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Tian Y, Zhao H, Li P, Zhou T, Qiu W, Li J. A Noise-Induced Hearing Loss Prediction Model Based on Asymmetric Convolution for Workers Exposed to Complex Industrial Noise. Ear Hear 2024; 45:648-657. [PMID: 38196103 DOI: 10.1097/aud.0000000000001454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Current approaches for evaluating noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL), such as the International Standards Organization 1999 (ISO) 1999 prediction model, rely mainly on noise energy and exposure time, thus ignoring the intricate time-frequency characteristics of noise, which also play an important role in NIHL evaluation. In this study, an innovative NIHL prediction model based on temporal and spectral feature extraction using an asymmetric convolution algorithm is proposed. DESIGN Personal data and individual occupational noise records from 2214 workers across 23 factories in Zhejiang Province, China, were used in this study. In addition to traditional metrics like noise energy and exposure duration, the importance of time-frequency features in NIHL assessment was also emphasized. To capture these features, operations such as random sampling, windowing, short-time Fourier transform, and splicing were performed to create time-frequency spectrograms from noise recordings. Two asymmetric convolution kernels then were used to extract these critical features. These features, combined with personal information (e.g., age, length of service) in various configurations, were used as model inputs. The optimal network structure was selected based on the area under the curve (AUC) from 10-fold cross-validation, alongside the Wilcoxon signed ranks test. The proposed model was compared with the support vector machine (SVM) and ISO 1999 models, and the superiority of the new approach was verified by ablation experiments. RESULTS The proposed model had an AUC of 0.7768 ± 0.0223 (mean ± SD), outperforming both the SVM model (AUC: 0.7504 ± 0.0273) and the ISO 1999 model (AUC: 0.5094 ± 0.0071). Wilcoxon signed ranks tests confirmed the significant improvement of the proposed model ( p = 0.0025 compared with ISO 1999, and p = 0.00142 compared with SVM). CONCLUSIONS This study introduced a new NIHL prediction method that provides deeper insights into industrial noise exposure data. The results demonstrated the superior performance of the new model over ISO 1999 and SVM models. By combining time-frequency features and personal information, the proposed approach bridged the gap between conventional noise assessment and machine learning-based methods, effectively improving the ability to protect workers' hearing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Tian
- Engineering Research Center of EMR and Intelligent Expert System, Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Biomedical Engineering and Instrument Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
- These authors contributed equally to this study
| | - Haoqi Zhao
- Engineering Research Center of EMR and Intelligent Expert System, Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Biomedical Engineering and Instrument Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
- These authors contributed equally to this study
| | - Peixian Li
- Engineering Research Center of EMR and Intelligent Expert System, Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Biomedical Engineering and Instrument Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Tianshu Zhou
- Research Center for Healthcare Data Science, Zhejiang Laboratory, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Wei Qiu
- Research Center for Healthcare Data Science, Zhejiang Laboratory, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Jingsong Li
- Engineering Research Center of EMR and Intelligent Expert System, Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Biomedical Engineering and Instrument Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
- Research Center for Healthcare Data Science, Zhejiang Laboratory, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
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Dong S, Duan Y, Chen X, You F, Jiang X, Wang D, Hu D, Zhao P. Recent Advances in Preparation and Structure of Polyurethane Porous Materials for Sound Absorbing Application. Macromol Rapid Commun 2024:e2400108. [PMID: 38639216 DOI: 10.1002/marc.202400108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2024] [Revised: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
Various acoustic materials are developed to resolve noise pollution problem in many industries. Especially, materials with porous structure are broadly used to absorb sound energy in civil construction and transportation area. Polyurethane (PU) porous materials possess excellent damping properties, good toughness, and well-developed pore structures, which have a broad application prospect in sound absorption field. This work aims to summarize the recent progress of fabrication and structure for PU porous materials in sound absorption application. The sound absorption mechanisms of porous materials are introduced. Different kinds of structure for typical PU porous materials in sound absorption application are covered and highlighted, which include PU foam, modified PU porous materials, aerogel, templated PU, and special PU porous materials. Finally, the development direction and existing problems of PU material in sound absorption application are briefly prospected. It can be expected that porous PU with high sound absorption coefficient can be obtained by using some facile methods. The design and accurate regulation of porous structures or construction of multilayer sound absorption structure is favorably recommended to fulfill the high demand of industrial and commercial applications in the future work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shan Dong
