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The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of air pollutants and noise on the prevalence of childhood asthma in Tehran, Iran. The standardized questionnaire was completed by one of the parents of children aged 6–7 years or by adolescents aged 13–14 years. The asthma prevalence in ages 6-7 and 13–14 was found to be 8.8% and 17.44%, respectively. A significant positive association was observed between “ever wheezing” and monoxide carbon (CO) concentration (OR=1.84, 1.05-3.25 in 13–14 years), the occurrence of 4 to 12 wheezing attacks and sulfur dioxide (SO2) concentration (Odds Ratio [OR]=1.39, 1.04-1.91) and particulate matter less than 2.5 micron (PM2.5) concentration (OR=1.38, 1.05-1.98 and OR=1.13, 0.98-1.39 in 6-7 and 13–14 years, respectively), as well as one night per week of sleep disturbances and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) concentration (OR=1.09, 1.03-1.16 in 6–7 years, respectively). It was also found that there was a significant interaction between the noise level and particulate matter less than 10 microns (PM10) level. Based on the findings, exposure to certain outdoor air pollutants and noise can affect the prevalence of asthma symptoms in residents of Tehran. The simultaneous presence of air pollutants and noise has an aggravating effect on the prevalence of asthma symptoms. Therefore, controlling sources of pollutants for reducing asthma symptoms is suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fast development of technology and transportation systems has resulted in a disturbing level of noise pollution over time that requires research and regulatory. Most existing research is deemed ineffective as it primarily focuses on conducting assessments of traffic noise without providing a structured framework for noise mitigation. This study focused on three main stages to monitor road traffic noise in Sungai Long area: (1) examination of traffic features, (2) derivation of noise indices, and (3) evaluation of the influence of traffic noise. Total of four roads were selected with four stations on each road in Bandar Sungai Long to assess the traffic noise impact. The sound level metre (SLM) was used to calculate the noise indices for each road. Besides, peak-hour sessions and off-peak sessions of traffic flow were measured in field measurement to compare the differences in noise conditions. Additionally, based on the measured noise indices, traffic noise index (TNI), noise pollution level (LNP), and expected community response were calculated to reveal the impact of traffic noise. Overall, this study's findings demonstrated that residential areas experiencing traffic noise disturbance, particularly on roads, namely Jalan Bp Satu and Jalan Persiaran SL 7, had exceeded the Malaysian environmental standard. In addition, two optimized methods are proposed which are prohibiting heavy vehicles and a simple noise barrier was designed on Jalan Bp Satu and Jalan Persiaran SL 7. The expected noise level between these two methods had been compared in the discussion part. In summary, prohibiting heavy vehicles on the road is more suitable if the aim is to save cost. However, if reducing traffic noise is a priority and a long-term solution is needed, constructing noise barrier may be a more effective solution.

Introduction: Noise exposure may cause a kind of sensorineural hearing loss. Noise-induced hearing loss is known as an occupational disease, but the effect of exposure to recreational noise is not completely understood. This study aimed to assess the impact of exposure to recreational noise on hearing status. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of 304 medical students. The participants were randomly selected from medical students in years 4 to 6 and were divided into two groups regarding their exposure to recreational noise. Conventional audiometry was done for all participants, and hearing thresholds at different frequencies were compared between two groups. Data were analyzed using SPSS (ver. 20) using Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Mann-Whitney U, and chi-square tests. Results: The mean age of the participants was 23.18±3.14 years. In total, 74.7% of participants were exposed to recreational noise. The mean duration of noise exposure was 4.67±2.91 years. The most frequent exposure was to music via a headphone or hands-free (27.3%). All hearing thresholds in both groups were within the normal range and there was no significant difference between the two groups regarding hearing thresholds. Conclusion: The results of the present study showed that any exposure type of recreational noise (music, eulogy, or lecture) in the young population did not affect hearing thresholds.

Abstract Exposure and damage caused by noise have been reported in many countries around the world. However, few nationwide studies explored the association of residential environmental noise with depressive symptoms, this study aims to examine this association. The Korean Community Health Survey at the individual-level and the Korean Environmental Noise Measurement Database at the regional-level were used. A total of 30,630 individuals were eligible for the analysis. Multilevel model framework was applied to account for the clustered structure of the regional-level data in which individual-level data containing demographic characteristics and health information were nested. As a result of the analysis, Individuals living in the highest environmental noise area had a 1.55 times higher likelihood of experiencing depressive symptoms than those living in the lowest environmental noise area (95% CI, 1.04–2.31). After stratified analysis according to depressive symptom severity, individuals residing in areas with the highest environmental noise exposure had significantly higher odds of mild (aOR, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.02–2.07) and moderate symptoms (aOR, 1.70; 95% CI, 1.00–2.91). In conclusion, the higher the residential environmental noise, the higher the possibility of mild-to-moderate depressive symptoms. Our findings suggest the need for continued attention to and management of noise pollution, which has the potential to adversely affect individual’s mental health.

