Environmental Noise-Induced Effects on Stress Hormones, Oxidative Stress, and Vascular Dysfunction: Key Factors in the Relationship between Cerebrocardiovascular and Psychological Disorders

Evaluation of the relationship between occupational noise exposure and stress levels in a healthcare facility

Objectives. This study aimed to assess noise levels in various units in hospitals and explore the correlation between healthcare employees' daily noise exposure level (Lex,8h) and their stress and symptoms. Methods. A healthcare facility was selected to study noise pollution. Personal noise dosimeters were used during 8-h working shifts. Data were collected from 126 employees using the 36-item 'A stress scale' and a socio-demographic information form. Results. The results of noise measurements exceeded World Health Organization and US Environmental Protection Agency recommended limits at all sites. The lowest Lex,8h (52 dB) was detected in the endocrinology clinic, while the highest (91 dB) was recorded in the podology unit. According to the stress scale scores, the lowest mean psychological symptom score (PsSS), physiological symptom score (PhSS) and total scale score (TSS) were observed in diagnostic units with 35 ± 14, 41 ± 14 and 76 ± 27, respectively, while the highest mean PsSS, PhSS and TSS were observed in the polyclinics with 44 ± 6, 64 ± 10 and 107 ± 10, respectively. The PsSS of employees exposed to noise (Lex,8h) above 75 dB was found to be higher than for other employees. Conclusion. Lex,8h above 75 dB can increase psychological symptoms in healthcare employees.

Making a racket in America's fastest growing sport: Evaluation of noise exposure in pickleball

OBJECTIVE

To measure noise exposure present on pickleball courts and assess the risk of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) per guidelines put forward by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).

METHODS

Observational study measuring noise levels at multiple recreational pickleball courts in the Richmond, VA area, documenting LAeq, LASmax, and LCpeak at courtside and waiting areas of pickleball courts. Measurements were completed using the NIOSH SLM application on an iPhone 13 with iMM-6 Calibrated Measurement Microphone (equivalent to IEC 61672-1 Class II) that was calibrated using ND-9 Sound Level Calibrator (IEC942 Class I).

RESULTS

Average sound levels recorded at waiting areas adjacent to the courts, measured in LAeq, LASmax, and LCpeak, were 69.1 dBA, 92.0 dBA, and 112.1 dBC, respectively, while courtside measurements were 69.7 dBA, 92.2 dBA, and 115.6 dBC, respectively. These measurements were within NIOSH and OSHA recommendations.

CONCLUSION

The data demonstrates that randomly sampled pickleball courts have noise levels that do not increase risk for NIHL for participants or bystanders alike based on NIOSH guidelines. However, prolonged noise exposure and ambient noise pollution may have other health implications and warrant further investigations.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level 2.

Allergic Sensitization and Psychosomatic Involvement in Outdoor and Indoor Workers: A Preliminary and Explorative Survey of Motorway Toll Collectors and Office Employees

The incidence of respiratory and cutaneous allergic disorders may be variable if we consider work activity. These disorders are reported in the current literature to have a relevant psychosomatic involvement. The aim of the study was to submit a survey on the self-reported occurrence of allergic respiratory and cutaneous diseases in outdoor and indoor workers to verify the onset or exacerbations of such pathologies, encourage surveillance, and suggest the need for further studies. Two groups of workers were compared when exposed and not exposed to air pollutants. An outdoor population of motorway toll collectors (153 workers; M: 58.03 years old, SD: 6.1; and female prevalence of 66.01%) and an indoor group of office employees (59 workers; mean age 54.44 years, SD: 8.50; and male prevalence of 61.02%) entered the study. The results of three multivariate analyses of the obtained data, investigating contributions of external factors, including age, sex, smoking habits, working type, and seniority, on allergic conditions were significant in both workers' groups. The findings highlighted that age and smoking habits were significant contributors to allergic conditions, both independently and in combination with other factors, such as sex and working type. The data suggest the presence of phenomena related to different etiological domains, as already reported in the literature. Through the collection of these data, it was possible to highlight the need to analyze clinical signs from different perspectives.

Road traffic noise exposure and its impact on health: evidence from animal and human studies-chronic stress, inflammation, and oxidative stress as key components of the complex downstream pathway underlying noise-induced non-auditory health effects

In heavily urbanized world saturated with environmental pollutants, road traffic noise stands out as a significant factor contributing to widespread public health issues. It contributes in the development of a diverse range of non-communicable diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, metabolic dysregulation, cognitive impairment, and neurodegenerative disorders. Although the exact mechanisms behind these non-auditory health effects remain unclear, the noise reaction model centres on the stress response to noise. When exposed to noise, the body activates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and the sympathetic nervous system, leading to the secretion of stress hormones like catecholamines and cortisol. Prolonged exposure to noise-induced stress results in chronic inflammation and oxidative stress. This review underscores the role of inflammation and oxidative stress in the progression of noise-induced vascular dysfunction, disruption of the circadian rhythm, accelerated aging, neuroinflammation, and changes in microbiome. Additionally, our focus is on understanding the interconnected nature of these health outcomes: These interconnected factors create a cascade effect, contributing to the accumulation of multiple risk factors that ultimately lead to severe adverse health effects.

Association of outdoor air and noise pollution with unprovoked seizures and new onset epilepsy: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Research has indicated that certain environmental exposures may increase the risk of unprovoked seizures and new onset epilepsy. This study aimed to synthesize the literature that has estimated the associations between short- and long-term exposure to outdoor air and noise pollution and the risk of unprovoked seizures and new onset epilepsy. We searched Embase, MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, BIOSIS Previews, Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature, Proquest Dissertations and Theses, conference abstracts, and the gray literature and conducted citation tracing in June 2023. Observational and ecological studies assessing the associations of air and noise pollution with unprovoked seizures or new onset epilepsy were eligible. One reviewer extracted summary data. Using fixed and random effects models, we calculated the pooled risk ratios (RRs) for the studies assessing the associations between short-term exposure to air pollution and unprovoked seizures. Seventeen studies were included, 16 assessing the association of air pollution with seizures and one with epilepsy. Eight studies were pooled quantitatively. Ozone (O3; RR = .99, 95% confidence interval [CI] = .99-.99) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) exposure adjusted for particulate matter (RR = 1.02, 95% CI = 1.01-1.02) on the same day, and carbon monoxide (CO) exposure 2 days prior (RR = 1.12, 95% CI = 1.02-1.22), were associated with seizure risk. A single study of air pollution and epilepsy did not report a significant association. The risk of bias and heterogeneity across studies was moderate or high. Short-term exposure to O3, NO2, and CO may affect the risk of seizures; however, the effect estimates for O3 and NO2 were minimal. Additional research should continue to explore these and the associations between outdoor air pollution and epilepsy and between noise pollution and seizures and epilepsy.

Associations of long-term exposure to air pollution and noise with body composition in children and adults: Results from the LEAD general population study

BACKGROUND

While long-term air pollution and noise exposure has been linked to increasing cardiometabolic disease risk, potential effects on body composition remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the associations of long-term air pollution, noise and body composition.

METHODS

We used repeated data from the LEAD (Lung, hEart, sociAl, boDy) study conducted in Vienna, Austria. Body mass index (BMI; kg/m2), fat mass index (FMI; z-score), and lean mass index (LMI; z-score) were measured using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry at the first (t0; 2011-ongoing) and second (t1; 2017-ongoing) examinations. Annual particulate matter (PM10) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) concentrations were estimated with the GRAMM/GRAL model (2015-2021). Day-evening-night (Lden) and night-time (Lnight) noise levels from transportation were modeled for 2017 following the European Union Directive 2002/49/EC. Exposures were assigned to residential addresses. We performed analyses separately in children/adolescents and adults, using linear mixed-effects models with random participant intercepts and linear regression models for cross-sectional and longitudinal associations, respectively. Models were adjusted for co-exposure, lifestyle and sociodemographics.

RESULTS

A total of 19,202 observations (nt0 = 12,717, nt1 = 6,485) from participants aged 6-86 years (mean age at t0 = 41.0 years; 52.9 % female; mean PM10 = 21 µg/m3; mean follow-up time = 4.1 years) were analyzed. Among children and adolescents (age ≤ 18 years at first visit), higher PM10exposure was cross-sectionally associated with higher FMI z-scores (0.09 [95 % Confidence Interval (CI): 0.03, 0.16]) and lower LMI z-scores (-0.05 [95 % CI: -0.10, -0.002]) per 1.8 µg/m3. Adults showed similar trends in cross-sectional associations as children, though not reaching statistical significance. We observed no associations for noise exposures. Longitudinal analyses on body composition changes over time yielded positive associations for PM10, but not for other exposures.

CONCLUSION

Air pollution exposure, mainly PM10, was cross-sectionally and longitudinally associated with body composition in children/adolescents and adults. Railway/road-traffic noise exposures showed no associations in both cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses.

