| 1. |
- de Kluizenaar, Yvonne, et al.
(författare)
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Annoyance and disturbed sleep due to road traffic noise: The importance of the least exposed side - QSIDE
- 2013
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Ingår i: The 42nd International Congress and Exposition on Noise Control Engineering Inter-Noise 2013, 15-18 September, Innsbruck, Austria.
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Introduction: In urban areas, road traffic noise is a dominant source of environmental noise and a major cause of noise annoyance and disturbed sleep. It has been hypothesized that respondents highly exposed to noise at multiple sides of their dwelling, may be expected to be worse off than respondents with the same exposure at the most exposed side, but also having a quiet side to their dwelling. Previous studies provide support for this hypothesis, however to date only a limited number of studies have investigated this hypothesis. There is a need for strengthening existing evidence, and for further quantification of the effects. Methods: Within the EU project QSIDE, the effect of the least exposed facade on annoyance and sleep response is studied in different EU cities in Sweden, Belgium and the Netherlands, including Gothenburg, Stockholm, Antwerp, Gent and Amsterdam. Results: In this paper we discuss the general picture arising from the outcome of these studies. We discuss what the implications may be for new situations (urban planning) and existing high exposure situations (noise abatement measures). Conclusion: The noise environment may be improved by taking into account the exposure levels, and promoting quietness, at the least exposed façade.
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| 2. |
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| 3. |
- Janssen, Sabine A., et al.
(författare)
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Exposure-response relationships for annoyance by wind turbine noise : a comparison with other stationary sources
- 2009
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Ingår i: 8th European Conference on Noise Control 2009 (EURONOISE 2009). - St. Albans Hertfordshire, UK : Institute of Acoustics. - 9781615676804 ; , s. 1472-1478
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- There are indications that, given a certain level of noise exposure, the expected annoyance by wind turbine noise is higher than that by noise from other sources such as industrial noise or transportation noise. The aim of the present study was to establish the exposure-response relationship between wind turbine noise exposure and the expected percentage annoyed residents on the basis of available data. Data from two surveys in Sweden (N=341, N=754) and one survey in the Netherlands (N=725) were combined to achieve relationships between Lden and annoyance indoors as well as annoyance outdoors at the dwelling. In addition, the influence of several individual and situational factors was assessed. In particular, annoyance was lower in residents who received economical benefit from wind turbines, and higher in residents for whom the wind turbine was visible from the dwelling. Age and noise sensitivity had similar effects on annoyance to those found in research on annoyance by other sources. The exposure-response relationship for wind turbine noise is compared to previously established relationships for industrial noise.
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| 4. |
- Janssen, Sabine, et al.
(författare)
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Predicting annoyance by wind turbine noise
- 2010
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- While wind turbines have beneficial effects for the environment, they inevitably generate environmental noise. In order to protect residents against unacceptable levels of noise, exposure-response relationships are needed to predict the expected percentage of people annoyed or highly annoyed at a given level of wind turbine noise. Exposure-response relationships for wind turbine noise were derived on the basis of available data, using the same method that was previously used to derive relationships for transportation noise and industrial noise. Data from surveys in Sweden and the Netherlands were used to achieve relationships between Lden and annoyance, both indoors and outdoors at the dwelling. It is shown that a given percentage of annoyance by wind turbine noise is expected at much lower levels of Lden than the same percentage of annoyance by for instance road traffic noise. Results were used to guide new noise regulation for wind turbines in the Netherlands.
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| 5. |
- Lorenzini, Luigi, et al.