Acoustic cameras (ACs) have become very popular in the last decade as an increasing number of applications in environmental acoustics are observed, which are mainly used to display the points of greatest noise emission of one or more sound sources. The results obtained are not yet certifiable because the beamforming algorithms or hardware behave differently under different measurement conditions, but at present, not enough studies have been dedicated to clarify the issues. The present study aims to provide a methodology to extract analytical features from sound maps obtained with ACs, which are generally only visual information. Based on the inputs obtained through a specific measurement campaign carried out with an AC and a known sound source in free field conditions, the present work elaborated a methodology for gathering the coordinates of the maximum emission point on screen, its distance from the real position of the source and the uncertainty associated with this position. The results obtained with the proposed method can be compared, thus acting as a basis for future comparison studies among calculations made with different beamforming algorithms or data gathered with different ACs in all real case scenarios. The method can be applicable to any other sector interested in gathering data from intensity maps not related to sound. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research examines quantum key distribution and its applications in guided and unguided quantum communication. The importance of secure communication in the quantum era requires a thorough exploration of both guided and unguided quantum communication strategies. The research aims to address the challenges posed by guided channels, such as fiber optics, and unguided channels, such as free‐space quantum communication. This study addresses existing knowledge gaps in quantum error resilience management and signal processing techniques in unguided quantum communication. Advanced quantum gate analysis, environmental noise analysis, and quantum channel modeling techniques are employed. The research presents key findings on the impact of gate imperfections on quantum error resilience in guided media, the influence of noise‐induced errors in unguided media, and a unified metric for assessing various error sources in guided channels. Additionally, the study analyses stabilizer codes and surface codes for error mitigation through quantum error correction strategies. Simulation results provide a benchmark for theoretical predictions and guide the refinement of quantum communication protocols. In this context, machine learning‐based error prediction is introduced as a cutting‐edge approach to enhance the robustness of quantum communication systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exposure and damage caused by noise have been reported in many countries around the world. However, few nationwide studies explored the association of residential environmental noise with depressive symptoms, this study aims to examine this association. The Korean Community Health Survey at the individual-level and the Korean Environmental Noise Measurement Database at the regional-level were used. A total of 30,630 individuals were eligible for the analysis. Multilevel model framework was applied to account for the clustered structure of the regional-level data in which individual-level data containing demographic characteristics and health information were nested. As a result of the analysis, Individuals living in the highest environmental noise area had a 1.55 times higher likelihood of experiencing depressive symptoms than those living in the lowest environmental noise area (95% CI, 1.04–2.31). After stratified analysis according to depressive symptom severity, individuals residing in areas with the highest environmental noise exposure had significantly higher odds of mild (aOR, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.02–2.07) and moderate symptoms (aOR, 1.70; 95% CI, 1.00–2.91). In conclusion, the higher the residential environmental noise, the higher the possibility of mild-to-moderate depressive symptoms. Our findings suggest the need for continued attention to and management of noise pollution, which has the potential to adversely affect individual's mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maintaining the stability of ecological communities is critical for conservation, yet we lack a clear understanding of what attributes of metacommunity structure control stability. Some theories suggest that greater dispersal promotes metacommunity stability by stabilizing local populations, while others suggest that dispersal synchronizes fluctuations across patches and leads to global instability. These effects of dispersal on stability may be mediated by metacommunity structure: the number of patches, the pattern of connections across patches, and levels of spatiotemporal correlation in the environment. Thus, we need theory to investigate metacommunity dynamics under different spatial structures and ecological scenarios. Here, we use simulations to investigate whether stability is primarily affected by connectivity, including dispersal rate and topology of connectivity network, or by mechanisms related to the number of patches. We find that in competitive metacommunities with environmental stochasticity, network topology has little effect on stability on the metacommunity scale even while it could change spatial diversity patterns. In contrast, the number of connected patches is the dominant factor promoting stability through averaging stochastic fluctuations across more patches, rather than due to more habitat heterogeneity per se. These results broaden our understanding of how metacommunity structure changes metacommunity stability, which is relevant for designing effective conservation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Pediatric hypertension is linked to environmental factors like neighborhood noise disrupting sleep, which is crucial for health. The specific interaction between noise and sleep health in causing hypertension still needs to be explored. Methods and Results We analyzed data from 3320 participants of the ABCD (Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development) study, recruited across 21 US cities and monitored from 2018 to 2020 through 2020 to 2022. Participants with complete data on Fitbit‐tracked sleep, blood pressure, height, neighborhood noise, and covariates (biological sex, race and ethnicity, pubertal stage, waist circumference) were included. Hypertension was defined as average blood pressure ≥95th percentile for age, sex, and height. Sleep health was categorized on the basis of daily duration: healthy (9–12 hours), moderately healthy (±1 hour from optimal), and low (≥1 hour deviation). Noise exposure was measured as median nighttime anthropogenic noise levels by zip code. The incidence of hypertension increased from 1.7% (95% CI, 1.4–2.1) in 2018 to 2020 to 2.9% (95% CI, 2.4–3.6) in 2020 to 2022. Adolescents with healthier sleep had a lower risk of developing hypertension (relative risk, 0.63 [95% CI, 0.25–0.82]), while no significant effects were found for neighborhood noise alone or in combination with sleep health. Conclusions Adequate sleep significantly reduces the risk of hypertension in adolescents, independent of environmental noise exposure. These findings underscore the importance of promoting good sleep hygiene among youth to mitigate hypertension risk.

BackgroundBiological invasions pose a critical threat to biodiversity, affecting ecological balance and native species’ communication. Eleutherodactylus johnstonei, an exotic anuran in São Paulo, vocalizes at intensities that could interfere with native anuran species, potentially causing acoustic masking.MethodsWe evaluated the effects of E. johnstonei's calls on the vocalizations of two native species, Scinax imbegue and Physalaemus cuvieri, both with and without spectral overlap with the invasive species. Field playbacks were conducted using six versions of stimuli, including E. johnstonei's calls, the native Boana bischoffi (as a control), and white noise. We recorded response calls and behavioral changes of S. imbegue and P. cuvieri males.ResultsThe calls of E. johnstonei did not affect the spectral or temporal parameters of the native species’ announcement calls. However, S. imbegue males displayed behavioral responses such as cessation of vocalization or movement away from the noise source. Additionally, B. bischoffi's calls and white noise influenced native species’ call parameters.DiscussionOur findings reveal that exotic species’ vocalizations may disrupt native anurans’ acoustic behavior. This impact varies with species and context, underlining the need for further research on anuran acoustic interactions across different frequencies and acoustic environments to fully understand the effects of exotic acoustic interference.

