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Saatchi D, Oh S, Yoo H, Kim JS, Lee MJ, Khan M, Wicklein B, Mahato M, Oh IK. Dynamic Schwarz Meta-Foams: Customizable Solutions for Environmental Noise Reduction. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024:e2402872. [PMID: 38946604 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202402872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2024] [Revised: 05/26/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
In an era marked by increasing environmental challenges affecting human well-being, traditional acoustic materials struggle to effectively handle the diverse and multi-frequency nature of harmful environmental noises. This has spurred a demand for innovative acoustic metamaterial solutions by utilizing sustainable design strategies. This research introduces tunable Schwarz metamaterial capable of transforming into a soft meta-foam to solve the complex problems of varying environmental noises. This study primarily focuses on adjusting single to multiple sound-blocking bandgaps mechanism using a multi-layered approach, incorporating the Schwarz P-type triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) and its elective soft foam counterpart, known as tunable Schwarz meta-foams (TSMF-x). The tunable design parameters of the unit cell, multi-layered TPMS, and soft programmable TSMF-lichen version are comprehensively explored including a fire-safety test. The results demonstrate these enhanced flame retardant meta-foam families have the potential to be used for mid-to-high-frequency environmental noises in industrial equipment and smart homes for sustainable architecture and environmental health applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Saatchi
- National Creative Research Initiative for Functionally Antagonistic Nano-Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Saewoong Oh
- National Creative Research Initiative for Functionally Antagonistic Nano-Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyunjoon Yoo
- National Creative Research Initiative for Functionally Antagonistic Nano-Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Ji-Seok Kim
- National Creative Research Initiative for Functionally Antagonistic Nano-Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Myung-Joon Lee
- National Creative Research Initiative for Functionally Antagonistic Nano-Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Mannan Khan
- National Creative Research Initiative for Functionally Antagonistic Nano-Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Bernd Wicklein
- Materials Science Institute of Madrid (ICMM), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, 28049, Spain
| | - Manmatha Mahato
- National Creative Research Initiative for Functionally Antagonistic Nano-Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Il-Kwon Oh
- National Creative Research Initiative for Functionally Antagonistic Nano-Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
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Zhong C, Yin X, Fallah-Shorshani M, Islam T, McConnell R, Fruin S, Franklin M. Disparities in greenspace associated with sleep duration among adolescent children in Southern California. Environ Epidemiol 2023; 7:e264. [PMID: 37545810 PMCID: PMC10402945 DOI: 10.1097/ee9.0000000000000264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023] Open
Abstract
More than half of adolescent children do not get the recommended 8 hours of sleep necessary for optimal growth and development. In adults, several studies have evaluated effects of urban stressors including lack of greenspace, air pollution, noise, nighttime light, and psychosocial stress on sleep duration. Little is known about these effects in adolescents, however, it is known that these exposures vary by socioeconomic status (SES). We evaluated the association between several environmental exposures and sleep in adolescent children in Southern California. Methods In 2010, a total of 1476 Southern California Children's Health Study (CHS) participants in grades 9 and 10 (mean age, 13.4 years; SD, 0.6) completed a questionnaire including topics on sleep and psychosocial stress. Exposures to greenspace, artificial light at night (ALAN), nighttime noise, and air pollution were estimated at each child's residential address, and SES was characterized by maternal education. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) for sleep outcomes were estimated by environmental exposure, adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, home secondhand smoke, and SES. Results An interquartile range (IQR) increase in greenspace decreased the odds of not sleeping at least 8 hours (odds ratio [OR], 0.86 [95% CI, 0.71, 1.05]). This association was significantly protective in low SES participants (OR, 0.77 [95% CI, 0.60, 0.98]) but not for those with high SES (OR, 1.16 [95%CI, 0.80, 1.70]), interaction P = 0.03. Stress mediated 18.4% of the association among low SES participants. Conclusions Residing in urban neighborhoods of greater greenness was associated with improved sleep duration among children of low SES but not higher SES. These findings support the importance of widely reported disparities in exposure and access to greenspace in socioeconomically disadvantaged populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlie Zhong
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Xiaozhe Yin
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Masoud Fallah-Shorshani
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Talat Islam
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Rob McConnell
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Scott Fruin
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Meredith Franklin
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
- Department of Statistical Sciences and School of the Environment, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Hartig C, Bolte G, Jöckel KH, Moebus S, Riedel N. Neighbourhood socio-economic status and positive affectivity among older residents in Germany: a cross-sectional analysis with data from the Heinz Nixdorf Recall Study. BMC Geriatr 2022; 22:891. [PMID: 36418996 PMCID: PMC9682725 DOI: 10.1186/s12877-022-03459-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Physical and social neighbourhood characteristics can vary according to the neighbourhood socio-economic status (SES) and influence residents' perceptions, behaviours and health outcomes both positively and negatively. Neighbourhood SES has been shown to be predictive of mental health, which is relevant for healthy ageing and prevention of dementia or depression. Positive affectivity (PA) is an established indicator of mental health and might indicate a positive emotional response to neighbourhood characteristics. In this study, we focussed on the association of neighbourhood SES with PA among older residents in Germany and considered social integration and environmental perceptions in this association. METHODS We used questionnaire-based data of the ongoing population-based Heinz Nixdorf Recall Study for our cross-sectional analysis, complemented by secondary data on social welfare rates in the neighbourhood of residents' address. PA was assessed using the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) in 2016. Linear regression models were performed to estimate the associations and adjusted for socio-demographic variables. RESULTS Higher social welfare rates were associated with lower PA scores. The strongest negative association from the crude model (b = -1.916, 95%-CI [-2.997, -0.835]) was reduced after controlling for socio-demographic variables (b = -1.429, 95%-CI [-2.511, -0.346]). Social integration factors (b = -1.199, 95%-CI [-2.276, -0.121]) and perceived environmental factors (b = -0.875, 95%-CI [-1.971, 0.221]) additionally diminished the association of social welfare rates with PA in the full model (b = -0.945, 95%-CI [-2.037, 0.147]). CONCLUSION Our results suggest that neighbourhoods have an influence on the occurrence and the extent of PA. Public health interventions that address socio-economic disadvantage in the neighbourhood environment could be an effective and far-reaching way to reduce the risk of depression and depressive symptoms due to low PA in older residents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Hartig
- grid.7704.40000 0001 2297 4381Institute of Public Health and Nursing Research, Department of Social Epidemiology, University of Bremen, Grazer Straße 4, 28359 Bremen, Germany ,grid.7704.40000 0001 2297 4381Health Sciences Bremen, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
| | - Gabriele Bolte
- grid.7704.40000 0001 2297 4381Institute of Public Health and Nursing Research, Department of Social Epidemiology, University of Bremen, Grazer Straße 4, 28359 Bremen, Germany ,grid.7704.40000 0001 2297 4381Health Sciences Bremen, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