Occupational noise and genetic variants in stress hormone biosynthesis-based genes and rates of blood lipid changes in China: A five-year longitudinal study

Lipid profiles are influenced by both noise and genetic variants. However, little is known about the associations of occupational noise and genetic variants with age-related changes in blood lipids, a crucial event in the initiation and evolution of atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases. We aimed to evaluate the associations of blood lipid change rates with occupational noise and genetic variants in stress hormone biosynthesis-based genes. This cohort was established in 2012 and 2013 and was followed up until 2017. A total of 952 participants were included in the final analysis and all of them were categorized to two groups, the exposed group and control group, according to the exposed noise levels in their working area. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in stress hormone biosynthesis-based genes were genotyped. Five physical examinations were conducted from 2012 to 2017 and lipid measurements were repeated five times. The estimated annual changes (EACs) of blood lipid were calculated as the difference in blood lipid levels between any 2 adjacent examinations divided by their time interval (year). The generalized estimating equations for repeated measures analyses with exchangeable correlation structures were used to evaluate the influence of exposing to noise (versus being a control) and the SNPs mentioned above on the EACs of blood lipids. We found that the participants experienced accelerated age-related decline in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels as they were exposed to noise (β = -0.38, 95% confidence interval (CI), -0.66 to -0.10, P = 0.007), after adjusting for work duration, gender, smoking, alcohol consumption, and pack-years. This trend was only found in participants with COMT-rs165815 TT genotype (β = -1.19, 95% CI, -1.80 to -0.58, P < 0.001), but not in those with the CC or CT genotypes. The interaction of noise exposure and rs165815 was marginally significant (Pinteraction = 0.010) after multiple adjustments. Compared with DDC-rs11978267 AA genotype carriers, participants carrying rs11978267 GG genotype had decreased EAC of triglycerides (TG) (β = -5.06, 95% CI, -9.07 to -1.05, P = 0.013). Participants carrying DBH-rs4740203 CC genotype had increased EAC of total cholesterol (TC) (β = 1.19, 95% CI, 0.06 to 2.33, P = 0.039). However, these findings were not statistically significant after multiple adjustments. These results indicated that Occupational noise exposure was associated with accelerated age-related decreases in HDL-C levels, and the COMT-rs165815 genotype appeared to modify the effect of noise exposure on HDL-C changes among the occupational population.

Association between junk food consumption and mental health problems in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Anxiety and depression can seriously undermine mental health and quality of life globally. The consumption of junk foods, including ultra-processed foods, fast foods, unhealthy snacks, and sugar-sweetened beverages, has been linked to mental health. The aim of this study is to use the published literature to evaluate how junk food consumption may be associated with mental health disorders in adults.

METHODS

A systematic search was conducted up to July 2023 across international databases including PubMed/Medline, ISI Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane, Google Scholar, and EMBASE. Data extraction and quality assessment were performed by two independent reviewers. Heterogeneity across studies was assessed using the I2 statistic and chi-square-based Q-test. A random/fixed effect meta-analysis was conducted to pool odds ratios (ORs) and hazard ratios (HRs).

RESULTS

Of the 1745 retrieved articles, 17 studies with 159,885 participants were suitable for inclusion in the systematic review and meta-analysis (seven longitudinal, nine cross-sectional and one case-control studies). Quantitative synthesis based on cross-sectional studies showed that junk food consumption increases the odds of having stress and depression (OR = 1.15, 95% CI: 1.06 to 1.23). Moreover, pooling results of cohort studies showed that junk food consumption is associated with a 16% increment in the odds of developing mental health problems (OR = 1.16, 95% CI: 1.07 to 1.24).

CONCLUSION

Meta-analysis revealed that consumption of junk foods was associated with an increased hazard of developing depression. Increased consumption of junk food has heightened the odds of depression and psychological stress being experienced in adult populations.

Assessment of Hippocampal-Related Behavioral Changes in Adolescent Rats of both Sexes Following Voluntary Intermittent Ethanol Intake and Noise Exposure: A Putative Underlying Mechanism and Implementation of a Non-pharmacological Preventive Strategy

Ethanol (EtOH) intake and noise exposure are particularly concerning among human adolescents because the potential to harm brain. Unfortunately, putative underlying mechanisms remain to be elucidated. Moreover, implementing non-pharmacological strategies, such as enriched environments (EE), would be pertinent in the field of neuroprotection. This study aims to explore possible underlying triggering mechanism of hippocampus-dependent behaviors in adolescent animals of both sexes following ethanol intake, noise exposure, or a combination of both, as well as the impact of EE. Adolescent Wistar rats of both sexes were subjected to an intermittent voluntary EtOH intake paradigm for one week. A subgroup of animals was exposed to white noise for two hours after the last session of EtOH intake. Some animals of both groups were housed in EE cages. Hippocampal-dependent behavioral assessment and hippocampal oxidative state evaluation were performed. Results show that different hippocampal-dependent behavioral alterations might be induced in animals of both sexes after EtOH intake and sequential noise exposure, that in some cases are sex-specific. Moreover, hippocampal oxidative imbalance seems to be one of the potential underlying mechanisms. Additionally, most behavioral and oxidative alterations were prevented by EE. These findings suggest that two frequently found environmental agents may impact behavior and oxidative pathways in both sexes in an animal model. In addition, EE resulted a partially effective neuroprotective strategy. Therefore, it could be suggested that the implementation of a non-pharmacological approach might also potentially provide neuroprotective advantages against other challenges. Finally, considering its potential for translational human benefit might be worth.

Occupational Risks of Podologists: A Combined Assessment of VOCs, Vibration, Noise Levels and Health Complaints

Podologists are exposed to many occupational hazards, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from insole manufacturing and noise/vibration during nail or tissue grinding. In this study, VOCs, noise, and vibration were measured in five podiatry clinics and three offices. Questionnaires were administered to 23 podologists and 19 office workers to inquire about their pain, ocular, skin and respiratory complaints. The results showed that the podologists' exposure to the total VOC concentrations was approximately twice as high as that of the office workers. The podologists' complaints regarding pain were found to be correlated with ambient noise and hand-arm vibration levels. Ocular, skin, and respiratory complaints were also found to be correlated with total VOC concentrations. These results suggest that VOCs, noise and vibration in the working environment may impair podologists' health and that they have an intensifying effect on each other, increasing the severity of health issues.

Projecting the economic burden of health impacts of aircraft noise: a case study of Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport

BACKGROUND

While the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) in the United States optimizes flight patterns, it has led to the unintended consequence of increasing aircraft noise exposure in some communities near airports. Despite the evidence that chronic exposure to high noise levels produces detrimental health effects, potential adverse health consequences due to increased noise in the affected communities have not been adequately considered in aviation policy discussions.

OBJECTIVE

We assessed the long-term health and associated economic burden of increased aircraft noise caused by NextGen near the Baltimore-Washington Thurgood Marshall International (BWI) airport in Maryland.

METHODS

A probabilistic Markov model projected the incremental health and associated economic burden over 30, 20, and 10 years, comparing post-NextGen noise exposure levels to pre-NextGen levels. Health outcomes included cardiovascular disease (CVD), anxiety disorders, noise annoyance, and low birth weight (LBW). Noise exposure was categorized into four levels (<55 dB DNL, 55-60 dB DNL, 60-65 dB DNL, >65 dB DNL). A Monte Carlo simulation with 2000 iterations was run to obtain incremental burden estimates and uncertainty intervals. One-way sensitivity analyses for noise effect parameters were conducted.

RESULTS

Increased aircraft noise exposure was estimated to produce (discounted) incremental mortality costs of $362 million, morbidity costs of $336 million, and losses of 15,326 Quality-Adjusted Life Years (QALYs) over the next 30 years. Sensitivity analyses revealed the greatest uncertainty for CVD outcomes.

IMPACT

NextGen is a system that can increase the operational efficiency of airports by optimizing flight patterns. While operational efficiency is beneficial in many ways, changes in flight patterns and volume can also produce noise pollution, a major public health concern that should be considered in policy decision-making. This study quantifies the long-term health and economic implications of increased aircraft noise exposure following the implementation of NextGen in communities near the Baltimore-Washington International Airport. Our findings underscore the importance of considering public health consequences of noise pollution.

Environmental pollution and extreme weather conditions: insights into the effect on mental health

Environmental pollution exposures, including air, soil, water, light, and noise pollution, are critical issues that may implicate adverse mental health outcomes. Extreme weather conditions, such as hurricanes, floods, wildfires, and droughts, may also cause long-term severe concerns. However, the knowledge about possible psychiatric disorders associated with these exposures is currently not well disseminated. In this review, we aim to summarize the current knowledge on the impact of environmental pollution and extreme weather conditions on mental health, focusing on anxiety spectrum disorders, autism spectrum disorders, schizophrenia, and depression. In air pollution studies, increased concentrations of PM2.5, NO2, and SO2 were the most strongly associated with the exacerbation of anxiety, schizophrenia, and depression symptoms. We provide an overview of the suggested underlying pathomechanisms involved. We highlight that the pathogenesis of environmental pollution-related diseases is multifactorial, including increased oxidative stress, systematic inflammation, disruption of the blood-brain barrier, and epigenetic dysregulation. Light pollution and noise pollution were correlated with an increased risk of neurodegenerative disorders, particularly Alzheimer's disease. Moreover, the impact of soil and water pollution is discussed. Such compounds as crude oil, heavy metals, natural gas, agro-chemicals (pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers), polycyclic or polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), solvents, lead (Pb), and asbestos were associated with detrimental impact on mental health. Extreme weather conditions were linked to depression and anxiety spectrum disorders, namely PTSD. Several policy recommendations and awareness campaigns should be implemented, advocating for the advancement of high-quality urbanization, the mitigation of environmental pollution, and, consequently, the enhancement of residents' mental health.