Transportation tracks of railways and highways are the highest noise pollution contribution to the inhabitant urban due to the sources near residential areas. Many researchers proved that the composite material could help reduce the noise by 30%. This study focuses on designing local nature fiber composite for developing a good sound absorption material by providing experimental methods. Three natural fibers of coconut, palm oil, and sugarcane are used to make a composite by varying filler content for sound absorption and transmission loss observation. The results found that sugar cane bagasse is suitable for average performance in varied filler content for both sound absorption and transmission loss. The overall results showed a successful improvement in both sound absorption coefficient and transmission loss with the addition of fiber content

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In this paper, a deterministic size-dependent phytoplankton–zooplankton (PZ) model with additive Allee effect as well as its stochastic differential equation version is formulated to explore the growth dynamic of phytoplankton. A stability and Hopf bifurcation analysis is performed towards deterministic PZ model, and stochastic dynamic analysis is carried out on the stochastic PZ model, including the stochastic extinction, persistence in mean and the unique ergodic stationary distribution, which in turn provides a theoretical basis for numerical simulation analysis. Numerical simulations reveal that the synergistic effect of plankton body size and Allee effect can have a complex impact on the growth of phytoplankton in the deterministic and stochastic environments. One of the most interesting findings suggests that the reduced phytoplankton cell size can trigger bistable phenomenon, while the increased phytoplankton cell size or the weakened Allee effect has the ability to destroy such bistable phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pediatric headache is a common complaint with significant impact on children's well-being. Environmental noise exposure has emerged as a potential risk factor for pediatric headache, but its association remains understudied, particularly in tertiary care settings. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the link between pediatric headache and environmental noise exposure in a tertiary care setting, assessing the prevalence of headache among children and the impact of environmental noise levels. Methods: A structured questionnaire was administered to parents of pediatric patients presenting with headache symptoms at a tertiary care center. Demographic information, headache characteristics, and environmental noise exposure levels were assessed. Environmental noise levels were measured at various locations within the center and participants' residential areas. Results: A total of 250 pediatric patients were included in the study. The prevalence of pediatric headache was 42%. Analysis revealed a significant correlation between environmental noise levels and the occurrence of pediatric headache (p < 0.05). Higher noise levels in both healthcare and residential settings were associated with increased headache prevalence. Conclusion: This study highlights the significant association between pediatric headache and environmental noise exposure in a tertiary care setting. Strategies to reduce noise levels in healthcare facilities and residential areas are essential to mitigate the burden of pediatric headache on affected children's health and well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is evidence that hypertensive heart disease is attributed to environmental noise and air pollution in European regions. Epidemiological studies have also demonstrated the potential role of road traffic air–noise pollution in adverse health outcomes, including cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension. Despite the local implementation of the EU Directive on environmental noise and air quality, it is necessary to explore the progress and understand the impact of policy, legislation and the collection of exposure and associated health data for air and noise pollution in order to improve environmental public health. Therefore, the DPSEEA (Driving force, Pressure, State, Exposure, Effect and Action) conceptual framework model was used to systematically map and review these links and to identify relevant indicators linking air–noise pollution with cardiovascular diseases. With a focus on the EU and specifically UK situation, we critically evaluate the effectiveness of evidence-based policy implementation of action plans, summarizing existing data using modified framework model tools. We concluded that, the DPSEEA conceptual framework provides an effective review method to more effectively, conduct data surveillance monitoring and assessment, and tracking outcomes with different types of evidence in the field of environmental public health. There is great scope demonstrating the use of the DPSEEA conceptual framework to highlight the casual relationship between exposure and effects taking into account other factors such as driving force, pressure, state, exposure and action and to incorporate as surveillance information in the environmental health tracking system (EHTS). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Noise pollution has become a public health problem in several countries worldwide. Noise maps are tools used in many cities, mainly on the European continent. In other regions, they are used in smaller areas, and few studies focus on hospital areas, considered noise-sensitive zones. In this context, this study aimed to perform sound measurements and noise maps for the day and night periods in the surroundings of three hospitals in Sorocaba, Brazil. Sound measurements occurred around the three hospitals based on NBR 10151 and ISO 1996 standards. The noise maps were drawn up using a calculation model based on ISO 9613–2. Results showed that the sound measurement points around the hospitals had levels above those recommended by the Brazilian standard for sensitive areas (LAeq 50 and 45 dB for day and night, respectively). The acoustic maps showed high sound levels on all faces of the hospital buildings, both during the day and at night. The worst scenario concerned the vicinity of the roads with the highest flow and speed of vehicles. We concluded that three different hospitals in the city have high sound levels in their surroundings above the recommended for sensitive areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transportation tracks of railways and highways are the highest noise pollution contribution to the inhabitant urban due to the sources near residential areas. Many researchers proved that the composite material could help reduce the noise by 30%. This study focuses on designing local nature fiber composite for developing a good sound absorption material by providing experimental methods. Three natural fibers of coconut, palm oil, and sugarcane are used to make a composite by varying filler content for sound absorption and transmission loss observation. The results found that sugar cane bagasse is suitable for average performance in varied filler content for both sound absorption and transmission loss. The overall results showed a successful improvement in both sound absorption coefficient and transmission loss with the addition of fiber content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ISO 1996 series harmonize the methods for the description, measurement and assessment of environmental noise from all source types. In addition, the standards contain the guidelines for estimating the uncertainty of environmental noise measurements that consider the impact of different sources of uncertainty. The standards do not describe in detail the procedure for estimating the measurement uncertainty, but they can be used as a foundation for developing a detailed procedure based on the conducted acoustic measurements and collected data important for sound propagation. The aim of this paper is to provide a detailed step-by-step procedure for estimating the uncertainty of long-term environmental noise measurements conducted during long-term time intervals consisting of several reference time intervals. The input data are a large number of independent measurements of equivalent continuous sound pressure levels at the assessment point under well-defined sound emission and meteorological conditions. The measurement results are stratified into different windows, i.e., a combination of sound emission and meteorological conditions. The output data is the uncertainty of long-term environmental noise measurements estimated using the measured data obtained by the continuous environmental noise monitoring, taking into account possible sources of measurement uncertainty.