| | - Karl-Heinz Jöckel
- grid.410718.b0000 0001 0262 7331Institute of Medical Informatics, Biometry und Epidemiology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Susanne Moebus
- grid.5718.b0000 0001 2187 5445University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Institute for Urban Public Health, Duisburg, Germany
| | - Natalie Riedel
- grid.7704.40000 0001 2297 4381Institute of Public Health and Nursing Research, Department of Social Epidemiology, University of Bremen, Grazer Straße 4, 28359 Bremen, Germany ,grid.7704.40000 0001 2297 4381Health Sciences Bremen, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
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Wolf K, Kraus U, Dzolan M, Bolte G, Lakes T, Schikowski T, Greiser KH, Kuß O, Ahrens W, Bamberg F, Becher H, Berger K, Brenner H, Castell S, Damms-Machado A, Fischer B, Franzke CW, Gastell S, Günther K, Holleczek B, Jaeschke L, Kaaks R, Keil T, Kemmling Y, Krist L, Legath N, Leitzmann M, Lieb W, Loeffler M, Meinke-Franze C, Michels KB, Mikolajczyk R, Moebus S, Mueller U, Obi N, Pischon T, Rathmann W, Schipf S, Schmidt B, Schulze M, Thiele I, Thierry S, Waniek S, Wigmann C, Wirkner K, Zschocke J, Peters A, Schneider A. [Nighttime transportation noise annoyance in Germany: personal and regional differences in the German National Cohort Study]. Bundesgesundheitsblatt Gesundheitsforschung Gesundheitsschutz 2020; 63:332-343. [PMID: 32047975 DOI: 10.1007/s00103-020-03094-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Noise annoyance is associated with adverse health-related conditions and reduced wellbeing. Thereby, subjective noise annoyance depends on the objective noise exposure and is modified by personal and regional factors. OBJECTIVE How many participants of the German National Cohort Study (GNC; NAKO Gesundheitsstudie) were annoyed by transportation noise during nighttime and what factors were associated with noise annoyance? MATERIALS AND METHODS This cross-sectional analysis included 86,080 participants from 18 study centers, examined from 2014 to 2017. We used multinomial logistic regression to investigate associations of personal and regional factors to noise annoyance (slightly/moderately or strongly/extremely annoyed vs. not annoyed) mutually adjusting for all factors in the model. RESULTS Two thirds of participants were not annoyed by transportation noise during nighttime and one in ten reported strong/extreme annoyance with highest percentages for the study centers Berlin-Mitte and Leipzig. The strongest associations were seen for factors related to the individual housing situation like the bedroom being positioned towards a major road (OR of being slightly/moderately annoyed: 4.26 [95% CI: 4.01;4.52]; OR of being strongly/extremely annoyed: 13.36 [95% CI: 12.47;14.32]) compared to a garden/inner courtyard. Participants aged 40-60 years and those in low- and medium-income groups reported greater noise annoyance compared to younger or older ones and those in the high-income group. CONCLUSION In this study from Germany, transportation noise annoyance during nighttime varied by personal and regional factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathrin Wolf
- Institut für Epidemiologie, Helmholtz Zentrum München - Deutsches Forschungszentrum für Gesundheit und Umwelt, Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Deutschland.
| | - Ute Kraus
- Institut für Epidemiologie, Helmholtz Zentrum München - Deutsches Forschungszentrum für Gesundheit und Umwelt, Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Deutschland
| | - Mihovil Dzolan
- Institut für Epidemiologie, Helmholtz Zentrum München - Deutsches Forschungszentrum für Gesundheit und Umwelt, Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Deutschland
- Fakultät für Sport- und Gesundheitswissenschaften, Technische Universität München, München, Deutschland
| | - Gabriele Bolte
- Institut für Public Health und Pflegeforschung, Abteilung Sozialepidemiologie, Universität Bremen, Bremen, Deutschland
| | - Tobia Lakes
- Geographisches Institut, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Deutschland
| | - Tamara Schikowski
- IUF - Leibniz-Institut für Umweltmedizinische Forschung, Düsseldorf, Deutschland
| | - Karin Halina Greiser
- Abteilung Epidemiologie von Krebserkrankungen, Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Deutschland