Unraveling the link between heavy metals, perfluoroalkyl substances and depression: Insights from epidemiological and bioinformatics strategies

Heavy metals and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) have become particularly important when studying the development of depression, a common illness that severely restricts psychosocial functioning and diminishes quality of life. Therefore, the potential joint effects of heavy metal and PFAS exposure on depression, as well as the underlying mechanisms involved, were investigated by using integrated epidemiological and bioinformatic approaches in the present study. A thorough analysis of 7301 samples from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) cycles that occurred between 2005 and 2018 was performed. Single-exposure studies have shown that cadmium exposure is positively associated with depression, whereas perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) exposure and perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDE) exposure are negatively associated with depression. Furthermore, the Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) and quantile g-computation (QGcomp) models were employed to investigate the collective impact of exposure to mixed metals on depression. Cadmium emerged as the principal contributor to depression. Moreover, the addition of PFAS to the metal mixture had an antagonistic effect on depression, with PFOS having the most prominent influence. Analysis of the effects of co-exposure to cadmium and PFOS confirmed the presence of an antagonistic effect. The inflection points of cadmium and PFOS were determined to be -1.11 and 2.27, respectively. Additionally, exposure to cadmium and PFOS had the opposite effects on two crucial pathways, namely, the rap1 and calcium signaling pathways, which involve core genes related to depression such as ADORA2A, FGF2, and FGFR1. These findings have significant implications for future studies and provide new strategies for exploring the mechanisms underlying co-exposure effects.

Noise annoyance due to different sources is associated with tinnitus presence and distress in the general population

BACKGROUND

The pathophysiology of tinnitus is not yet fully understood. Although there is a large amount of evidence associating traffic noise exposure with non-auditory health outcomes, there is no evidence regarding the impact of noise annoyance on auditory disorders such as tinnitus.

OBJECTIVE

Thus, we aimed to investigate the association between noise annoyance due to different sources and tinnitus presence and distress in the general population.

METHODS

Data of 6813 participants from a large German population-based cohort were used (Gutenberg Health Study). Participants were asked about the presence of tinnitus and how much they were bothered by it. In addition, information on annoyance from road traffic, aircraft, railways, industrial, and neighborhood noise during the day and sleep was collected through validated questionnaires.

RESULTS

The prevalence of tinnitus was 27.3%, and the predominant sources of noise annoyance in these subjects were aircraft, neighborhood, and road traffic noise. Overall, logistic regression results demonstrated consistent positive associations between annoyance due to different noise sources and prevalent risk of tinnitus with increases in odds ratios ranging from 4 to 11% after adjustment for sex, age, and socioeconomic status. Likewise, consistent increases in odds ratios were observed for tinnitus distress in subjects with prevalent tinnitus. For instance, neighborhood noise annoyance during the sleep was associated with a 26% increase in tinnitus distress (OR 1.26, 95% CI 1.13; 1.39).

IMPACT

This is the first study investigating the association between noise annoyance and tinnitus presence and distress in a large cohort of the general population. Our results indicate consistent and positive associations between various sources of noise annoyance and tinnitus. These unprecedented findings are highly relevant as noise annoyance and tinnitus are widespread. The precise etiology and locus of tinnitus remain unknown, but excessive noise exposure is thought to be among the major causes. This study suggests that transportation and neighborhood noise levels thought merely to contribute to annoyance and non-auditory health effects may be sufficient to cause or exacerbate tinnitus.

Neural Mechanisms of Nonauditory Effects of Noise Exposure on Special Populations

Due to the abnormal structure and function of brain neural networks in special populations, such as children, elderly individuals, and individuals with mental disorders, noise exposure is more likely to have negative psychological and cognitive nonauditory effects on these individuals. There are unique and complex neural mechanisms underlying this phenomenon. For individuals with mental disorders, there are anomalies such as structural atrophy and decreased functional activation in brain regions involved in emotion and cognitive processing, such as the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Noise exposure can worsen these abnormalities in relevant brain regions, further damaging neural plasticity and disrupting normal connections and the transmission of information between the PFC and other brain areas by causing neurotransmitter imbalances. In the case of children, in a noisy environment, brain regions such as the left inferior frontal gyrus and PFC, which are involved in growth and development, are more susceptible to structural and functional changes, leading to neurodegenerative alterations. Furthermore, noise exposure can interrupt auditory processing neural pathways or impair inhibitory functions, thus hindering children's ability to map sound to meaning in neural processes. For elderly people, age-related shrinkage of brain regions such as the PFC, as well as deficiencies in hormone, neurotransmitter, and nutrient levels, weakens their ability to cope with noise. Currently, it is feasible to propose and apply coping strategies to improve the nonauditory effects of noise exposure on special populations based on the plasticity of the human brain.

Effects of Ambient Noise Isolation on Illness Severity and Mental Health Among Hospitalized Children with Asthma: Retrospective Study

OBJECTIVE

This study investigated the effects of ambient noise isolation on disease severity and mental health among hospitalized children with asthma.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 187 hospitalized children with asthma admitted from May 2021 to May 2023. Among them, 92 cases were categorized in the control group (conventional management) and 95 in the observation group (environmental noise isolation). Ambient noise level, disease severity, mental health, and sleep quality were observed and compared between the two groups.

RESULTS

Weekly time, the noise value of the observation group was lower than that of the control group (P < 0.05). Before the management, modified Tal scoring system, cough symptom score, and Spence Children's Anxiety Scale-Short Version (SCAS-S) were recorded. SCAS-S and Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children (SDSC) had no significant difference (P > 0.05). Weekly time, no differences in the score of social fear dimension of SCAS-S, score of excessive sweating dimension of SDSC, Tal score, and cough symptom score were found between the observation and control groups (P > 0.05). The scores of other dimensions of SCAS-S and SDSC were lower in the observation group than those in the control group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Environmental noise isolation for hospitalized children with asthma can effectively improve their mental health and sleep status, but this strategy cannot improve their disease.

Urban environment during pregnancy and childhood and white matter microstructure in preadolescence in two European birth cohorts

Growing evidence suggests that urban environment may influence cognition and behavior in children, but the underlying pollutant and neurobiological mechanisms are unclear. We evaluated the association of built environment and urban natural space indicators during pregnancy and childhood with brain white matter microstructure in preadolescents, and examined the potential mediating role of air pollution and road-traffic noise. We used data of the Generation R Study, a population-based birth cohort in Rotterdam, the Netherlands (n = 2725; 2002-2006) for the primary analyses. Replication of the main findings was attempted on an independent neuroimaging dataset from the PELAGIE birth cohort, France (n = 95; 2002-2006). We assessed exposures to 12 built environment and 4 urban natural spaces indicators from conception up to 9 years of age. We computed 2 white matter microstructure outcomes (i.e., average of fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) from 12 white matte tracts) from diffusion tensor imaging data. Greater distance to the nearest major green space during pregnancy was associated with higher whole-brain FA (0.001 (95%CI 0.000; 0.002) per 7 m increase), and higher land use diversity during childhood was associated with lower whole-brain MD (-0.001 (95%CI -0.002; -0.000) per 0.12-point increase), with no evidence of mediation by air pollution nor road-traffic noise. Higher percentage of transport and lower surrounding greenness during pregnancy were associated with lower whole-brain FA, and road-traffic noise mediated 19% and 52% of these associations, respectively. We found estimates in the same direction in the PELAGIE cohort, although confidence intervals were larger and included the null. This study suggests an association between urban environment and white matter microstructure, mainly through road-traffic noise, indicating that greater access to green space nearby might promote white matter development.

Noise and silver nanoparticles induce hepatotoxicity via CYP450/NF-Kappa B 2 and p53 signaling pathways in a rat model

Co-exposure to noise and nanomaterials, such as silver nanoparticles (Silver-NPs), is a common occurrence in today's industries. This study aimed to investigate the effects of exposure to noise and the administration of silver-NPs on the liver tissue of rats. Thirty-six adult male albino Wistar rats were randomly divided into six groups: a control group (administered saline intraperitoneally), two groups administered different doses of Silver-NPs (50 mg/kg and 100 mg/kg, 5 days a week for 28 days), two groups exposed to noise in addition to Silver-NPs (at the same doses as mentioned before), and a group exposed only to noise (104 dB, 6 hours a day, 5 days a week for 4 weeks). Blood samples were taken to assess hepatic-functional alterations, such as serum ALP, ALT, and AST levels. Additionally, biochemical parameters (MDA, GPX, and CAT) and the silver concentration in the liver were measured. Histopathological analysis, mRNA expression (P53 and NF-κB), protein expression (CYP450), and liver weight changes in rats were also documented. The study found that the administration of Silver-NPs and exposure to noise resulted in elevated levels of ALP, ALT, AST, and MDA (p < .01). Conversely, GPX and CAT levels decreased in all groups compared with the control group (p < .0001). There was a significant increase (p < .05) in liver weight and silver concentration in the liver tissues of groups administered Silver-NPs (50 mg/kg) plus noise exposure, Silver-NPs (100 mg/kg), and Silver-NPs (100 mg/kg) plus noise exposure, respectively. The expression rate of P53, NF-κB, and cytochromes P450 (CYPs-450) was increased in the experimental groups (p < .05). These findings were further confirmed by histopathological changes. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that exposure to noise and the administration of Silver-NPs exacerbated liver damage by increasing protein and gene expression, causing hepatic necrosis, altering biochemical parameters, and affecting liver weight.