Environmental noise control is a major health and social issue. Numerous environmental policies require local authorities to draw up noise maps to establish an inventory of the noise environment and then propose action plans to improve its quality. In general, these maps are produced using numerical simulations, which may not be sufficiently representative, for example, concerning the temporal dynamics of noise levels. Acoustic sensor measurements are also insufficient in terms of spatial coverage. More recently, an alternative approach has been proposed, consisting of using citizens as data producers by using smartphones as tools of geo-localized acoustic measurement. However, a lack of calibration of smartphones can generate a significant bias in the results obtained. Against the classical metrological principle that would aim to calibrate any sensor beforehand for physical measurement, some have proposed mass calibration procedures called "blind calibration". The method is based on the crossing of sensors in the same area at the same time, which are therefore supposed to observe the same phenomenon (i.e., measure the same value). The multiple crossings of a large number of sensors at the scale of a territory and the analysis of the relationships between sensors allow for the calibration of the set of sensors. In this article, we propose to adapt a blind calibration method to data from the NoiseCapture smartphone application. The method's behavior is then tested on NoiseCapture datasets for which information on the calibration values of some smartphones is already available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we study the stochastic dynamics of a preferred phytoplankton (PP)–nonpreferred phytoplankton (NP)–zooplankton (Z) model with selectivity of zooplankton and nutritional value of phytoplankton. The mathematical theoretical work mainly gives the existence and uniqueness of the positive solution, provides the results related to stochastic ultimate boundedness and stochastic permanence, shows the dynamics of stochastic extinction and persistence in the mean, and proves the existence of a unique ergodic stationary distribution, which in turn provides a theoretical basis for numerical simulations. The numerical simulation work mainly reveals that the selectivity of zooplankton and nutritional of phytoplankton have a significant impact on the PP–NP–Z dynamics under random environmental fluctuation. It is worth emphasizing that the large nutritional value of preferred phytoplankton has the capacity to result in the extinction of nonpreferred phytoplankton, while the large nutritional value of nonpreferred phytoplankton may be able to initiate the occurrence of harmful algal blooms. Furthermore, it should be noted that the increase of zooplankton selectivity or nutritional value of phytoplankton (preferred phytoplankton and nonpreferred phytoplankton) can cause the stationary distribution of preferred phytoplankton to shift to the left, but the stationary distribution of nonpreferred phytoplankton and zooplankton can shift to the right. These results may contribute to further understanding the complex dynamics of plankton models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The association between noise exposure and increased risk of cancer has received little attention in the field of research. Therefore, the goal of this study was to conduct a systematic review on the relationship between noise exposure and the incidence of cancer in humans. In this study, four electronic bibliographic databases including Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase were systematically searched up to 21 April 2022. All types of noise exposure were considered, including environmental noise, occupational noise, and leisure or recreational noise. Furthermore, all types of cancers were studied, regardless of the organs involved. In total, 1836 articles were excluded on the basis of containing exclusion criteria or lacking inclusion criteria, leaving 19 articles retained for this study. Five of nine case-control studies showed a significant relationship between occupational or leisure noise exposure and acoustic neuroma. Moreover, four of five case-control and cohort studies indicated statistically significant relationships between environmental noise exposure and breast cancer. Of other cancer types, two case-control studies highlighted the risk of Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma and two cohort studies identified an increased risk of colon cancer associated with environmental noise exposure. No relationship between road traffic and railway noise and the risk of prostate cancer was observed. In total, results showed that noise exposure, particularly prolonged and continuous exposure to loud noise, can lead to the incidence of some cancers. However, confirmation of this requires further epidemiological studies and exploration of the exact biological mechanism and pathway for these effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces a model of sound energy harvesting that operates at a low frequency of less than 200 Hz. This investigation focuses on the produced outcomes when the vibrations of sound energy are converted into electricity. Sound vibrations are received from outside sources and pass through a piezoelectric barrier (wall) equipped with 4*3 array of energy harvesting elements of lead zirconate titanate (PZT-5H) cantilever plates which are constructed to harvest noise in the form of sound from passing trains and vehicles on roads. This paper covers how sound vibrations change into electrical energy at two sound pressure levels (85 dB and 100 dB for environmental noise of road vehicles and railways, respectively). Furthermore, the effects of changing the pressure level on the generated voltage for the intended model have been studied as well as the effects of increasing the piezoelectric plate number on the voltage generated for the 85 dB pressure level. The simulation is conducted numerically using the Finite Element Method FEM (COMSOL). An analytical model of a literature paper is used and simulated using MATLAB to be compared with the FEM results and found to be completely converged. Afterward, to figure out the relationship between voltage and sound pressure level, an equation is derived analytically. According to simulation results, 15 V and 18.2 V are produced for an incoming acoustic pressure level of 85 dB and 100 dB, respectively. Two models are compared, an array of beams with similar dimensions and a single beam with a volume that equals the dimensions of all array beams; it is observed that the array of beams produced 33.9 % more voltage than a single beam with the same volume. The comparison of the proposed model results with experimental literature results is conducted and exhibited an excellent convergence.