- Institut für Medizinische Epidemiologie, Biometrie und Informatik, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Deutschland
| | - Oliver Kuß
- Deutsches Diabetes-Zentrum (DDZ), Institut für Biometrie und Epidemiologie, Leibniz-Zentrum für Diabetes-Forschung an der Heinrich-Heine-Universität, Düsseldorf, Deutschland
| | - Wolfgang Ahrens
- Leibniz-Institut für Präventionsforschung und Epidemiologie - BIPS, Bremen, Deutschland
- Institut für Statistik, Fachbereich Mathematik und Informatik, Universität Bremen, Bremen, Deutschland
| | - Fabian Bamberg
- Klinik für Diagnostische und Interventionelle Radiologie, Universitätsklinikum Freiburg, Medizinische Fakultät, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Freiburg, Deutschland
| | - Heiko Becher
- Institut für Medizinische Biometrie und Epidemiologie, Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Deutschland
| | - Klaus Berger
- Institut für Epidemiologie und Sozialmedizin, Universität Münster, Münster, Deutschland
| | - Hermann Brenner
- Abteilung Klinische Epidemiologie und Alternsforschung, Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Deutschland
| | - Stefanie Castell
- Abteilung für Epidemiologie, Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung (HZI), Braunschweig, Deutschland
| | - Antje Damms-Machado
- Abteilung Epidemiologie von Krebserkrankungen, Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Deutschland
| | - Beate Fischer
- Institut für Epidemiologie und Präventivmedizin, Universität Regensburg, Regensburg, Deutschland
| | - Claus-Werner Franzke
- Institut für Prävention und Tumorepidemiologie, Universitätsklinikum Freiburg, Medizinische Fakultät, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Freiburg, Deutschland
| | - Sylvia Gastell
- Deutsches Institut für Ernährungsforschung Potsdam-Rehbrücke, NAKO Studienzentrum, Nuthetal, Deutschland
| | - Kathrin Günther
- Leibniz-Institut für Präventionsforschung und Epidemiologie - BIPS, Bremen, Deutschland
| | | | - Lina Jaeschke
- Forschergruppe Molekulare Epidemiologie, Max-Delbrück-Centrum für Molekulare Medizin in der Helmholtz-Gemeinschaft (MDC), Berlin, Deutschland
| | - Rudolf Kaaks
- Abteilung Epidemiologie von Krebserkrankungen, Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Deutschland
| | - Thomas Keil
- Institut für Sozialmedizin, Epidemiologie und Gesundheitsökonomie, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Deutschland
- Institut für Klinische Epidemiologie und Biometrie, Universität Würzburg, Würzburg, Deutschland
- Landesinstitut für Gesundheit, Bayerisches Landesamt für Gesundheit und Lebensmittelsicherheit, Bad Kissingen, Deutschland
| | - Yvonne Kemmling
- Abteilung für Epidemiologie, Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung (HZI), Braunschweig, Deutschland
| | - Lilian Krist
- Institut für Sozialmedizin, Epidemiologie und Gesundheitsökonomie, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Deutschland
| | - Nicole Legath
- Institut für Epidemiologie und Sozialmedizin, Universität Münster, Münster, Deutschland
| | - Michael Leitzmann
- Institut für Epidemiologie und Präventivmedizin, Universität Regensburg, Regensburg, Deutschland
| | - Wolfgang Lieb
- Institut für Epidemiologie, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Kiel, Deutschland
| | - Markus Loeffler
- Leipziger Forschungszentrum für Zivilisationserkrankungen (LIFE), Universität Leipzig, Leipzig, Deutschland
- Institut für Medizinische Informatik, Statistik, und Epidemiologie (IMISE), Universität Leipzig, Leipzig, Deutschland
| | - Claudia Meinke-Franze
- Institut für Community Medicine, Universitätsmedizin Greifswald, Greifswald, Deutschland
| | - Karin B Michels
- Institut für Prävention und Tumorepidemiologie, Universitätsklinikum Freiburg, Medizinische Fakultät, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Freiburg, Deutschland
| | - Rafael Mikolajczyk
- Institut für Medizinische Epidemiologie, Biometrie und Informatik, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Deutschland
| | - Susanne Moebus
- Institut für medizinische Informatik, Biometrie und Epidemiologie, Universität Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Deutschland
| | - Ulrich Mueller
- Bundesinstitut für Bevölkerungsforschung, Wiesbaden, Deutschland
| | - Nadia Obi
- Institut für Medizinische Biometrie und Epidemiologie, Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Deutschland
| | - Tobias Pischon