Noise Sensitivity in Cataract Patients: A Retrospective Study

BACKGROUND

Noise sensitivity results from a series of variables and processes, and it can be used to predict the annoyance caused by noise and health-related outcomes. This study aimed to compare the noise sensitivity between cataract patients and healthy subjects and explore the effect of high noise sensitivity on cataract patients.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 100 cataract patients and 78 healthy subjects who underwent physical examination in Jiaozhou Central Hospital of Qingdao from February 2020 to February 2023. Noise sensitivity was evaluated by adopting the 8-Item Weinstein Noise Sensitivity Scale (WNSS-8). Comparisons were conducted on the psychological state scores, blood pressure (BP), and heart rate (HR) of the high- (HG) and low-noise-sensitivity (LG) groups.

RESULTS

Cataract patients exhibited lower visual acuity (P < 0.001) and higher WNSS-8 scores than the healthy subjects (P < 0.05). On the basis of the median of WNSS-8, the cataract patients were divided into HG (n = 42) and LG (n = 58). Compared with the LG, the HG presented higher Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 scores, Beck Depression Inventory scores, systolic BP, diastolic BP and HR (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

High noise sensitivity in cataract patients may be associated with vision disorders, and it may affect their BP and HR and damage physical and mental health.

Effect of Wearing Noise-Canceling Headphones on Delivery Process in Natural Childbirth Puerperae: A Single-Center Study

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effect of incorporating noise-canceling headphones into the delivery process for natural childbirth puerperae.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective analysis of clinical data encompassing natural childbirth puerperae in the People's Hospital of Suzhou New District from January 2021 to February 2023. The implementation of routine noise reduction management was done from January 2021 to January 2022. During this interval, 69 natural childbirth puerperae were selected as subjects, with 7 excluded, resulting in 62 participants constituting the reference group. Subsequently, noise-canceling headphones were distributed to natural childbirth puerperae from February 2022 to February 2023. In this phase, 66 subjects were selected, and 6 were excluded, resulting in 60 participants forming the observation group. Following admission, both groups underwent corresponding nursing management. Emotional states, pain levels, and various indicators were systematically collected and meticulously compared.

RESULTS

The observation group exhibited significantly lower Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale scores than the reference group before delivery and during the first stage of labor (P < 0.05). The observation group demonstrated significantly lower visual analog scale scores and substance P, nitric oxide, and prostaglandin E2 levels than the reference group during the first stage of labor (P < 0.001). During the second stage of labor, the visual analog) scale scores were significantly lower in the observation group than in the reference group (P < 0.05). The durations of first and second labor stages were significantly shorter in the observation group than in the reference group (P < 0.05). No significant difference existed in Apgar scores between the two groups (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The utilization of noise-canceling headphones emerges as an effective intervention, alleviating anxiety, reducing pain during T1, and abbreviating total labor time in natural childbirth puerperae, suggesting its substantial clinical application value and potential as a beneficial addition to maternity care practices.

Noise annoyance and cardiovascular disease risk: results from a 10-year follow-up study

The relationship between noise annoyance and risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) still needs to be fully elucidated. Thus, we examined the relationship between noise annoyance and CVD risk in a large population-based cohort study. Cross-sectional (N = 15,010, aged 35-74 years, baseline investigation period 2007-2012) and prospective data (5- and 10-year follow-up from 2012 to 2022) from the Gutenberg Health Study were used to examine the relationship between noise annoyance due to different sources and risk of prevalent and incident CVD comprising atrial fibrillation, coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, stroke, chronic heart failure, peripheral artery disease, and venous thromboembolism. In cross-sectional analyses, noise annoyance was an independent risk factor for prevalent CVD, with the strongest associations seen for noise annoyance during sleep (e.g., neighborhood noise annoyance: odds ratio 1.20, 95% confidence interval 1.13-1.27, p < 0.0001). While in the 10-year follow-up, mostly positive associations (although not significant) between noise annoyance and incident CVD were observed, no indication of increased CVD risk was observed after 5 years of follow-up. Noise annoyance due to different sources was associated with prevalent CVD, whereas only weak associations with incident CVD were found. Further large-scale studies are needed to establish the relationship between noise annoyance and risk of CVD.

Environmental pollutants and phosphoinositide signaling in autoimmunity

Environmental pollution stands as one of the most critical challenges affecting human health, with an estimated mortality rate linked to pollution-induced non-communicable diseases projected to range from 20% to 25%. These pollutants not only disrupt immune responses but can also trigger immunotoxicity. Phosphoinositide signaling, a pivotal regulator of immune responses, plays a central role in the development of autoimmune diseases and exhibits high sensitivity to environmental stressors. Among these stressors, environmental pollutants have become increasingly prevalent in our society, contributing to the initiation and exacerbation of autoimmune conditions. In this review, we summarize the intricate interplay between phosphoinositide signaling and autoimmune diseases within the context of environmental pollutants and contaminants. We provide an up-to-date overview of stress-induced phosphoinositide signaling, discuss 14 selected examples categorized into three groups of environmental pollutants and their connections to immune diseases, and shed light on the associated phosphoinositide signaling pathways. Through these discussions, this review advances our understanding of how phosphoinositide signaling influences the coordinated immune response to environmental stressors at a biological level. Furthermore, it offers valuable insights into potential research directions and therapeutic targets aimed at mitigating the impact of environmental pollutants on the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. SYNOPSIS: Phosphoinositide signaling at the intersection of environmental pollutants and autoimmunity provides novel insights for managing autoimmune diseases aggravated by pollutants.

Health position paper and redox perspectives - Disease burden by transportation noise

Transportation noise is a ubiquitous urban exposure. In 2018, the World Health Organization concluded that chronic exposure to road traffic noise is a risk factor for ischemic heart disease. In contrast, they concluded that the quality of evidence for a link to other diseases was very low to moderate. Since then, several studies on the impact of noise on various diseases have been published. Also, studies investigating the mechanistic pathways underlying noise-induced health effects are emerging. We review the current evidence regarding effects of noise on health and the related disease-mechanisms. Several high-quality cohort studies consistently found road traffic noise to be associated with a higher risk of ischemic heart disease, heart failure, diabetes, and all-cause mortality. Furthermore, recent studies have indicated that road traffic and railway noise may increase the risk of diseases not commonly investigated in an environmental noise context, including breast cancer, dementia, and tinnitus. The harmful effects of noise are related to activation of a physiological stress response and nighttime sleep disturbance. Oxidative stress and inflammation downstream of stress hormone signaling and dysregulated circadian rhythms are identified as major disease-relevant pathomechanistic drivers. We discuss the role of reactive oxygen species and present results from antioxidant interventions. Lastly, we provide an overview of oxidative stress markers and adverse redox processes reported for noise-exposed animals and humans. This position paper summarizes all available epidemiological, clinical, and preclinical evidence of transportation noise as an important environmental risk factor for public health and discusses its implications on the population level.

Association between residential proximity to major roadways and chronic multimorbidity among Chinese older adults: a nationwide cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Multiple negative health outcomes were linked to residential proximity to major roadways. Nevertheless, there is limited knowledge regarding the association between residential proximity to major roadways and chronic multimorbidity.

METHODS

We used data from the 2018 wave of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey, which included 12,214 individuals aged ≥ 60. We derived the residential proximity to major roadways from self-reported data, defining chronic multimorbidity as the presence of two or more concurrent chronic diseases. A binary logistic regression model was utilized to investigate the association between residential proximity to major roadways and chronic multimorbidity. The model accounted for some demographic features, socioeconomic conditions, social participation, and health conditions. Subsequently, we conducted subgroup analyses to examine potential interaction effects.

RESULTS

Residential proximity to major roadways was associated with chronic multimorbidity, even after adjusting for confounding factors. Compared with those living > 300 m from major roadways, the OR for those living 201-300 m, 101-200 m, 50-100 m, and < 50 m were increased. When subgroup analyses were conducted using a cutoff point of 200 m, the risk of chronic multimorbidity associated with residential proximity to major roadways was stronger in participants with education levels > 6 years (P = 0.017).

CONCLUSION

Our findings provide important implications for improving residential area siting, transportation policies, and environmental regulations to reduce the risk of chronic multimorbidity caused by traffic-related exposure.

Noise and mental health: evidence, mechanisms, and consequences

The recognition of noise exposure as a prominent environmental determinant of public health has grown substantially. While recent years have yielded a wealth of evidence linking environmental noise exposure primarily to cardiovascular ailments, our understanding of the detrimental effects of noise on the brain and mental health outcomes remains limited. Despite being a nascent research area, an increasing body of compelling research and conclusive findings confirms that exposure to noise, particularly from sources such as traffic, can potentially impact the central nervous system. These harms of noise increase the susceptibility to mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, suicide, and behavioral problems in children and adolescents. From a mechanistic perspective, several investigations propose direct adverse phenotypic changes in brain tissue by noise (e.g. neuroinflammation, cerebral oxidative stress), in addition to feedback signaling by remote organ damage, dysregulated immune cells, and impaired circadian rhythms, which may collectively contribute to noise-dependent impairment of mental health. This concise review linking noise exposure to mental health outcomes seeks to fill research gaps by assessing current findings from studies involving both humans and animals.