Abstract Fireworks are widely celebrated worldwide but have raised environmental concerns due to pollutant emissions. This has prompted evolving legislation in many countries, necessitating scientific evidence for policy development. Existing literature mainly focuses on characterizing individual fireworks and quantifying noise variations between festive and non-festive periods. However, no such studies have been conducted in Argentina. This study aims to characterize noise levels generated by fireworks during the 2020 Christmas and New Year celebrations in Buenos Aires. Nine measurement systems were used, obtaining acoustic descriptors reflecting noise levels during these events. Results were compared with typical ambient noise levels in the city and those during the New Year's fireworks display in Santiago de Chile, where public access to individual fireworks is restricted. Findings indicate significant noise level increases during the Christmas and New Year celebrations, supported by the L01 percentile acoustic parameter, more effective in characterizing impulsive events than Equivalent continuous sound pressure level LeqA. Comparing results with Santiago de Chile, noise values in Argentina remained similar within a 1.1 km proximity to the fireworks show, whereas beyond that distance, Chilean residents experienced lower noise levels.

Passive acoustic monitoring serves as a minimally invasive and effective method for biodiversity assessment, particularly in bird monitoring through the application of acoustic indices. However, the use of different recording devices and different types of environmental noise (e.g., rain, wind, stream, traffic noise) lead to signal distortions that affect the application of ecoacoustics indices. Currently, there are no established guidelines specifying the technical requirements for recording devices and the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) threshold for accurate calculation of acoustic indices. To enhance the accuracy of acoustic indices in bird biodiversity assessments, this study investigated the impact of different recording devices and environmental noise (rain, wind, stream, traffic noise) on acoustic indices. In this study, we selected six acoustic indices: Acoustic Complexity Index, Acoustic Diversity Index, Acoustic Evenness Index, Bioacoustic Index, Acoustic Entropy Index, and Normalized Difference Soundscape Index, and we used four different recording devices to simultaneously record 104 h of bird-sound data at the same location. In addition, 44 h of noisy bird signals with different noise types and intensities were artificially synthesized for comparison. The sound data were then used to analyze the effects of the recording devices and environmental noise on the acoustic indices used for bird biodiversity assessment. Our results showed that (a) all six acoustic indices were affected by the recording device used; (b) each acoustic index had different sensitivities to different noise types; and (c) there was a SNR threshold above which the effect of noise on the acoustic index was negligible. This study provides recommendations for recording device selection and determines SNR thresholds for noisy bird signals, contributing to the refinement of protocols for acquiring and preprocessing signals in the application of acoustic indices for bird biodiversity assessment. These findings aim to establish standardized protocols for signal acquisition and preprocessing in future application of acoustic indices.

This study proposes a novel digital image processing system that combines a diffraction-limited resolution (DLRF)-based measurement technique with a windowed form-center tracking algorithm. To evaluate the accuracy of this system, this paper compares and analyzes the effectiveness of conventional digital image techniques and DLRF-based methods for deformation displacement measurements. In addition, the study includes thermal stability tests under ambient noise and uniform high temperature conditions to evaluate the stability performance of the system in a complex environment. The experimental results show that the DLRF-based digital image correlation method proposed in this study performs well in reducing the mean deviation (from a maximum of 5.17 × 10-3 to 1.73 × 10-3) and root-mean-square error (from a maximum of 5.14 × 10-3 to 0.75 × 10-3). It is worth noting that the DLRF method is faster in processing when using the single-precision format than the double-precision format, with a speedup of up to 1.05 times. In addition, the multiple displacement averaging processing method can effectively filter the noise in the test, and the noise effect is only in the range of 0 to 2 μm in most areas. In the analysis of test points 10-34 and 57-80, the displacement error is controlled within 5 μm, indicating that the modified structural analysis model can be used for on-orbit micrometer-scale thermal deformation analysis. The study proves the high accuracy and stability of the digital image system proposed in this paper in the measurement of deformation displacement, which provides adequate technical support for accurate measurement in related fields.

Background: Noise is defined as unwanted sound. It may induce negative emotions and mental health problems and may even lead to increased suicide risk. However, the impact of noise exposure on environmental diseases and disease severity is not well understood. This study aimed to elucidate the association between night-time noise exposure and the prevalence of environmental diseases in South Korea. Methods: We conducted an analysis of the Environmental Disease Database provide by the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) from 2013 to 2017. After spatially interpolating the noise data provided by the National Noise Information System (NNIS), night-time noise values in the district level were obtained by calculating the mean noise values at the administrative district level. The linear regression analyses were performed to test the association between the age-standardized prevalence ratio (SPR) and the night-time noise exposure in the district level. Results: In areas with high night-time noise exposure (≥55 dB), the SPR for atopic dermatitis and allergic rhinitis were 1.0515 (95 % confidence interval [CI]:1.0508–1.0521) and 1.0202 (95 % CI:1.0201–1.0204), respectively, which were higher than those in the general population. The SPR for environmental diseases, including atopic dermatitis, asthma, and allergic rhinitis, was 1.0104 (95 % CI:1.0103–1.0105). Additionally, a significant linear association was observed between the level of nocturnal noise exposure and the total hospitalization period for atopic dermatitis (β = 399.3, p