- Forschergruppe Molekulare Epidemiologie, Max-Delbrück-Centrum für Molekulare Medizin in der Helmholtz-Gemeinschaft (MDC), Berlin, Deutschland
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Deutschland
- Deutsches Zentrum für Herz-Kreislauf-Forschung (DZHK), Partnerstandort Berlin, Berlin, Deutschland
- MDC/BIH Biobank, Max-Delbrück-Centrum für Molekulare Medizin in der Helmholtz-Gemeinschaft (MDC) und Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Berlin, Deutschland
| | - Wolfgang Rathmann
- Deutsches Diabetes-Zentrum (DDZ), Institut für Biometrie und Epidemiologie, Leibniz-Zentrum für Diabetes-Forschung an der Heinrich-Heine-Universität, Düsseldorf, Deutschland
| | - Sabine Schipf
- Institut für Community Medicine, Universitätsmedizin Greifswald, Greifswald, Deutschland
| | - Börge Schmidt
- Institut für medizinische Informatik, Biometrie und Epidemiologie, Universität Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Deutschland
| | - Matthias Schulze
- Deutsches Institut für Ernährungsforschung Potsdam-Rehbrücke, Nuthetal, Deutschland
| | - Inke Thiele
- Institut für Epidemiologie, Helmholtz Zentrum München - Deutsches Forschungszentrum für Gesundheit und Umwelt, Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Deutschland
| | - Sigrid Thierry
- Institut für Epidemiologie, Helmholtz Zentrum München - Deutsches Forschungszentrum für Gesundheit und Umwelt, Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Deutschland
- NAKO Studienzentrum, Universitätsklinikum Augsburg, Augsburg, Deutschland
| | - Sabina Waniek
- Institut für Epidemiologie, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Kiel, Deutschland
| | - Claudia Wigmann
- IUF - Leibniz-Institut für Umweltmedizinische Forschung, Düsseldorf, Deutschland
| | - Kerstin Wirkner
- Leipziger Forschungszentrum für Zivilisationserkrankungen (LIFE), Universität Leipzig, Leipzig, Deutschland
- Institut für Medizinische Informatik, Statistik, und Epidemiologie (IMISE), Universität Leipzig, Leipzig, Deutschland
| | - Johannes Zschocke
- Institut für Medizinische Epidemiologie, Biometrie und Informatik, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Deutschland
- Institut für Physik, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Deutschland
| | - Annette Peters
- Institut für Epidemiologie, Helmholtz Zentrum München - Deutsches Forschungszentrum für Gesundheit und Umwelt, Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Deutschland
- Institut für Medizinische Informationsverarbeitung, Biometrie und Epidemiologie (IBE), Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, München, Deutschland
| | - Alexandra Schneider
- Institut für Epidemiologie, Helmholtz Zentrum München - Deutsches Forschungszentrum für Gesundheit und Umwelt, Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Deutschland
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Interaction between Sound and Thermal Influences on Patient Comfort in the Hospitals of China’s Northern Heating Region. APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/app9245551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Previous studies have found that hospitals are often inadequately ventilated in the heating region of China, which causes an increased risk of negative impacts on patients. The complex interaction between thermal comfort and acoustics presents considerable challenges for designers. There is a wide range of literature covering the area of the interaction between the sound–thermal, sound–odor, and acoustic–visual influences, but a focused research on the sound –thermal influence on comfort in hospitals has not been published yet. This paper describes a series of field measurements and subjective evaluations that investigate the thermal comfort and acoustic performance of eighteen hospitals in China. The results showed that the thermal comfort in the monitored wards was mostly acceptable, but the temperatures tended to be much higher and the humidity much lower, in practice than they were designed to be in the heating season. The most significant conclusion is that a positive thermal stimulus can create a comfortable thermal environment, which can improve patients’ evaluation of the acoustics, while a negative stimulus has the opposite effect. A comfortable acoustic environment also caused patients to positively evaluate thermal comfort. Moreover, the relationship between thermal and sound effects in the overall evaluation showed that they are almost equal.
