| 1. |
- Bjornsdottir, Gudlaug, et al.
(författare)
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Longitudinal changes in size and composition of carotid artery plaques using ultrasound: Adaptation and validation of methods (inter-and intraobserver variability)
- 2014
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Ingår i: Journal for Vascular Ultrasound. - : SAGE Publications. - 1544-3175 .- 1544-3167. ; 38:4, s. 198-208
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Introduction.—B-mode ultrasonography of the carotid arteries enables quantitative measurements of atherosclerotic plaque area and composition assessed as grayscale median (GSM). The purpose of this study was to set up a standardized ultrasound protocol to measure longitudinal changes in plaque area and composition and to determine the intra-and interobserver variability of the measurements in a longitudinal population based study, the Age Gene/ Environment Susceptibility Reykjavik study. Method.—A total of 219 participants from the Age Gene/Environment Susceptibility Reykjavik study (76 ± 6 years old, 36% males) underwent 2-dimensional, B-mode ultrasound examination of the carotid arteries approximately 5 years apart for a longitudinal assessment of plaque area and composition. Standardized protocol was used to acquire comparable images from both visits. Ultrasound was performed bilaterally on the common carotid artery, internal carotid artery, and bifurcation. An image analysis program was modified and adapted for a longitudinal assessment of plaque area and plaque composition by GSM. Twenty-five subjects were selected from the group of 219 for intra-and interobserver variability assessment. Results.—Intraobserver variability for plaque area ranged from 12.10 to 18.63% and 0.89 to 0.96 for coefficient of variation and correlation (r), respectively, for plaque GSM ranged from 7.77 to 8.04% and 0.86 to 0.90. Interobserver variability for plaque area was 23.29% and 0.81 and 8.55% and 0.87 for plaque GSM. Conclusion.—The results from this study show that ultrasound can be used consistently for assessment of changes in plaque area and GSM over time. This can be achieved by proper training of ultrasound sonographers and by applying and following strict image acquisition and image analysis protocols.
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| 2. |
- Hedblom, Marcus, et al.
(författare)
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Reduction of physiological stress by urban green space in a multisensory virtual experiment
- 2019
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Ingår i: Scientific Reports. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2045-2322. ; 9
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Although stress is an increasing global health problem in cities, urban green spaces can provide health benefits. There is, however, a lack of understanding of the link between physiological mechanisms and qualities of urban green spaces. Here, we compare the effects of visual stimuli (360 degree virtual photos of an urban environment, forest, and park) to the effects of congruent olfactory stimuli (nature and city odours) and auditory stimuli (bird songs and noise) on physiological stress recovery. Participants (N = 154) were pseudo-randomised into participating in one of the three environments and subsequently exposed to stress (operationalised by skin conductance levels). The park and forest, but not the urban area, provided significant stress reduction. High pleasantness ratings of the environment were linked to low physiological stress responses for olfactory and to some extent for auditory, but not for visual stimuli. This result indicates that olfactory stimuli may be better at facilitating stress reduction than visual stimuli. Currently, urban planners prioritise visual stimuli when planning open green spaces, but urban planners should also consider multisensory qualities.
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