EIn light of the COVID-19 pandemic, empirical evidence suggests that the global community has commenced a recuperation process and witnessed a notable positive influence. Despite several published research on the topic, a complete analysis examining the effects of lockdown measures implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic on environmental noise has yet to be conducted. Thus, this scoping review with stakeholders' consultation was conducted to systematically identify literature related to noise level reduction. An electronic search was conducted up to August 8, 2020, on four databases (Science Direct, SCOPUS, CINAHL, and PubMed). Eight articles met our criteria for further review where G20 countries conducted most studies. Three were reviewed, two were experimental, two were case reports, and the other was protocol. Although the current literature is minimal, it is evident that global noise levels are decreasing significantly. However, our review revealed that none of the included studies addressed the effect of noise level reduction on human health, and we view the decrease not necessarily as an outcome of the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak but rather because of the transition from outdoor to indoor environments. As this subject matter has received a lack of attention and is often overlooked, more innovative research to look for state-of-the-art stagnant initiatives is needed to control the issue of noise pollution and to provide a basis for government policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fireworks are widely celebrated worldwide but have raised environmental concerns due to pollutant emissions. This has prompted evolving legislation in many countries, necessitating scientific evidence for policy development. Existing literature mainly focuses on characterizing individual fireworks and quantifying noise variations between festive and non-festive periods. However, no such studies have been conducted in Argentina. This study aims to characterize noise levels generated by fireworks during the 2020 Christmas and New Year celebrations in Buenos Aires. Nine measurement systems were used, obtaining acoustic descriptors reflecting noise levels during these events. Results were compared with typical ambient noise levels in the city and those during the New Year's fireworks display in Santiago de Chile, where public access to individual fireworks is restricted. Findings indicate significant noise level increases during the Christmas and New Year celebrations, supported by the L01 percentile acoustic parameter, more effective in characterizing impulsive events than Equivalent continuous sound pressure level LeqA. Comparing results with Santiago de Chile, noise values in Argentina remained similar within a 1.1 km proximity to the fireworks show, whereas beyond that distance, Chilean residents experienced lower noise levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2050 two-thirds of the world's population is predicted to live in cities, which asks for a better understanding of how the urban environment affects mental health. Urbanicity has repeatedly been found to be a risk factor, in particular for psychosis. Here, we explored what factors of the urban exposome underlie the association between urban characteristics and psychotic experiences (PE) in adolescents. Participants were 815 adolescents (mean age 14.84 years, SD 0.78) from an at-risk cohort (greater Rotterdam area, the Netherlands) oversampled on their self-reported emotional and behavioral problems. We used linear regression analysis to examine the association with detailed geodata on urbanicity (surrounding address density), green space density (high and low vegetation), and mixed noise levels (road, rail, air, industry, and wind power) with PE in adolescents. Analyses were adjusted for multiple socio-economic and parental confounders. Furthermore, we explored sex-interaction effects. Higher surrounding address density and low greenspace density were each independently associated with more PE (B = 0.18, 95 % CI 0.02; 0.34 and B = 0.17, 95 % CI 0.01; 0.32, respectively). High mixed noise levels were only associated with more PE in boys (B = 0.23, 95 % CI 0.01; 0.46). A sex-interaction effect was found for high urbanicity (B = −0.46, 95 % CI −0.77; −0.14) and low greenspace density (B = −0.49, 95 % CI −0.73; −0.11), illustrating that these associations with PE were specific for boys. Multiple characteristics of living in an urban area are associated with more PE in adolescent boys. Our observations provide leads for prevention of mental health problems via urban designing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The City of David constitutes one of the most important commercial centers of the Republic of Panama. However, it is located on a coastal plane, close to an area with high seismic activity and has been affected by significant earthquakes (18 July 1934, Mw = 7.4 and 12 March 1962, Mw = 6.7). The goal of this study is to estimate the seismic effects and to classify the soil in the City of David. The experimental work entailed the measurement of environmental noise for H/V spectral ratio (HVSR) analyzed at 22 stations. A series of microtremor refraction studies (ReMi) at six stations distributed from north to south of the city was also performed. The stations were distributed around urban areas of the city, which are characterized by the presence of water supply, sewerage, buildings, roads, etc. The spectral analysis of environmental noise allowed the generation of three different types of maps: First, predominant frequency maps (f0) with zones composed mainly of rigid and semi-rigid soils in the southern end of the city and rigid soils in the central and northern regions. Secondly, maximum H/V amplitude maps (A0) which evidence a low range of HVSR amplitude in the city, ranging from 1.1 to 3.8. Finally, liquefaction vulnerability (Kg) maps, with values less than 2 Hz−1, representative of a low liquefaction risk. Soil classification using ReMi and calculation of the corresponding Vs30 reveal type D soils, which correlate well with results obtained using HVSR analyses. A comparison between HVSR and ReMi shows that HVSR curves that exhibit clear peaks tend to be related to ReMi stations that presented relatively large shear-wave velocity contrasts at some depth. The results from this research are intended to aid the decision-making process related to the future development of the city, as well as government level maintenance and mitigation plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Acute diarrhea caused by consuming unclean water or food is known as the epidemic cholera. A model for the epidemic cholera is formulated by considering the instants at which a person contracts the disease and the instant at which the individual exhibits symptoms after consuming the poisoned food and water. Initially, the model is formulated from the deterministic point of view, and then it is converted to a system of stochastic differential equations. In addition to the biological interpretation of the stochastic model, we proved the existence of the possible equilibria of the associated deterministic model, and accordingly, stability theorems are presented. It is demonstrated that the proposed stochastic model has a unique global solution, and adequate criteria are constructed by using the Lyapunov function theory, which guarantees that the system has persistence in the mean whenever $ {\bf{R_s^0}} > 1 $. For the case of $ R_s < 1 $, we proved that the disease will tend to be eliminated from the community. Some graphical solutions were produced in order to better validate the analytical results that were acquired. This research can offer a solid theoretical foundation for comprehensive knowledge of other chronic communicable diseases. Additionally, our approach seeks to offer a technique for creating Lyapunov functions that may be utilized to investigate the stationary distributions of models with non-linear stochastic perturbations.