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Acoustic Design Criteria in Naturally Ventilated Residential Buildings: New Research Perspectives by Applying the Indoor Soundscape Approach. APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/app9245401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
The indoor-outdoor connection provided by ventilation openings has been so far a limiting factor in the use of natural ventilation (NV), due to the apparent conflict between ventilation needs and the intrusion of external noise. This limiting factor impedes naturally ventilated buildings meeting the acoustic criteria set by standards and rating protocols, which are reviewed in this paper for residential buildings. The criteria reflect a general effort to minimize noise annoyance by reducing indoor sound levels, typically without a distinction based on a ventilation strategy. Research has developed a number of solutions, discussed here, that try to guarantee ventilation without compromising façade noise insulation, but, currently, none have been adopted on a large scale. This concept paper highlights the main limits of the current approach. First, a fragmented view towards indoor environmental quality has not included consideration of the following acoustic criteria: (i) how buildings are designed and operated to meet multiple needs other than acoustical ones (e.g., ventilation, visual, and cooling needs) and (ii) how people respond to multiple simultaneous environmental factors. Secondly, the lack of a perceptual perspective has led acoustic criteria to neglect the multiple cognitive and behavioral factors impinging on comfort in naturally ventilated houses. Indeed, factors such as the connection with the outside and the sense of control over one’s environment may induce “adaptive acoustic comfort” opportunities that are worth investigating. The mere use of different sound level limits would not be enough to define criteria tailored to the complex user–building interaction that occurs under NV conditions. More holistic and human-centered approaches are required to guarantee not only neutrally but even positively perceived indoor acoustic environments. For this reason, this paper considers this apparent conflict from a soundscape viewpoint, in order to expose still unexplored lines of research. By underpinning a perceptual perspective and by contextualizing it, the indoor soundscape approach provides a framework capable of overcoming the limits of the traditional noise control approach. This could provide the opportunity to foster a wider adoption of NV as a passive design strategy that enhances user health and well-being, while enabling low-cost, and low-energy cooling and ventilation, thereby contributing to current climate change challenges.
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Assessment Methods and Factors Determining Positive Indoor Soundscapes in Residential Buildings: A Systematic Review. SUSTAINABILITY 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/su11195290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The design of an indoor acoustic environment positively perceived by building occupants requires a perceptual approach to be adopted in order to define what makes it sound good. Soundscape standards ISO 12913 have been introduced to assess how the acoustic environment is perceived, in context, by people. According to the standards, a straightforward characterization of a soundscape as positive is currently possible only through measurements by persons, because of a current gap in linking perceptual metrics to acoustic or psychoacoustic measurements. In addition, despite applying also to indoor contexts, methods and perceptual metrics described by the standards have been mainly derived from studies related to outdoor urban environments and it is not clear whether they could be directly applied indoor. For this reason, a systematic review was performed to investigate: (i) Data collection methods used in the literature for indoor residential soundscapes and (ii) factors, output of such methods, that characterize them positively. For this purpose, a systematic review has been conducted in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines (preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses) guidelines. The Scopus database was searched for peer-reviewed journal papers published in English, between 1 January 2009 and 24 June 2019, including: (1) field or laboratory studies relevant to residential buildings and (2) studies assessing factors that influence the perception by building users of indoor acoustic environments. The search excluded studies related to: (a) Speech perception issues; (b) noise-induced sleep disturbance; (c) acoustic perception by hearing impaired building users; (d) perception of vibrations or impact sounds. The search returned 1087 results. After the screening process, 37 articles were finally included. Given the differences in methodologic approaches, a quantitative meta-analysis could not be performed, and a qualitative approach was adopted instead. A large part of the selected literature reflected a general effort of minimizing noise annoyance by reducing noise exposure and, in particular, noise levels. Questionnaires and guided interviews were used to capture people’s perception, while the adoption of soundwalks and non-participatory behavioral studies did not emerge in the review literature and need further investigation. The evaluation of a variety of auditory sensations both in their positive and negative dimensions, beyond annoyance, would be required to explore the positive perceptual potential of sounds. Besides sound level, a variety of factors related and unrelated to the acoustic environment were found to affect perceptual outcomes and a framework of evaluation has been proposed as a reference for future assessments. Results encourage the integration of soundscape methodologies into IEQ research, in order to enhance user health and well-being.