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Plasma Chemistry and New Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan, 430205, China
- Institute of Advanced Technology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230088, China
| | - Yinying Duan
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Plasma Chemistry and New Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan, 430205, China
| | - Xinyan Chen
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Plasma Chemistry and New Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan, 430205, China
| | - Feng You
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Plasma Chemistry and New Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan, 430205, China
| | - Xueliang Jiang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Plasma Chemistry and New Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan, 430205, China
| | - Dongrui Wang
- Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, School of Chemistry and Biological Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Dongdong Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China
| | - Pei Zhao
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Plasma Chemistry and New Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan, 430205, China
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Namasivaya Navin RB, Balaji D, Gowthame K, Prabakaran S, Rajasekaran S, Karthika SR. Ent Manifestations in Sculptors of South Chennai, India: A Cross Sectional Observational Study. Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2024; 76:437-442. [PMID: 38440447 PMCID: PMC10908744 DOI: 10.1007/s12070-023-04179-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Despite the National Occupational Safety and Legislation Act 2020's implementation, reports of workplace accidents are rising in India. Various ear, nose, and throat conditions have been linked to a wide range of physico-chemical variables. Due to a lack of training, inadequate knowledge, a lack of awareness of occupational health and safety risks, or a lack of accessibility to or use of personal protective equipment (PPE), sculptors are frequently exposed to a variety of physical, compound and unplanned risks, chemical, and accidental hazards. The study aimed to assess the various ear, nose and throat manifestations like noise induced hearing loss, occupational rhinitis and non-infectious pharyngitis among the sculptors working in the southern part of Chennai. This observational study was performed in a total of 110 sculptors. Demographic data like age, education, duration of occupation, use of PPE like face mask, ear plug during work hours, whether sculpting is a family occupation or first generation sculptor. A detailed history and thorough ENT examination was performed with pure tone audiometry (PTA), diagnostic nasal endoscopy (DNE) and videolaryngoscopy (VLS). If any problem is detected they will be treated accordingly. Most of them (70%) were in the age group of 21-40 years but 71% of them are sculptors for more than 15 years which infers introduction to the occupation at an early age. The reason for this could be more than 80% of them possessed the heritage of sculpting as their family occupation. Duration of occupation was significantly associated with chronic rhinitis (P value was 0.002) and NIHL (P value was 0.002) whereas education and use of PPE like face mask or ear plugs were not associated with ENT manifestations. This study focuses on the sculptors' working habits, their ignorance of safety precautions, and an assessment of the numerous ENT ailments. These manifestations showed a strong correlation to exposure time. To prevent the issues from becoming more severe, regular medical monitoring is required for early detection and intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- R. B. Namasivaya Navin
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute, Chettinad Academy of Research and Education, Kelambakkam, Chennai, Tamilnadu 603103 India
| | - D. Balaji
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute, Chettinad Academy of Research and Education, Kelambakkam, Chennai, Tamilnadu 603103 India
| | - K. Gowthame
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute, Chettinad Academy of Research and Education, Kelambakkam, Chennai, Tamilnadu 603103 India
| | - S. Prabakaran
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute, Chettinad Academy of Research and Education, Kelambakkam, Chennai, Tamilnadu 603103 India
| | - S. Rajasekaran
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute, Chettinad Academy of Research and Education, Kelambakkam, Chennai, Tamilnadu 603103 India
| | - S. R. Karthika
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute, Chettinad Academy of Research and Education, Kelambakkam, Chennai, Tamilnadu 603103 India
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Li F, Xie HW, Su SB, Zou H, ZHou LF, Xu QL, Wei F, Zhang MB. Investigation of critical factors influencing the underestimation of hearing loss predicted by the ISO 1999 predicting model. BMC Public Health 2023; 23:2239. [PMID: 37957572 PMCID: PMC10644584 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-17138-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To analyze factors influencing the underestimation of noise-induced permanent threshold shift (NIPTS) among manufacturing workers, providing baseline data for revising noise exposure standard. DESIGN A cross-sectional study was designed with 2702 noise-exposed workers from 35 enterprises from 10 industries. Personal noise exposure level(LAeq,8h) and noise kurtosis level were determined by a noise dosimeter. Questionnaires and hearing loss tests were performed for each subject. The predicted NIPTS was calculated using the ISO 