Random effect generalized linear model-based predictive modelling of traffic noise

Noise pollution is one of the negative consequences of growth and development in cities. Traffic noise pollution due to traffic growth is the main aspect that worsens city quality of life. Therefore, research around the world is being conducted to manage and reduce traffic noise. A number of traffic noise prediction models have been proposed employing fixed effect modelling approach considering each observation as independent; however, observations may have spatial and temporal correlations and unobserved heterogeneity. Random effect models overcome these problems. This study attempts to develop a random effect generalized linear model (REGLM) along with a machine learning random forest (RF) model to validate the results, concerning the parameters related to road, traffic and environmental conditions. Models were developed based on the experimental quantities in Delhi in year 2022-2023. Both the models performed comparably well in terms of coefficient of determination. Random forest models with R2= 0.75, whereas random effect generalized linear model had an R2= 0.70. REGLM model has the ability to quantify the effects of explanatory variables over traffic noise pollution and will be more helpful in prioritizing of resources and chalking out control strategies.

Aging and atrial fibrillation: A vicious circle

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the commonest sustained cardiac arrhythmia observed in clinical practice. Its prevalence increases dramatically with advancing age. This review article discusses the recent advances in studies investigating the relationship between aging and AF and the possible underlying mechanisms.

Effect of low-frequency noise exposure on cognitive function: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Low-frequency noise may cause changes in cognitive function. However, there is no established consensus on the effect of low-frequency noise on cognitive function. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to explore the relationship between low-frequency noise exposure and cognitive function.

METHODS

We conducted a systematic review and identified original studies written in English on low-frequency noise and cognition published before December 2022 using the PsycINFO, PubMed, Medline, and Web of Science databases. The risk of bias was evaluated according to established guidelines. A random-effects meta-analysis was performed where appropriate. To explore the association between low-frequency noise exposure and cognitive function, we reviewed eight relevant studies. These studies covered cognitive functions grouped into four domains: attention, executive function, memory, and higher-order cognitive functions. The data extraction process was followed by a random-effects meta-analysis for each domain, which allowed us to quantify the overall effect.

RESULTS

Our analysis of the selected studies suggested that interventions involving low-frequency noise only had a negative impact on higher-order cognitive functions (Z = 2.42, p = 0.02), with a standardized mean difference of -0.37 (95% confidence interval: -0.67, -0.07). A moderate level of heterogeneity was observed among studies (p = 0.24, I2 = 29%, Tau2 = 0.03).

CONCLUSIONS

Our study findings suggest that low-frequency noise can negatively impact higher-order cognitive functions, such as logical reasoning, mathematical calculation, and data processing. Therefore, it becomes important to consider the potential negative consequences of low-frequency noise in everyday situations, and proactive measures should be taken to address this issue and mitigate the associated potential adverse outcomes.

Dose-response associations of maternal prenatal noise exposure duration with antepartum depression status

BACKGROUND

Antepartum depression has been reported to be associated with the intensity of maternal prenatal noise exposure; however, the association between noise exposure duration and the development of antepartum depression has not been established. This study aimed to determine the total and trimester-specific association of prenatal noise exposure duration with the development of antepartum depression.

METHODS

From May 2018 to June 2021, we recruited 2,166 pregnant women from Shengjing Hospital, northeast China. We used a standardized questionnaire to assess women's prenatal noise exposure and used the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale to assess pregnant women's antepartum depression during the 1st -, 2nd -, and 3rd - trimesters. We calculated a cumulative noise exposure score ranging from 0 to 3, with a higher score reflecting higher frequency and longer duration of noise exposure during pregnancy.

RESULTS

Women who were exposed to noise for ≥ 15 min per day had an increased risk of antepartum depression compared with women who were not exposed to noise during pregnancy [odds ratio (OR) = 1.83, 95%CI:1.18, 2.83]. Noise exposure in a specific trimester was associated with higher risk of depression in the same trimester and subsequent trimesters. We observed increases in antepartum depression risk with increasing cumulative noise exposure scores (P for trend < 0.05 for all). Pregnant women with the highest scores had the highest risk of antepartum depression during the first (OR = 1.30, 95%CI:1.02, 1.65), second (OR = 1.75, 95%CI:1.23, 2.50) trimesters. Women with a cumulative noise exposure score of 2 had the highest risk of antepartum depression during the third trimester (OR = 1.79, 95%CI:1.14, 2.80), as well as during the whole pregnancy (OR = 1.94, 95%CI:1.14, 3.30).

CONCLUSIONS

Maternal prenatal noise exposure duration was positively associated with antepartum depression risk in a dose-response manner. It is necessary to develop strategies by which pregnant women can avoid excessive exposure to noise to prevent antepartum depression.

Application of Noise Reduction Earplugs in Patients undergoing Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Retrospective Study

BACKGROUND

Patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA) need to tolerate the effects of noise.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This study retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 167 TKA patients at The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University from April 2019 to April 2021. A total of 154 patients who met inclusion criteria were divided into the conventional noise reduction management group (CMG) and the noise reduction earplug group (EPG), following different management schemes. The CMG received routine noise reduction management after surgery, while the EPG used noise reduction earplugs based on the CMG. The clinical indexes of the two groups were compared.

RESULTS

In this study, 79 patients were included in the CMG, and 75 patients were included in the EPG. The results showed that the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) scores of both groups 2 weeks after surgery were significantly lower than those before management (ZEPG = 5.995, ZCMG = 4.109, all P < 0.001), and the EPG exhibited a significantly lower PSQI score than the CMG (Z = -2.442, P < 0.05). Two weeks after surgery, the EPG had significantly lower levels of systolic blood pressure (ZSBP = -4.303) and diastolic blood pressure (ZDBP = -3.115), as well as lower scores on the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Anxiety (HADS-A; ZHADS-A = -7.140) and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Depression (HADS-D; ZHADS-D = -4.545) compared to the CMG (all P < 0.05). In addition, no significant correlation existed between the duration of wearing earplugs and the HADS-A and HADS-D scores (r = -0.201, r = -0.002, P > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Noise reduction earplugs can improve sleep quality and regulate negative emotions of patients undergoing TKA treatment through a complex mechanism involving noise, which is beneficial to the prognosis of the disease.

Evaluation on the Effect of Ward-Noise Reduction Management Combined with Monitoring-Training-Planning Management Mode in Hospitalized Patients with Heart Failure

BACKGROUND

Noise from medical institutions such as hospitals usually exceeds the level recommended by the World Health Organization. This study aimed to explore the application effect of ward-noise reduction management combined with monitoring-training-planning (MTP) management mode in hospitalized patients with heart failure.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Among the 168 research objects, 55 patients with heart failure receiving ward-noise reduction management combined with MTP management mode from April 2022 to March 2023 were included in group A, 52 patients with heart failure who underwent MTP management mode from March 2021 to March 2022 were selected as group B, and 61 patients who underwent routine management measures from March 2020 to February 2021 served as the control group. The vital signs, Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) scores, Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS) scores, physical function indices, sleep quality score, and satisfaction degree of patients in the three groups were compared before and after management.

RESULTS

After 1 month of management, group A had lower heart rate, diastolic blood pressure, systolic blood pressure, and respiratory rate compared to group B and the control group (P < 0.001). The SAS score, SDS score, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index score after management in group A were lower than those in group B and the control group (P < 0.001). Group A had a higher 6-Minute Walk Distance than group B and the control group (P < 0.001). Group A had a higher satisfaction degree after management compared to group B (P < 0.01) and the control group (P < 0.001). Group A had lower noise level than group B and the control group (P < 0.001), and there was no significant difference in noise level between group B and the control group (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Ward-noise reduction management combined with MTP management mode can reduce the noise level in the ward and improve the psychological state and sleep quality of patients with heart failure.

Relationship between Noise Exposure and Prognosis of Patients with Heart Failure: A Retrospective Analysis

BACKGROUND

Environmental noise damages the cardiovascular system and endangers human health. This study was conducted to analyze the relationship between noise exposure and prognosis of patients with heart failure and to provide a good strategy for disease treatment.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

This study was a retrospective analysis. A total of 487 patients with heart failure admitted to Ganzhou People's Hospital from September 2021 to September 2023 were selected as research subjects, and they were divided into the low noise exposure group (<55 dB; group A) and the high noise exposure group (≥55 dB; group B) according to the noise exposure conditions. The baseline data and physiological indicators of the two groups were analyzed.

RESULTS

In this study, 84 patients were included in group B, and the remaining 403 patients were included in group A. Group A had lower systolic pressure, diastolic pressure, heart rate, and respiratory rate compared to group B (P < 0.05). The serum B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) level in group A was lower than that in group B (P < 0.001). Group B had significantly higher scores on the Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) and Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS) compared to group A (P < 0.001). The noise level was correlated with SAS score, SDS score, and serum BNP level (all P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

The noise exposure is correlated with the prognosis of patients with heart failure, suggesting that active strategies should be adopted to reduce the impact of noise on their disease.