The Environmental Noise Directive (END), published in 2002, was transposed into Romanian local law in 2005, and it was the starting point for the first urban noise mapping exercises, initially conducted in nine Romanian cities. This paper presents the main evolutionary aspects of the noise assessment process, the development of strategic noise maps, and action plans, dealing with both the legislative side and the practical approach and results obtained. The study considers the specific regulations established by the European Commission regarding environmental noise assessment and deals with the global context at the country level, in which they have been implemented and applied.

This paper addresses the issue of environmental noise from mining operations, focusing on the specific case of a quarry located in the municipality of Trebejov, Slovakia. The study aims to demonstrate an effective approach to reducing noise pollution through the implementation of mobile noise barriers. The research was motivated by the negative impact of noise from the processing line on the wellbeing of the population residing in the vicinity of the facility. The study involved conducting extensive noise measurements at various locations surrounding the quarry. The collected data were analyzed to assess the existing noise levels and identify the areas of highest noise exposure. Based on the findings, the implementation of mobile noise barriers was proposed as a solution. The results of the study demonstrated that the mobile noise barriers successfully reduced the noise levels below the legal limits, significantly improving the well-being of the population living near the quarry. The case study opens up the possibility of using mobile noise barriers in other areas and operations with high noise exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute diarrhea caused by consuming unclean water or food is known as the epidemic cholera. A model for the epidemic cholera is formulated by considering the instants at which a person contracts the disease and the instant at which the individual exhibits symptoms after consuming the poisoned food and water. Initially, the model is formulated from the deterministic point of view, and then it is converted to a system of stochastic differential equations. In addition to the biological interpretation of the stochastic model, we proved the existence of the possible equilibria of the associated deterministic model, and accordingly, stability theorems are presented. It is demonstrated that the proposed stochastic model has a unique global solution, and adequate criteria are constructed by using the Lyapunov function theory, which guarantees that the system has persistence in the mean whenever R s 0 > 1. For the case of R s < 1 , we proved that the disease will tend to be eliminated from the community. Some graphical solutions were produced in order to better validate the analytical results that were acquired. This research can offer a solid theoretical foundation for comprehensive knowledge of other chronic communicable diseases. Additionally, our approach seeks to offer a technique for creating Lyapunov functions that may be utilized to investigate the stationary distributions of models with non-linear stochastic perturbations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease, which is caused by the aggregation of beta-amyloid peptide ( A β ) in the patient's brain and the disorder of Ca 2 + homeostasis in neurons. Caluwé and Dupont (Theor Biol 331:12–18, 2013) proposed a deterministic AD model to explore the effect of Ca 2 + on AD. They demonstrated the positive feedback loop between A β and Ca 2 + : and the occurrence of bistability. Based on their results, we further discuss the bistable behaviors. We present two periodically feasible drug strategies to alleviate the AD and screen out more effective one. In this paper, we also formulate a stochastic AD model, analyze the existence and uniqueness of global positive solutions and establish sufficient conditions for the existence of ergodic stationary distribution. Furthermore, the confidence ellipses describing the configurational arrangement of stochastic coexistence equilibria are constructed by stochastic sensitivity function technique, and tipping threshold is estimated as well. Noise-induced stochastic switching between two coexistence equilibria is observed in bistability region. Our results provide a new idea to control noise to alleviate AD through physical therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The study aimed to evaluate the clinical characteristics and prognostic factors associated with unilateral sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) related to environmental noise exposure before its onset. Methods: A total of 50 unilateral SSNHL patients exposed to environmental noise before onset (case group) and 924 unilateral SSNHL patients without any exposure to obvious inducing factors before onset (control group) were enrolled between January 2018 and October 2022. We retrospectively analyzed dierences between both groups using the chi-square test, Fisher’s exact tests, independent t-tests, and Mann–Whitney U-tests as appropriate before and after propensity score matching (PSM) based on sex, age, and initial pure-tone average (PTA). Prognostic factors for the case group were analyzed using univariate and multivariate logistic analyses between the eective and ineective groups. Results: Before PSM, significant dierences were noted in age, sex, time to treatment, the proportion of combined diabetes mellitus, initial PTA, hearing gain, the incidence of vertigo or aural fulness, the rate of vestibular dysfunction or inner ear MRI abnormalities, the eective rate, the glucose and homocysteine levels, and the proportion of audiogram curve types (P < 0.05) between both groups. After PSM, compared to the control group, a longer time to treatment (Z= −3.02, P < 0.05), higher final PTA (Z= −2.39, P < 0.05), lower hearing gain (Z= −3.46, P < 0.05), lower rate of vestibular dysfunction (χ² = 55.1, P < 0.001), and lower eective rate (χ² = 4.87, P < 0.05) were observed in the case group. There was a significant dierence between the audiogram curve types in both groups (χ² = 14.9, P < 0.05). Time to treatment (95% confidence interval: 0.692–0.965, P < 0.05) and final PTA (95% confidence interval: 0.921–0.998, P < 0.05) were associated with the clinical outcomes for the case group. Conclusion: Unilateral SSNHL patients exposed to environmental noise triggers before onset showed a poorer eective rate and a lower rate of vestibular dysfunction than those who were not. The time to treatment and final PTA were associated with the prognosis of these p [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