1999:2013 model for each participant, and the actual measured NIPTS was corrected for age and sex. The factors influencing the underestimation of NIPTS were investigated. RESULTS The predicted NIPTS at each test frequency (0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 6kHz) and mean NIPTS at 2, 3, 4, and 6kHz (NIPTS2346) using the ISO 1999:2013 model were significantly lower than their corresponding measured NIPTS, respectively (P < 0.001). The ISO model significantly underestimated the NIPTS2346 by 12.36 dB HL. The multiple linear regression analysis showed that noise exposure level, exposure duration, age, and kurtosis could affect the degree of underestimation of NIPTS2346. The generalized additive model (GAM) with (penalized) spline components showed nonlinear relationships between critical factors (age, exposure duration, noise level, and kurtosis) and the underestimated NIPTS2346.The underestimated NIPTS2346 decreased with an increase in exposure duration (especially over ten years). There was no apparent trend in the underestimated NIPTS2346 with age. The underestimated NIPTS2346 decreased with the increased noise level [especially > 90 dB(A)]. The underestimated NIPTS2346 increased with an increase in noise kurtosis after adjusting for the noise exposure level and exposure duration and ultimately exhibiting a linear regression relationship. CONCLUSIONS The ISO 1999 predicting model significantly underestimated the noise-induced hearing loss among manufacturing workers. The degree of underestimation became more significant at the noise exposure condition of fewer than ten years, less than 90 dB(A), and higher kurtosis levels. It is necessary to apply kurtosis to adjust the underestimation of hearing loss and consider the applying condition of noise energy metrics when using the ISO predicting model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Li
- Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Occupational Health and Radiation Protection Institute, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Hong-Wei Xie
- Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Occupational Health and Radiation Protection Institute, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Shi-Biao Su
- Guangdong Province Hospital for Occupational Disease Prevention and Treatment, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hua Zou
- Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Occupational Health and Radiation Protection Institute, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Li-Fang ZHou
- Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Occupational Health and Radiation Protection Institute, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Qiu-Liang Xu
- Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Occupational Health and Radiation Protection Institute, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Fang Wei
- Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Occupational Health and Radiation Protection Institute, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Mei-Bian Zhang
- Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute of Occupational Health and Poisoning Control, Beijing, China.
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Liu S, Zou H, Lei S, Xin J, Qian P, Liu Y, Chen Y, Yu K, Zhang M. The role of kurtosis and kurtosis-adjusted energy metric in occupational noise-induced hearing loss among metal manufacturing workers. Front Public Health 2023; 11:1159348. [PMID: 37457253 PMCID: PMC10344449 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1159348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Noise energy has been well-established to increase the risk of occupational noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). However, the role of noise temporal structure (expressed by kurtosis) or its combination with energy metrics (e.g., kurtosis-adjusted cumulative noise exposure, adj-CNE) in occupational NIHL was still unclear. Methods A cross-sectional survey of 867 Chinese workers, including 678 metal manufacturing workers and 189 workers exposed to Gaussian noise, was conducted. Noise energy metrics, including LAeq,8h and CNE, kurtosis (β), and adj-CNE were used to quantify noise exposure levels. Noise-induced permanent threshold shift at frequencies 3, 4, and 6 kHz (NIPTS346) and the prevalence of high-frequency NIHL (HFNIHL%) were calculated for each participant. The dose-response relationship between kurtosis or adj-CNE and occupational NIHL was observed. Results Among 867 workers, different types of work had specific and independent noise energy and kurtosis values (p > 0.05). HFNIHL% increased with an increase in exposure duration (ED), LAeq,8h, CNE, or kurtosis (p < 0.01), and there were strong linear relationships between HFNIHL% and ED (coefficient of determination [R2] = 0.963), CNE (R2 = 0.976), or kurtosis (R2 = 0.938, when CNE < 100 dB(A)∙year). The "V" shape notching extent in NIPTS became deeper with increasing kurtosis when CNE < 100 dB(A)∙year and reached the notching bottom at the frequency of 4 or 6 kHz. The workers exposed to complex noise (β ≥ 10) had a higher risk of NIHL than those exposed to Gaussian noise (β < 10) at the frequencies of 3, 4, 6, and 8 kHz (OR > 2, p < 0.01). Moreover, HFNIHL% increased with adj-CNE (p < 0.001). There were strong linear relationships between NIHL and adj-CNE or CNE when β ≥ 10 (R2adj-CNE > R2CNE). After CNE was adjusted by kurtosis, average differences in NIPTS346 or HFNIHL% between the complex and Gaussian noise group were significantly reduced (p < 0.05). Conclusion Kurtosis was a key factor influencing occupational NIHL among metal manufacturing workers, and its combination with energy metrics could assess the risk of NIHL more effectively than CNE alone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuangyan Liu