Exposure to low-intensity noise exacerbates nonalcoholic fatty liver disease by activating hypothalamus pituitary adrenal axis

Noise exposure induces metabolic disorders, in a latent, chronic and complex way. However, there is no direct evidence elucidating the relationship between low-intensity noise exposure and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Male mice (n = 5) on high-fat diet (HFD) were exposed to an average of 75 dB SPL noise for 3 months to reveal the effect of noise exposure on NAFLD, where the potential mechanisms were explored. In vivo (n = 5) and in vitro models challenged with dexamethasone (DEX) were used to verify the role of hypothalamus pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis activation in hepatic lipid metabolism. Typical chronic-restraint stress (CRS, n = 8) was used to explore the role of depression in modifying activity of HPA axis. Finally, animal experiment (n = 8) was repeated to validate the roles of depression and HPA axis activation in NAFLD development. Chronic low-intensity noise exposure exacerbated NAFLD in mice on HFD characterized by hepatocyte steatosis, modified lipid metabolism and inflammation level. Plasma ACTH in H + N group was 1.5-fold higher than that in HFD group. Transcription of glucocorticoid receptor target genes was increased by chronic low-intensity noise exposure in HFD-treated mice. Excessive glucocorticoids mimicking HPA axis activation induced NAFLD in vivo and in vitro. Plasma ACTH increase and lipid storage also occurred in depressive mice stressed by CRS. More interestingly, the same noise exposure simultaneously induced depression in mice, disrupted the HPA axis homeostasis and exacerbated NAFLD in a repeated experiment. Thus, three-month exposure to 75 dB SPL noise was sufficient to exacerbate NAFLD progress in mice, where activation of HPA axis played a critical role. Depression played an intermediate role and contributed to HPA axis activation up-stream of the exacerbation.

Association between perceived noise at work and mental health among employed adults in Southwest China

BACKGROUND

Perceived noise at work may contribute more to worsening mental health than objectively measured noise. However, evidence regarding this association is scarce. We investigated the associations of perceived noise at work with anxiety and depression and identified vulnerable subpopulations.

METHODS

Data from 28,661 participants of the Chinese Cohort of Working Adults (CCWA) were analyzed. Logistic or multinomial logistic regression models were used to determine associations between perceived noise at work and the severity of probable anxiety, depression, and their comorbidity. The generalized additive model with restricted cubic splines was applied to estimate the non-linear trend of associations.

RESULTS

The mean age of participants was 36.55 ± 10.42 years. We observed that a higher level of perceived noise at work was associated with a higher risk of severe anxiety (OR = 1.55. 95%CI: 1.51-1.59) and severe depression (OR = 1.77. 95%CI: 1.72-1.84). More perceived noise at work was further associated with increased odds of comorbid anxiety and depression (OR = 1.28, 95%CI: 1.26-1.30). We observed an approximately J-shaped curve for the association between perceived noise at work with anxiety, depression, and their comorbidity. Participants, who were male, aged <45 years, had high education levels, and worked on trains were characterized by a greater impact of perceived noise at work on mental health problems.

CONCLUSION

Increased perceived noise at work was associated with an elevated risk of anxiety, depression, and their comorbidity. These associations were moderated by sex, age, education level and occupation. Interventions targeting perceived noise at work may promote employed adults' mental health.

Noise exposure and the risk of cancer: a comprehensive systematic review

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.

Voluntary wheel exercise ameliorates cognitive impairment, hippocampal neurodegeneration and microglial abnormalities preceded by demyelination in a male mouse model of noise-induced hearing loss

Acquired peripheral hearing loss (APHL) in midlife has been identified as the greatest modifiable risk factor for dementia; however, the pathophysiological neural mechanisms linking APHL with an increased risk of dementia remain to be elucidated. Here, in an adult male mouse model of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL), one of the most common forms of APHL, we demonstrated accelerated age-related cognitive decline and hippocampal neurodegeneration during a 6-month follow-up period, accompanied by progressive hippocampal microglial aberrations preceded by immediate-onset transient elevation in serum glucocorticoids and delayed-onset sustained myelin disruption in the hippocampus. Pretreatment with the glucocorticoid receptor antagonist RU486 before stressful noise exposure partially mitigated the early activation of hippocampal microglia, which were present at 7 days post noise exposure (7DPN), but had no impact on later microglial aberrations, hippocampal neurodegeneration, or cognitive decline exhibited at 1 month post noise exposure (1MPN). One month of voluntary wheel exercise following noise exposure barely affected either the hearing threshold shift or hippocampal myelin changes but effectively countered cognitive impairment and the decline in hippocampal neurogenesis in NIHL mice at 1MPN, paralleled by the normalization of microglial morphology, which coincided with a reduction in microglial myelin inclusions and a restoration of microglial hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF1α) expression. Our results indicated that accelerated cognitive deterioration and hippocampal neuroplastic decline following NIHL are most likely driven by the maladaptive response of hippocampal microglia to myelin damage secondary to hearing loss, and we also demonstrated the potential of voluntary physical exercise as a promising and cost-effective strategy to alleviate the detrimental impact of APHL on cognitive function and thus curtail the high and continuously increasing global burden of dementia. Furthermore, the findings of the present study highlight the contribution of myelin debris overload to microglial malfunction and identify the microglial HIF1α-related pathway as an attractive candidate for future comprehensive investigation to obtain a more definitive picture of the underlying mechanisms linking APHL and dementia.

Ultrasound-Induced Prenatal Stress: New Possibilities for Modeling Mental Disorders

The development of animal models of mental disorders is an important task since such models are useful for studying the neurobiological mechanisms of psychopathologies and for trial of new therapeutic drugs. One way to model pathologies of the nervous system is to impair fetal neurodevelopment through stress of the pregnant future mother, or prenatal stress (PS). The use of variable frequency ultrasound (US) in rodents is a promising method of imitating psychological stress, to which women in modern society are most often subjected. The aim of our study was to investigate the effect of PS induced by exposure to variable frequency ultrasound (US PS) throughout the gestational period on the adult rat offspring, namely, to identify features of behavioral alterations and neurochemical brain parameters that can be associated with certain mental disorders in humans, to determine the possibility of creating a new model of psychopathology. Our study included a study of some behavioral characteristics of male and female rats in the elevated plus maze, open-field test, object recognition test, social interaction test, sucrose preference test, latent inhibition test, Morris water maze, forced swimming test, acoustic startle reflex, and prepulse inhibition tests. We also determined the activity of the serotonergic, dopaminergic, and noradrenergic neurotransmitter systems in the hippocampus and frontal cortex by HPLC-ED. Concentration of norepinephrine, dopamine, DOPAC, serotonin, and HIAA, as well as DOPAC/dopamine and HIAA/serotonin ratios were determined. A correlation analysis of behavioral and neurochemical parameters in male and female rats was performed based on the data obtained. The results of the study showed that US PS altered the behavioral phenotype of the rat offspring. US PS increased the level of anxious behavior, impaired orientation-research behavior, increased grooming activity, decreased the desire for social contacts, shifted behavioral reactions from social interaction to interaction with inanimate objects, impaired latent inhibition, and decreased the startle reflex. US PS activated the serotonergic, dopaminergic, and noradrenergic neurotransmitter systems of the rat frontal cortex and hippocampus. A correlation between neurochemical and behavioral parameters was revealed. Our study showed that US PS leads to a certain dysfunction on behavioral and neurochemical levels in rats that is most closely associated with symptoms of schizophrenia or autism. We hypothesize that this could potentially be an indicator of face validity for a model of psychopathology based on neurodevelopmental impairment.

Immunoinflammatory Response to Acute Noise Stress in Male Rats Adapted with Different Exercise Training

Objective

Noise pollution is a kind of stress that impairs various physiological functions. This study evaluated the effect of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and moderate-intensity continuous training (MCT) on corticosterone, interleukin-6 (IL-6), and monocyte responses to acute noise stress in male rats.

Design

Forty-two male Wistar rats were divided into seven groups, including control which was assessed at the beginning, control time which was assessed simultaneously with experimental groups (CT), HIIT, MCT, HIIT followed by noise stress (HIIT+S), MCT followed by noise stress (MCT+S), and noise stress. HIIT and MCT were performed for 8 weeks. Noise stress was induced for one session. Blood samples were taken 48 hours after the last exercise session in training and CT groups and immediately after acute noise stress in stress groups of HIIT+S, MCT+S, and noise stress.

Results

In response to acute noise stress, MCT and HIIT adaptations increased corticosterone, while reduced monocytes compared to CT. MCT increased basal corticosterone and IL-6 and decreased monocytes; however, in response to acute noise stress, corticosterone was higher and monocyte count was lower in the HIIT+S group. Regarding the effect of training, corticosterone and monocytes in MCT were higher than in HIIT. The serum level of IL-6 was lower in MCT than CT group, while it was not significantly different between stress groups.

Conclusion

In response to noise stress, previous exercise, especially HIIT, increased stress while did not increase inflammatory and innate immune response.

Exposure to long-term source-specific transportation noise and incident breast cancer: A pooled study of eight Nordic cohorts

BACKGROUND

Environmental noise is an important environmental exposure that can affect health. An association between transportation noise and breast cancer incidence has been suggested, although current evidence is limited. We investigated the pooled association between long-term exposure to transportation noise and breast cancer incidence.