(författare)
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The Open-Access European Prevention of Alzheimer?s Dementia (EPAD) MRI dataset and processing workflow
- 2022
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Ingår i: NeuroImage. - : Elsevier. - 2213-1582. ; 35
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The European Prevention of Alzheimer Dementia (EPAD) is a multi-center study that aims to characterize the preclinical and prodromal stages of Alzheimer's Disease. The EPAD imaging dataset includes core (3D T1w, 3D FLAIR) and advanced (ASL, diffusion MRI, and resting-state fMRI) MRI sequences. Here, we give an overview of the semi-automatic multimodal and multisite pipeline that we developed to curate, preprocess, quality control (QC), and compute image-derived phenotypes (IDPs) from the EPAD MRI dataset. This pipeline harmonizes DICOM data structure across sites and performs standardized MRI pre-processing steps. A semi-automated MRI QC procedure was implemented to visualize and flag MRI images next to site-specific distributions of QC features - i.e. metrics that represent image quality. The value of each of these QC features was evaluated through comparison with visual assessment and step-wise parameter selection based on logistic regression. IDPs were computed from 5 different MRI modalities and their sanity and potential clinical relevance were ascertained by assessing their relationship with biological markers of aging and dementia. The EPAD v1500.0 data release encompassed core structural scans from 1356 participants 842 fMRI, 831 dMRI, and 858 ASL scans. From 1356 3D T1w images, we identified 17 images with poor quality and 61 with moderate quality. Five QC features - Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR), Contrast to Noise Ratio (CNR), Coefficient of Joint Variation (CJV), Foreground-Background energy Ratio (FBER), and Image Quality Rate (IQR) - were selected as the most informative on image quality by comparison with visual assessment. The multimodal IDPs showed greater impairment in associations with age and dementia biomarkers, demonstrating the potential of the dataset for future clinical analyses
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| 6. |
- Palao, Teresa, et al.
(författare)
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Thrombospondin-4 mediates cardiovascular remodelling in angiotensin II-induced hypertension
- 2018
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Ingår i: Cardiovascular Pathology. - : Elsevier BV. - 1054-8807. ; 35, s. 12-19
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Thrombospondin 4 (TSP-4) expression is induced in the heart and vasculature under pathological conditions, including myocardial infarction, myocardial pressure overload, and hypertension. TSP-4 is linked to remodelling processes, where it may affect extracellular matrix protein organization. In previous work, we studied the role of TSP-4 in small arteries during hypertension using Ang II-treated Thrombospondin 4 knockout (Thbs4−/−) mice. We reported increased heart weight, as well as the occurrence of aortic aneurysms in the Ang II-treated Thbs4−/− animals. In the present study, we further characterized the hearts and aortas from these animals. Hypertrophy of cardiomyocytes, together with perivascular fibrosis and inflammation was observed in the Ang II-treated Thbs4−/− hearts. In the aortas, an increase in the aortic wall cross-sectional area (CSA) and wall thickness of the Ang II-treated Thbs4−/− mice was found. More detailed investigation of the Ang II-treated Thbs4−/− aortas also revealed the appearance of aortic dissections in the outer medial layer of the arteries, as well as pronounced inflammation. No differences were found in several other extracellular matrix-related parameters, such as number of elastin breaks or stress–strain relationships. However, at the ultrastructural level, collagen fibers showed alterations in diameter in the media and adventitia of the Ang II-treated Thbs4−/− mice, in the area prone to dissection. In conclusion, we identified TSP-4 as an important protein in the development of cardiac hypertrophy and aortic dissections in Ang II-induced hypertension.
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| 7. |
- Persson Waye, Kerstin, 1959, et al.
(författare)
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Rail freight vibration impacts sleep and community response: An overview of CargoVibes
- 2014
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Ingår i: ICBEN 2014, the 11th International Congress on Noise as a Public Health Problem. Nara, Japan, 2014 June 1 to June 5.
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The European Union funded CargoVibes project involving 10 partners from 8 nations has aimed to examine ground-borne vibration affecting residents close to freight railway lines. This poster presents an overview of the work package investigating human response to vibration, with particular focus on physiological and psychological impact on sleep, community annoyance and the development of guidance in evaluating response. The effects of vibration on sleep were measured in a series of laboratory trials at the University of Gothenburg. Existing field studies of community response were supplemented with further field work in the Netherlands and Poland, and a meta-analysis conducted to determine dose-response relationships for railway vibration. Numerous outcomes of vibration exposure were found, with physiological markers such as greater heart rate response and cortical reactions during sleep, and annoyance and sleep disturbance increasing with higher vibration amplitudes. A guidance document considering current state of the art regarding vibration measurement and assessment was produced pertaining to human perception, evaluation methods, annoyance, sleep impacts, and non-exposure factors. The outcomes of this work represent a significant advance in the understanding of the human response to railway vibration and a step towards a much needed harmonisation of assessment methods. The findings presented in this poster highlight the importance of considering environmental vibration in the planning, construction, and maintenance of railways in residential environments.