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Dreger S, Schüle SA, Hilz LK, Bolte G. Social Inequalities in Environmental Noise Exposure: A Review of Evidence in the WHO European Region. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2019; 16:ijerph16061011. [PMID: 30897765 PMCID: PMC6466273 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16061011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2019] [Revised: 03/13/2019] [Accepted: 03/14/2019] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Environmental noise is an important public health problem, being among the top environmental risks to health. The burden of noise exposure seems to be unequally distributed in societies. Up to now there is fragmentary evidence regarding which social groups are most affected. The aim of this review was to systematically assess published evidence on social inequalities in environmental noise exposure in the WHO European Region, taking different sociodemographic and socioeconomic dimensions as well as subjective and objective measures of environmental noise exposure into account. Articles published in English in a peer reviewed journal between 2010 and 2017 were included in the review. Eight studies were finally included in the review, four of them analysed aggregated data and four analysed individual data. Though results of social inequalities in noise exposures were mixed between and within studies, there was a trend that studies using indicators of material deprivation and deprivation indices showed higher environmental noise exposures in groups with lower socioeconomic position. More research on the social distribution of environmental noise exposure on a small spatial scale is needed, taking into account aspects of vulnerability and procedural justice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie Dreger
- Department of Social Epidemiology, Institute of Public Health and Nursing Research, University of Bremen, 28359 Bremen, Germany.
- Health Sciences Bremen, University of Bremen, 28359 Bremen, Germany.
| | - Steffen Andreas Schüle
- Department of Social Epidemiology, Institute of Public Health and Nursing Research, University of Bremen, 28359 Bremen, Germany.
- Health Sciences Bremen, University of Bremen, 28359 Bremen, Germany.
| | - Lisa Karla Hilz
- Department of Social Epidemiology, Institute of Public Health and Nursing Research, University of Bremen, 28359 Bremen, Germany.
- Health Sciences Bremen, University of Bremen, 28359 Bremen, Germany.
| | - Gabriele Bolte
- Department of Social Epidemiology, Institute of Public Health and Nursing Research, University of Bremen, 28359 Bremen, Germany.
- Health Sciences Bremen, University of Bremen, 28359 Bremen, Germany.