- School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Hua Zou
- Institute of Occupational Health and Radiation Protection, Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Song Lei
- Ningbo Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jiarui Xin
- Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Peiyi Qian
- School of Public Health, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yun Liu
- School of Public Health, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yingqi Chen
- School of Public Health, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Kuai Yu
- School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Meibian Zhang
- Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
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Huang Z, Qiu W, Zhang V, Wang H, Ye B, Wang Q. Editorial: Noise-induced hearing loss: From basic to clinical research. Front Integr Neurosci 2023; 17:1172081. [PMID: 37006415 PMCID: PMC10064133 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2023.1172081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Zhiwu Huang
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, School of Medicine, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- College of Health Science and Technology, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Zhiwu Huang
| | - Wei Qiu
- State University of New York College at Plattsburgh, Plattsburgh, NY, United States
| | - Vicky Zhang
- Department of Linguistics, Faculty of Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- National Acoustic Laboratories, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Hui Wang
- Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Bin Ye
- Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, School of Medicine, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Beijing, China
| | - Qixuan Wang
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, School of Medicine, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
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Reynolds A, Bielefeld EC. Music as a unique source of noise-induced hearing loss. Hear Res 2023; 430:108706. [PMID: 36736160 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2023.108706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Music is among the most important artistic, cultural, and entertainment modalities in any society. With the proliferation of music genres and the technological advances that allow people to consume music in any location and at any time, music over-exposure has become a significant public health issue. Music-induced hearing loss has a great deal in common with noise-induced hearing loss. However, there are important differences that make music a unique insult to the auditory system and a unique threat to public health. Its unique properties also make it a potentially valuable asset in sound conditioning paradigms. This review discusses hearing loss from noise and music, comparing and contrasting the two. Recent research on music-induced hearing loss is reviewed, followed by discussion of the differences in music-induced hearing loss between performers and consumers. The review concludes with a discussion of the potential of music as a sound conditioning stimulus to protect against acquired hearing loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison Reynolds
- Department of Speech and Hearing Science, The Ohio State University, 110 Pressey Hall, 1070 Carmack Road, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Eric C Bielefeld
- Department of Speech and Hearing Science, The Ohio State University, 110 Pressey Hall, 1070 Carmack Road, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
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Zhang M, Zeng A, Xin J, Gao X, Qiu W, Sun X. Measurement of Non-Steady Noise and Assessment of Occupational Hearing Loss Based on the Temporal Structure of Noise. China CDC Wkly 2023; 5:63-67. [PMID: 36776464 PMCID: PMC9902753 DOI: 10.46234/ccdcw2023.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Meibian Zhang
- National Institute of Occupational Health and Poison Control, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing Municipality, China
| | - Anke Zeng
- National Institute of Occupational Health and Poison Control, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing Municipality, China
| | - Jiarui Xin
- National Institute of Occupational Health and Poison Control, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing Municipality, China
| | - Xiangjing Gao
- Occupational Health and Radiation Protection Institute, Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Wei Qiu
- Zhejiang Lab, Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Xin Sun
- National Institute of Occupational Health and Poison Control, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing Municipality, China
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Moore BC, Schlittenlacher J. Diagnosing Noise-Induced Hearing Loss Sustained During Military Service Using Deep Neural Networks. Trends Hear 2023; 27:23312165231184982. [PMID: 37550005 PMCID: PMC10408324 DOI: 10.1177/23312165231184982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The diagnosis of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is based on three requirements: a history of exposure to noise with the potential to cause hearing loss; the absence of known causes of hearing loss other than noise exposure; and the presence of certain features in the audiogram. All current methods for diagnosing NIHL have involved examination of the typical features of the audiograms of noise-exposed individuals and the formulation of quantitative rules for the identification of those features. This article describes an alternative approach based on the use of multilayer perceptrons (MLPs). The approach was applied to databases containing the