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| 8. |
- Prado, Samira B.R. 1990-, et al.
(författare)
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Pectin Interaction with Immune Receptors is Modulated by Ripening Process in Papayas
- 2020
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Ingår i: Scientific Reports. - : Nature Publishing Group. - 2045-2322. ; 10
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Dietary fibers have been shown to exert immune effects via interaction with pattern recognition receptors (PRR) such as toll-like receptors (TLR) and nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain (NOD)-like receptors. Pectin is a dietary fiber that interacts with PRR depending on its chemical structure. Papaya pectin retains different chemical structures at different ripening stages. How this influence PRR signaling is unknown. The aim of this work was to determine how ripening influences pectin structures and their ability to interact with TLR2, 3, 4, 5 and 9, and NOD1 and 2. It was evaluated the interaction of the water-soluble fractions rich in pectin extracted from unripe to ripe papayas. The pectin extracted from ripe papayas activated all the TLR and, to a lesser extent, the NOD receptors. The pectin extracted from unripe papayas also activated TLR2, 4 and 5 but inhibited the activation of TLR3 and 9. The differences in pectin structures are the higher methyl esterification and smaller galacturonan chains of pectin from ripe papayas. Our finding might lead to selection of ripening stages for tailored modulation of PRR to support or attenuate immunity.
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| 9. |
- Prins, Jonne T H, et al.
(författare)
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Surgical stabilization of rib fractures versus nonoperative treatment in patients with multiple rib fractures following cardiopulmonary resuscitation: An international, retrospective matched case-control study.
- 2022
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Ingår i: The journal of trauma and acute care surgery. - 2163-0763. ; 93:6, s. 727-735
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The presence of six or more rib fractures or a displaced rib fracture due to cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) has been associated with longer hospital and intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay (LOS). Evidence on the effect of surgical stabilization of rib fractures (SSRF) following CPR is limited. This study aimed to evaluate outcomes after SSRF versus nonoperative management in patients with multiple rib fractures after CPR.An international, retrospective study was performed in patients who underwent SSRF or nonoperative management for multiple rib fractures following CPR between January 1, 2012, and July 31, 2020. Patients who underwent SSRF were matched to nonoperative controls by cardiac arrest location and cause, rib fracture pattern, and age. The primary outcome was ICU LOS.Thirty-nine operatively treated patient were matched to 66 nonoperatively managed controls with comparable CPR-related characteristics. Patients who underwent SSRF more often had displaced rib fractures (n = 28 [72%] vs. n = 31 [47%]; p = 0.015) and a higher median number of displaced ribs (2 [P 25 -P 75 , 0-3] vs. 0 [P 25 -P 75 , 0-3]; p = 0.014). Surgical stabilization of rib fractures was performed at a median of 5 days (P 25 -P 75 , 3-8 days) after CPR. In the nonoperative group, a rib fixation specialist was consulted in 14 patients (21%). The ICU LOS was longer in the SSRF group (13 days [P 25 -P 75 , 9-23 days] vs. 9 days [P 25 -P 75 , 5-15 days]; p = 0.004). Mechanical ventilator-free days, hospital LOS, thoracic complications, and mortality were similar.Despite matching, those who underwent SSRF over nonoperative management for multiple rib fractures following CPR had more severe consequential chest wall injury and a longer ICU LOS. A benefit of SSRF on in-hospital outcomes could not be demonstrated. A low consultation rate for rib fixation in the nonoperative group indicates that the consideration to perform SSRF in this population might be associated with other nonradiographic or injury-related variables.Therapeutic/Care Management; Level III.
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| 10. |
- Quinn, Laura, et al.