University campuses located in the heart of cities can be exposed to significant noise levels that can hinder the learning of students, the performance of the teaching community and staff, as well as the quality of life for residents in the neighborhood. This article presents the results of a study project conducted by students of the “Industrial Acoustics” course at École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS), with the main objective of quantifying and assessing the outdoor and indoor noise levels on the university campus. The students were also tasked with identifying the main sources of indoor noise using an acoustic camera and modeling an acoustic metamaterial that would help reduce the tonal noise emitted by transformers at low frequencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: With ever growing urbanization, the environmental noise is becoming hazardous. Vehicular traffic, locomotives, heavy machinery in industry, and construction processes are the major sources of noise pollution. It has adverse effects on the health of humans as well as that of the wild life. World Health Organization (WHO) puts noise pollution as the second major cause of illness due to environmental reasons. The effects of noise pollution on the quality of life are usually ignored. Due to this reason it is common, even in the first world countries, to have the WHO's peak noise standards violated in residential areas. Therefore, there is a need to have a real time, portable and easy to replicate, mechanism to monitor the noise sources. In this work, we propose a novel architecture of a deep neural network to classify a 10‐class environmental noise data called URBANSOUND8K. This network is comprised of three components, (1) one dimensional two level Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) component, (2) branched component for feature extraction through auto‐encoders, and (3) LSTM and fully‐connected layers based classification component. With all components combined, we call this network DWTNet. By embedding the DWT component as a part of network, we eliminate the need of prior data conversion into spectral and/or spectro‐temporal domains. The efficiency of DWTNet is comparable to the state of the art networks with significantly lower number of trainable parameters. We analyze the contribution of classification accuracy. We further study some of the classification results individually and show that some of the mis‐classifications are actually multi‐class classifications with distributed decision confidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is increasing interest in the environmental noise emissions from grain dryers and the potential impact of practical noise pollution mitigations such as barriers adjacent to dryers. Grain dryers are an essential part of grain production in many parts of the world, including Ontario, Canada. Most dryers are large, stationary units that include a burner to provide process heat and a fan or blower to move heated air through the grain being dried. This study measured sound levels at a range of distances from multiple grain drying facilities in Ontario, Canada, over two drying seasons. It was found that the sound level at a given distance varied substantially, depending on the dryer type and presence of blocking features such as grain bins or buildings. Noise emissions did not necessarily correlate to the size or drying capacity of the facility, with some smaller top dry dryers having higher noise emissions than other much larger tower dryers. Targeted investigations of the impact of practical remediations in the form of physical sound barriers showed sound level reductions were possible that were similar in magnitude to those achieved by highway sound walls along roadways, with most sound reduction being at higher frequencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Noise is a common harmful factor in our work and the environment. Most studies have investigated the auditory effects of noise exposure; however, few studies have focused on the extra‐auditory effects of exposure to occupational or environmental noise. This study aimed to systematically review published studies on the extra‐auditory effects of noise exposure. We reviewed literature from PubMed and Google Scholar databases up to July 2022, using the Patient, Intervention, Comparison, and Outcome criteria and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses guidelines to identify studies that reported extra‐auditory effects of occupational or environmental noise exposure. Studies were evaluated utilizing validated reporting tools (CONSORT, STROBE) appropriate to study design. A total of 263 articles were identified, of which 36 were finally selected and reviewed. Upon conducting a review of the articles, exposure to noise can elicit a variety of extra‐auditory effects on humans. These effects include circulatory effects linked to higher risk of cardiovascular disease and decreased endothelial function, nervous system effects correlated with sleep disturbance, cognitive impairment, and mental health problems, immunological and endocrinal effects connected to increased physiological stress response and metabolic disorders, oncological and respiratory effects associated with an elevated risk of acoustic neuroma and respiratory disorders, gastrointestinal effects linked to an increased risk of gastric or duodenal ulcer, and obstetric effects connected to the risk of preterm birth. Our review suggests that there are numerous extra‐auditory effects of noise exposure on human, and further investigations are needed to fully understand these effects. Plain Language Summary: Noise is a common harmful factor in both our work and environment. While many studies have focused on the auditory effects of noise exposure, few have examined the extra‐auditory effects of exposure to occupational or environmental noise. This study aimed to systematically review published studies on the extra‐auditory effects of noise exposure. We searched the PubMed and Google Scholar databases, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses guidelines, to identify studies that reported extra‐auditory effects of occupational or environmental noise exposure. We found 262 articles, of which 36 were ultimately selected. These studies have reported various health effects associated with noise exposure, such as circulatory, respiratory, immunological, gastrointestinal, and oncologic effects. The findings suggest that there are various extra‐auditory effects of noise exposure on human health, and further investigations are necessary. Key Points: Noise is common harmful factor in our work and environmentFew studies have focused on the extra‐auditory effects of noiseVarious extra‐auditory health effects of noise exposure have been reported, such as circulatory, respiratory, immunological, gastrointestinal, and oncologic effects [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study evaluated the effects of chronic exposure to aircraft noise on the cognitive functions of Korean elementary school students attending an elementary school around a military airfield and clarified the relationship between noise exposure and cognitive functions. Methods: Five schools with average weight equivalent continuous perceived noise levels (WECPNL) of ≥75 dB were selected from four regions in Korea. Each of these schools was matched with a non-exposed school. The Korean Intelligence Test Primary (KIT-P) was used to measure the scores of four subcategories and the intelligence quotient (IQ). The noise exposure groups were divided into high-exposure (WECPNL ≥ 80 dB) and medium-exposure (75 ≤ WECPNL