as fast-tempo background music increases consumers' variety-seeking behavior by enhancing consumers' arousal. Moreover, participants' familiarity with the background music moderates the impact of background music tempo on consumer variety-seeking behavior (Study 3). Only when consumers have a high degree of familiarity with the background music they listen to, the tempo of the background music will have a significant impact on their variety-seeking behavior. These findings provide important theoretical contributions and management implications.