METHODS

Pooled data from eight Nordic cohorts provided a study population of 111,492 women. Road, railway, and aircraft noise were modelled at residential addresses. Breast cancer incidence (all, estrogen receptor (ER) positive, and ER negative) was derived from cancer registries. Hazard ratios (HR) were estimated using Cox Proportional Hazards Models, adjusting main models for sociodemographic and lifestyle variables together with long-term exposure to air pollution.

RESULTS

A total of 93,859 women were included in the analyses, of whom 5,875 developed breast cancer. The median (5th-95th percentile) 5-year residential road traffic noise was 54.8 (40.0-67.8) dB Lden, and among those exposed, the median railway noise was 51.0 (41.2-65.8) dB Lden. We observed a pooled HR for breast cancer (95 % confidence interval (CI)) of 1.03 (0.99-1.06) per 10 dB increase in 5-year mean exposure to road traffic noise, and 1.03 (95 % CI: 0.96-1.11) for railway noise, after adjustment for lifestyle and sociodemographic covariates. HRs remained unchanged in analyses with further adjustment for PM2.5 and attenuated when adjusted for NO2 (HRs from 1.02 to 1.01), in analyses using the same sample. For aircraft noise, no association was observed. The associations did not vary by ER status for any noise source. In analyses using <60 dB as a cutoff, we found HRs of 1.08 (0.99-1.18) for road traffic and 1.19 (0.95-1.49) for railway noise.

CONCLUSIONS

We found weak associations between road and railway noise and breast cancer risk. More high-quality prospective studies are needed, particularly among those exposed to railway and aircraft noise before conclusions regarding noise as a risk factor for breast cancer can be made.

Environmental noise exposure and health outcomes: an umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Environmental noise is becoming increasingly recognized as an urgent public health problem, but the quality of current studies needs to be assessed. To evaluate the significance, validity and potential biases of the associations between environmental noise exposure and health outcomes.

METHODS

We conducted an umbrella review of the evidence across meta-analyses of environmental noise exposure and any health outcomes. A systematic search was done until November 2021. PubMed, Cochrane, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase and references of eligible studies were searched. Quality was assessed by AMSTAR and Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE).

RESULTS

Of the 31 unique health outcomes identified in 23 systematic reviews and meta-analyses, environmental noise exposure was more likely to result in a series of adverse outcomes. Five percent were moderate in methodology quality, the rest were low to very low and the majority of GRADE evidence was graded as low or even lower. The group with occupational noise exposure had the largest risk increment of speech frequency [relative risk (RR): 6.68; 95% confidence interval (CI): 3.41-13.07] and high-frequency (RR: 4.46; 95% CI: 2.80-7.11) noise-induced hearing loss. High noise exposure from different sources was associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (34%) and its mortality (12%), elevated blood pressure (58-72%), diabetes (23%) and adverse reproductive outcomes (22-43%). In addition, the dose-response relationship revealed that the risk of diabetes, ischemic heart disease (IHD), cardiovascular (CV) mortality, stroke, anxiety and depression increases with increasing noise exposure.

CONCLUSIONS

Adverse associations were found for CV disease and mortality, diabetes, hearing impairment, neurological disorders and adverse reproductive outcomes with environmental noise exposure in humans, especially occupational noise. The studies mostly showed low quality and more high-quality longitudinal study designs are needed for further validation in the future.

Olea europaea L. leaf extract mitigates oxidative and histological damage in rat heart tissue exposed to combined noise and toluene: An experimental study

In many occupational settings, workers are frequently exposed to toluene and noise. However, the individual and combined effects of these exposures on the cardiovascular system have not been fully elucidated. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the impact of simultaneous exposure to toluene and noise on the rat heart, while also evaluating the potential preventive effect of olive leaf extract (OLE). Forty-eight male Wistar rats were randomly assigned to eight groups (n = 6/group): control group (C), control group that received OLE (C + OLE), group exposed to noise (N), group exposed to noise and receiving OLE (N + OLE), group exposed to toluene (T), group exposed to toluene and receiving OLE (T + OLE), group co-exposed to noise and toluene (NT), and group co-exposed to noise and toluene and receiving OLE (NT + OLE). The rats in this study were subjected to simultaneous exposure to toluene and noise for a duration of six weeks, within a custom-built plexiglass chamber. Toluene was administered at a concentration of 300 ppm, while the noise level was set to 85 dB(A). The exposure chamber was equipped with a generation system, an exposure system, and a monitoring system, ensuring precise and accurate exposure conditions. After the six-week period, heart and blood samples were collected from the rats for subsequent analysis. Plasma levels of cholesterol (CHOL), triglycerides (TG), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and creatine kinase (CK) were measured, and histopathological investigation was conducted using HE staining. Additionally, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities, as well as malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in heart tissue were measured. Our results showed that simultaneous exposure to noise and toluene altered CHOL, TG, LDH, and CK levels, and also caused an increase in lipid peroxidation levels and superoxide dismutase activity, along with a decrease in catalase activity in the heart. A significant alteration in the myocardium was also observed. However, treatment with OLE was found to modulate these oxidative and histological changes, ultimately correcting the deleterious effects induced by the combined exposure to noise and toluene. Therefore, our study suggests that OLE could be a potential preventive measure for individuals exposed to toluene and noise in industrial settings.

Association of sleep behaviors, insulin resistance surrogates, and the risk of hypertension in Chinese adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Objective

Our aim was to evaluate the association between midday napping, combined sleep quality, and insulin resistance surrogates and the risk of hypertension in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Methods

Data were collected using a standardized questionnaire. Binary logistic regression was performed to estimate the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for the risk of hypertension. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure were grouped as categorical variables and unpaired two-sided Student's t-test and Spearman correlation analysis were performed to estimate the association between different blood pressure levels and insulin resistance surrogates.

Results

The overall prevalence rate of hypertension was 50%. Age (OR = 1.056, 95% CI:1.044-1.068), poor sleep quality (OR = 1.959, 95% CI:1.393-2.755), hyperlipidemia (OR = 1.821, 95% CI:1.462-2.369), family history of hypertension (OR = 2.811, 95% CI:2.261-3.495), and obesity (OR = 5.515, 95% CI:1.384-21.971) were significantly associated with an increased risk of hypertension. Midday napping for 1-30 min was negatively correlated with the risk of hypertension (OR = 0.534, 95% CI:0.305-0.936, P <0.05).

Conclusion

Poor sleep quality and obesity are independent risk factors for hypertension. Midday napping (1-30 min) is associated with a decreased risk of hypertension in patients with T2DM.

Vascular Effects, Potential Pathways and Mediators of Fetal Exposure to Alcohol and Cigarette Smoking during Pregnancy: A Narrative Review

(1) Background: Programming of atherosclerosis results in vascular structure and function alterations, which may be attributed to fetal exposure to maternal tobacco smoking, alcohol consumption and several lifestyle factors in the first few years of life. This review aims to study the effects of teratogen exposure in utero on vascular dysfunction in offspring and consider mediators and pathways originating from the fetal environment. (2) Methods: Eligible studies were identified in the PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science databases. After the full-text screening, 20 articles were included in the narrative synthesis. (3) Results: The literature presents evidence supporting the detrimental effects of fetal exposure to tobacco smoking on vascular alterations in both human and animal studies. Alcohol exposure impaired endothelial dilation in animal studies, but human studies on both tobacco and alcohol exposure are still sparse. Reduction in nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability and alterations in the epigenome in infants through the upregulation of pro-oxidative and proinflammatory genes may be the common denominators. (4) Conclusion: While maternal smoking and alcohol consumption have more negative outcomes on the infant in the short term, several factors during the first few years of life may mediate the development of vascular dysfunction. Therefore, more prospective studies are needed to ascertain the long-term effects of teratogen exposure, specifically in South Africa.

Excessive Noise in Neonatal Units and the Occupational Stress Experienced by Healthcare Professionals: An Assessment of Burnout and Measurement of Cortisol Levels

Excessive noise in the work environment has been associated with extra-auditory symptoms, which can have harmful long-term effects on individuals. The purpose of this study was to identify noise levels in neonatal intensive care units and investigate their impact on the occurrence of stress among healthcare professionals, using cortisol levels as a biomarker for Burnout Syndrome. This descriptive, observational, and cross-sectional study was conducted in four public teaching hospitals in Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil. Sound pressure levels in the environment were measured, and questionnaires were administered to collect sociodemographic data and assess perceptions of the work environment and Burnout symptoms. Saliva samples were collected at the beginning and end of work shifts for cortisol quantification. The average sound pressure ranged from 59.9 to 66.4 dB(A), exceeding the recommended levels set by Brazilian and international legislation. Among the 256 participants, the average age was 39.4 years, with 95% being female. The majority (70.9%) were nurses, and 22.7% were physicians. There was no significant association found between noise and Burnout Syndrome, nor with changes in cortisol levels. However, a significant association was observed between the perception of excessive noise and the sensation of a stressful work shift (p = 0.012). All evaluated professionals displayed symptoms of Burnout. The high sound pressure levels indicated that the assessed environments did not meet the recommended standards for acoustic comfort, and this was associated with the participants' perception of stressful work shifts. While Burnout symptoms were evident in our participants, it was not possible to confirm a correlation with high noise levels.