ages and audiograms of individuals claiming compensation for NIHL sustained during military service (M-NIHL), who were assumed mostly to have M-NIHL, and control databases with no known exposure to intense sounds. The MLPs were trained so as to classify individuals as belonging to the exposed or control group based on their audiograms and ages, thereby automatically identifying the features of the audiogram that provide optimal classification. Two databases (noise exposed and nonexposed) were used for training and validation of the MLPs and two independent databases were used for evaluation and further analyses. The best-performing MLP was one trained to identify whether or not an individual had M-NIHL based on age and the audiogram for both ears. This achieved a sensitivity of 0.986 and a specificity of 0.902, giving an overall accuracy markedly higher than for previous methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian C.J. Moore
- Cambridge Hearing Group, Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Josef Schlittenlacher
- Department of Speech, Hearing and Phonetic Sciences, University College London, London, UK
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Zhou L, Ruan X, Wang T, Xie H, Hu Y, Shi Z, Xin J, Zhou J, Xue P, Wei F, Zhang Y, Zhang M, Zou H. Epidemiological characteristics of hearing loss associated with noise temporal structure among manufacturing workers. Front Integr Neurosci 2022; 16:978213. [PMID: 36159088 PMCID: PMC9492878 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2022.978213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective: This study aimed to investigate the epidemiological characteristics of occupational noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) among manufacturing workers, and to provide evidence for diagnosing and preventing occupational hearing loss caused by complex noise, which is different from Gaussian noise in temporal structure. Methods: One thousand and fifty manufacturing workers exposed to occupational noise were recruited in a cross-sectional survey. Exposure characteristics and epidemiological distribution of hearing loss and noise exposure metrics (noise energy and kurtosis) were investigated, and the relationship between noise exposure and hearing loss was analyzed. The effects of kurtosis on hearing threshold shift across different frequencies and on NIHL development with exposure duration and noise intensity were also investigated. Results: Each type of work had specific noise exposure metrics. Noise intensity and kurtosis were independent parameters (r = −0.004, p = 0.885). The prevalence of NIHL and the hearing threshold level had a specific distribution in different types of work. Kurtosis deepened the hearing notch at high frequencies and accelerated the formation of early hearing loss. The effect of exposure duration and noise intensity on the prevalence of high-frequency NIHL (i.e., at 3, 4, 6, and 8 kHz) for manufacturing workers increased with kurtosis in workers with noise exposure duration of less than 10 years and with LAeq.8h between 80 and 90 dB(A). Male (OR = 1.557, 95%CI = 1.141–2.124), age (OR = 1.033, 95%CI = 1.014–1.052), exposure duration (OR = 1.072, 95%CI = 1.038–1.107), kurtosis (OR = 1.002, 95%CI = 1.001–1.003), and noise intensity (LAeq.8h; OR = 1.064, 95%CI = 1.044–1.084) were risk factors for high-frequency NIHL. The speech-frequency NIHL (i.e., at 0.5, 1, and 2 kHz) risk of workers exposed to manufacturing noise was related to age (OR = 1.071, 95%CI = 1.043–1.100). There were no statistically significant associations between speech-frequency NIHL and sex, noise exposure duration, kurtosis, and noise intensity (LAeq.8h). Conclusion: The high-frequency NIHL prevalence among manufacturing workers is associated with sex, age, exposure duration, noise intensity, and temporal structure of noise, while the speech-frequency NIHL prevalence is associated with age. Kurtosis strengthens the association of noise exposure duration and noise intensity with high-frequency hearing loss. The influence of noise temporal structure should be considered in the diagnosis and early prevention of occupational hearing loss caused by complex noise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lifang Zhou
- Institute of Occupational Health and Radiation Protection, Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoying Ruan
- Department of Occupational Health, Hangzhou Hospital for Prevention and Treatment of Occupational Disease, Hangzhou, China
| | - Tongshuai Wang
- Clinical and Translational Research Center, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Hongwei Xie
- Institute of Occupational Health and Radiation Protection, Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yong Hu
- Institute of Occupational Health and Radiation Protection, Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhihao Shi
- Jiaxing Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Jiaxing, China
| | - Jiarui Xin
- National Institute of Occupational Health and Poison Control, Beijing, China
| | - Jiena Zhou
- Department of Public Health, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Panqi Xue
- Institute of Occupational Health and Radiation Protection, Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, China
| | - Fang Wei
- Institute of Occupational Health and Radiation Protection, Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yixin Zhang
- School of Medicine, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Meibian Zhang
- National Institute of Occupational Health and Poison Control, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Hua Zou Meibian Zhang
| | - Hua Zou
- Institute of Occupational Health and Radiation Protection, Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Hua Zou Meibian Zhang
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