(författare)
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Pesticide Use in South Africa : One of the Largest Importers of Pesticides in Africa
- 2011. - 1
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Ingår i: Pesticides in the Modern World. - Rijeka, Croatia : InTech. - 9789533074597 ; , s. 49-96
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Bokkapitel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- South Africa is a diverse country, with a diverse environment that is home to more than 49 000 000 people. Pesticide usage is very often necessary to maintain both agricultural productivity as well as human health. The climatic conditions range from semi-tropic to semi-arid regions. Although the majority of the country has summer rainfall, the south western coastal region is predominantly a winter rainfall area. These variations in climate allows for a wide variety of crops, from tropical fruit to maize and tree plantations. Each individual crop is susceptible to a unique host of pests that in-turn require a unique mixture of pesticides to ensure the best resulting turnover. Currently, South Africa has more than 500 registered pesticides (Pesticide Action Network (PAN), 2010) and is one of the four largest importers of pesticides in sub-Saharan Africa (Osbanjo et al., 2002). In 2006 the import of insecticides, fungicides and herbicides that were packaged for retail totalled $ 170 056 000 the main import partners being Australia, China, Germany and the United States of America (USA) (International Trade Centre, 2011). These pesticides are used in almost every facet of our everyday lives; ensuring the quantity and quality of food we eat to managing the number of rodents and insects in our homes. Although it is evident that there is a vast amount of pesticides present in the South African environment, there is very limited data on the production of pesticides. The last published data indicates that in 2002 around 10 000 kℓ of liquid insecticides was produced exclusively for crop protection of which 43% consisted of organophosphates. During the same year 2 800-tonnes of solid insecticides were produced (Statistics South Africa, 2003). Although the usefulness of pesticides cannot be denied, the negative environmental and human health effects cannot be ignored. In South Africa, a number of environmental and anthropogenic factors have to be considered before the impact of large-scale pesticide use can be assessed.South Africa is a water poor country, with water resources being utilised to their maximum capacity. As discussed by Dabrowski et al. (2009), the trade-off between the economic benefits of exporting agricultural products has to be measured against the loss of water, not only through crop irrigation but also through water quality degradation. The article highlighted this aspect through the calculation of virtual water volumes. These calculated volumes indicated that to ensure sufficient dilution of all agrochemicals, to an acceptable water quality level (used in a typical farming situation applying current-use pesticides), was greater than the amount of water needed for irrigation. The seriousness of these scenarios is highlighted in literature where a diverse array of agricultural chemicals has been measured during run-off events, by once-off sampling and by water monitoring during the growing seasons. Detectable levels of atrazine, terbuthylazine, simazine, acetochlor (Du Preez et al., 2005), DDT and its metabolites, endosulfan, hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH), heptachlor, aldrin, dieldrin, endrin, chlordane (Fatoki et al., 2003), azinophos-methyl, chloropyriphos (Schultz et al., 2001; Dabrowski et al., 2002) prothiofos (Schultz, 2001), malathion, zendoxsulfan (Thiere & Schultz, 2004), cypermethrin and fenvalerate (Bollmohr et al., 2007), to name a few, have all been measured in South African waters. Pesticides in the aquatic environment have the potential to affect all end-users, including both humans and wildlife.South Africa has the distinction of being one of the countries with the most species richness in the world. To date more than 900 bird species as well as over 200 mammals, call South Africa home. Of these mammals, seven species are endangered and 30 are vulnerable according to the 2004 IUCN red data list (IUCN, 2010). These endangered species include bats, moles, shrews and mice that are often insectivorous, thus increasing their risk of unintentional exposure to pesticides. Within avian populations, 11 species are listed as critically endangered and 43 species as vulnerable. The sensitivity of avian species to pollutants has been widely reported. With this unique diversity of species, South Africans have a responsibility towards maintaining the viability of ecosystems and natural habitats to ensure the continued existence of these creatures. This objective is not only morally relevant but also economically relevant especially in a country where tourism creates over 400 000 jobs and contributes approximately 8% to the GDP. Few studies have reported the levels of insecticides in wildlife species. However, pesticides have been detected in wild bird species (Van Wyk et al., 2001; Bouwman et al., 2008), as well as in indigenous fish species (Barnhoorn et al., 2009), indicating pesticide contamination within various habitats. This is of particular concern due to the health risks associated with many pesticides.
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