Adult mice with noise-induced hearing loss exhibited temporal ordering memory deficits accompanied by microglia-associated neuroplastic changes in the medial prefrontal cortex

Acquired peripheral hearing loss in midlife is considered the primary modifiable risk factor for dementia, while the underlying pathological mechanism remains poorly understood. Excessive noise exposure is the most common cause of acquired peripheral hearing loss in modern society. This study was designed to investigate the impact of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) on cognition, with a focus on the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), a brain region that is involved in both auditory and cognitive processes and is highly affected in patients with cognitive impairment. Adult C57BL/6 J mice were randomly assigned to a control group and seven noise groups: 0HPN, 12HPN, 1DPN, 3DPN, 7DPN, 14DPN, and 28DPN, which were exposed to broadband noise at a 123 dB sound pressure level (SPL) for 2 h and sacrificed immediately (0 h), 12 h, or 1, 3, 7, 14, or 28 days post-noise exposure (HPN, DPN), respectively. Hearing assessment, behavioral tests, and neuromorphological studies in the mPFC were performed in control and 28DPN mice. All experimental animals were included in the time-course analysis of serum corticosterone (CORT) levels and mPFC microglial morphology. The results illustrated that noise exposure induced early-onset transient serum CORT elevation and permanent moderate-to-severe hearing loss in mice. 28DPN mice, in which permanent NIHL has been verified, exhibited impaired performance in temporal order object recognition tasks concomitant with reduced structural complexity of mPFC pyramidal neurons. The time-course immunohistochemical analysis in the mPFC revealed significantly higher morphological microglial activation at 14 and 28 DPN, preceded by a remarkably higher amount of microglial engulfed postsynaptic marker PSD95 at 7 DPN. Additionally, lipid accumulation in microglia was observed in 7DPN, 14DPN and 28DPN mice, suggesting a driving role of lipid handling deficits following excessive phagocytosis of synaptic elements in delayed and sustained microglial abnormalities. These findings provide fundamentally novel information concerning mPFC-related cognitive impairment in mice with NIHL and empirical evidence suggesting the involvement of microglial malfunction in the mPFC neurodegenerative consequences of NIHL.

Occupational and Environmental Noise Exposure and Extra-Auditory Effects on Humans: A Systematic Literature Review

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.

Noise exposure in pediatric otolaryngology clinic: A sound survey of a single-institution tertiary care facility

BACKGROUND

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) considers acoustic exposure of 90 decibels (dB) an occupational risk for noise-induced hearing loss. Pediatric healthcare clinicians are exposed to considerable noise especially during invasive procedures, predisposing them to noise-induced hearing loss, increased work-related stress, and increased complications associated with intense noise exposure. While there has been extensive research in noise exposure in dentistry, to date there has been no research on noise exposure in the pediatric otolaryngology clinic setting. The objective of this study is to quantify the degree of noise exposure that pediatric otolaryngologists encounter in the clinical setting.

METHODS

A sound survey was performed of 420 pediatric otolaryngology clinic visits within a single-institution tertiary care facility from January 2022 to March 2022, with a total of 409 visits included. At each visit, noise was measured using a calibrated National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Sound Meter application, an iPad, and a microphone. The Equivalent Continuous Sound Pressure Level (LAeq), peak sound pressure level (SPL), C-weighted peak noise level (LCpeak), and the 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA) sound level were recorded.

RESULTS

The average LAeq was 61.1 dB, the median LAeq was 60.3 dB, and the average peak SPL was 80.5 dB. Only 0.5 % of visits reached an LAeq above 80 dB, however, 51 % were above 60 dB and 99 % were above 45 dB. No clinicians were exposed to noise exceeding established limits of safety. Patients younger than ten years old (p < 0.001) and those who underwent procedures such as cerumen removal (p < 0.001) elicited higher ranges of elevated noise. Multivariate analysis confirmed that increased age decreased acoustic exposure while procedures increased acoustic exposure.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study suggest that pediatric otolaryngology clinicians do not exceed hazardous noise limit exposure. However, they are exposed to levels above those which have been linked to stress, poor productivity, and stress-related disorders. This analysis also reports that patients who are younger and those that undergo procedures, specifically cerumen removal, tend to expose their providers to the highest levels of noise. This is the first study examining noise exposure in pediatric otolaryngology, and further research should evaluate the risks of noise exposure in this environment.

An integrated multi-level analysis reveals learning-memory deficits and synaptic dysfunction in the rat model exposure to austere environment

Austere environment existing in tank, submarine and vessel has many risk factors including high temperature and humidity, confinement, noise, hypoxia, and high level of carbon dioxide, which may cause depression and cognitive impairment. However, the underlying mechanism is not fully understood yet. We attempt to investigate the effects of austere environment (AE) on emotion and cognitive function in a rodent model. After 21 days of AE stress, the rats exhibit depressive-like behavior and cognitive impairment. Compared with control group, the glucose metabolic level of the hippocampus is significantly decreased using whole-brain positron emission tomography (PET) imaging, and the density of dendritic spines of the hippocampus is remarkably reduced in AE group. Then, we employ a label-free quantitative proteomics strategy to investigate the differentially abundant proteins in rats' hippocampus. It is striking that the differentially abundant proteins annotated by KEGG enrich in oxidative phosphorylation pathway, synaptic vesicle cycle pathway and glutamatergic synapses pathway. The synaptic vesicle transport related proteins (Syntaxin-1A, Synaptogyrin-1 and SV-2) are down-regulated, resulting in the accumulation of intracellular glutamate. Furthermore, the concentration of hydrogen peroxide and malondialdehyde is increased while the activity of superoxide dismutase and complex I and IV of mitochondria is decreased, indicating that oxidative damage to hippocampal synapses is associated with the cognitive decline. The results of this study offer direct evidence, for the first time, that austere environment can substantially cause learning and memory deficits and synaptic dysfunction in a rodent model via behavioral assessments, PET imaging, label-free proteomics, and oxidative stress tests. SIGNIFICANCE: The incidence of depression and cognitive decline in military occupations (for example, tanker and submariner) is significantly higher than that of global population. In the present study, we first established novel model to simulate the coexisting risk factors in the austere environment. The results of this study offer the direct evidences, for the first time, that the austere environment can substantially cause learning and memory deficits by altering plasticity of the synaptic transmission in a rodent model via proteomic strategy, PET imaging, oxidative stress and behavioral assessments. These findings provide valuable information to better understand the mechanisms of cognitive impairment.

Association Between Commuting Time and Subjective Well-Being in Relation to Regional Differences in Korea

BACKGROUND

Long commuting times have a negative impact on mental health. However, few studies have explored the relationship between commuting time and well-being based on urbanization by region. Our study examines this relationship as well as the effect of regional differences on Korean workers.

METHODS

We used data from the sixth Korean Working Conditions Survey. Commuting time and occupational factors were assessed using a questionnaire, and subjective well-being was assessed using the World Health Organization-5 Well-Being Index. Regions were divided into the cities and the provinces based on Korea's administrative divisions. Logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate the association between commuting time and well-being. Adjusted odds ratios (aORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for well-being were estimated, using participants commuting time of < 20 minutes as a reference group.

RESULTS

The total number of workers was 29,458 (13,855 men, 15,603 women). We found higher aORs for low well-being among workers with long commuting times (aOR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.11-1.36 and aOR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.16-1.42 for 60-79 and ≥ 80 minutes, respectively). When stratified by sex and region, higher aORs for low well-being were found only in the workers who lived in cities.

CONCLUSION

Long commuting time was negatively associated with well-being in Korean wage workers living in the cities. Policies for reducing commuting time should be discussed to address the mental health of workers, especially those living in metropolitan cities.

Health impact assessment of road traffic noise exposure based on different densification scenarios in Malmö, Sweden

While urbanization provides many opportunities to those arriving in thriving urban areas, a greater number of residents necessitates the expansion of housing and infrastructure. This is often achieved through densification, which can lead to increased noise, particularly through increased road traffic. A key challenge of promoting healthy urban planning is to understand potential health effects, especially on the local level. The aim of the present study is, therefore, to estimate and compare the health impacts of road traffic noise exposure for various urban densification scenarios within a neighborhood (Lorensborg) in Malmö, Sweden. The three scenarios include 1) Present-day, representing the study area as it is presently organized; 2) Planned municipal strategy (the city of Malmö's own densification plans) and 3) Health-centred, which involves major structural alterations and reflects an effort prioritize a health-centred approach. Noise was modelled using the Nordic prediction method for road traffic. Health outcomes included noise annoyance, adverse sleep disturbance, ischemic heart disease (IHD) incidence and mortality. Within all scenarios, a large proportion of the study population was exposed above the WHO's health-based guideline value (L_den 53 dB): >80% for Present-day and Planned municipal strategy scenarios, and almost 50% in the Health-centred scenario. Still, densifying Lorensborg (population ≈9,600) according to the Health-centred scenario could prevent 549 cases of highly annoyed, 193 cases of adverse sleep disturbance, 4.7 new cases of IHD (8.9% of total cases), and 1.5 deaths due to IHD (17.8% of IHD mortality) annually. The results demonstrated that it is possible to considerably lower the health impact with a more health-centred densification strategy. Important co-benefits for public and environmental health include air pollution reduction and green space creation, although their health effects were not quantified in the present study. Urban planning initiatives must be more ambitious in order to create healthy, sustainable cities.