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Dzhambov AM, Markevych I, Hartig T, Tilov B, Arabadzhiev Z, Stoyanov D, Gatseva P, Dimitrova DD. Multiple pathways link urban green- and bluespace to mental health in young adults. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2018; 166:223-233. [PMID: 29890427 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2018.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2018] [Revised: 06/01/2018] [Accepted: 06/03/2018] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A growing body of scientific literature indicates that urban green- and bluespace support mental health; however, little research has attempted to address the complexities in likely interrelations among the pathways through which benefits plausibly are realized. OBJECTIVES The present study examines how different plausible pathways between green/bluespace and mental health can work together. Both objective and perceived measures of green- and bluespace are used in these models. METHODS We sampled 720 students from the city of Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Residential greenspace was measured in terms of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), tree cover density, percentage of green areas, and Euclidean distance to the nearest green space. Bluespace was measured in terms of its presence in the neighborhood and the Euclidean distance to the nearest bluespace. Mental health was measured with the 12-item form of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). The following mediators were considered: perceived neighborhood green/bluespace, restorative quality of the neighborhood, social cohesion, physical activity, noise and air pollution, and environmental annoyance. Structural equation modelling techniques were used to analyze the data. RESULTS Higher NDVI within a 300 m buffer around the residence was associated with better mental health through higher perceived greenspace; through higher perceived greenspace, leading to increased restorative quality, and subsequently to increased physical activity (i.e., serial mediation); through lower noise exposure, which in turn was associated with lower annoyance; and through higher perceived greenspace, which was associated with lower annoyance. Presence of bluespace within a 300 m buffer did not have a straightforward association with mental health owing to competitive indirect paths: one supporting mental health through higher perceived bluespace, restorative quality, and physical activity; and another engendering mental ill-health through higher noise exposure and annoyance. CONCLUSIONS We found evidence that having more greenspace near the residence supported mental health through several indirect pathways with serial components. Conversely, bluespace was not clearly associated with mental health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angel M Dzhambov
- Department of Hygiene and Ecomedicine, Faculty of Public Health, Medical University of Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
| | - Iana Markevych
- Institute and Clinic for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany; Institute of Epidemiology, Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Terry Hartig
- Institute for Housing and Urban Research, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Boris Tilov
- Medical College, Medical University of Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria; Department of Management, Faculty of Economics and Management, University of Agribusiness and Rural Development, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
| | - Zlatoslav Arabadzhiev
- Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
| | - Drozdstoj Stoyanov
- Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
| | - Penka Gatseva
- Department of Hygiene and Ecomedicine, Faculty of Public Health, Medical University of Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
| | - Donka D Dimitrova
- Department of Health Management and Healthcare Economics, Faculty of Public Health, Medical University of Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
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Dzhambov AM, Markevych I, Tilov B, Arabadzhiev Z, Stoyanov D, Gatseva P, Dimitrova DD. Lower Noise Annoyance Associated with GIS-Derived Greenspace: Pathways through Perceived Greenspace and Residential Noise. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2018; 15:ijerph15071533. [PMID: 30029561 PMCID: PMC6068578 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph15071533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2018] [Revised: 07/17/2018] [Accepted: 07/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Growing amounts of evidence support an association between self-reported greenspace near the home and lower noise annoyance; however, objectively defined greenspace has rarely been considered. In the present study, we tested the association between objective measures of greenspace and noise annoyance, with a focus on underpinning pathways through noise level and perceived greenspace. We sampled 720 students aged 18 to 35 years from the city of Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Objective greenspace was defined by several Geographic Information System (GIS)-derived metrics: Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), tree cover density, percentage of green space in circular buffers of 100, 300 and 500 m, and the Euclidean distance to the nearest structured green space. Perceived greenspace was defined by the mean of responses to five items asking about its quantity, accessibility, visibility, usage, and quality. We assessed noise annoyance due to transportation and other neighborhood noise sources and daytime noise level (Lday) at the residence. Tests of the parallel mediation models showed that higher NDVI and percentage of green space in all buffers were associated with lower noise annoyance, whereas for higher tree cover this association was observed only in the 100 m buffer zone. In addition, the effects of NDVI and percentage of green space were mediated by higher perceived greenspace and lower Lday. In the case of tree cover, only perceived greenspace was a mediator. Our findings suggest that the potential for greenspace to reduce noise annoyance extends beyond noise abatement. Applying a combination of GIS-derived and perceptual measures should enable researchers to better tap individuals’ experience of residential greenspace and noise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angel M Dzhambov
- Department of Hygiene and Ecomedicine, Faculty of Public Health, Medical University of Plovdiv, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
| | - Iana Markevych
- Institute and Clinic for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, University Hospital, LMU Munich, 80336 Munich, Germany.
- Institute of Epidemiology, Helmholtz Zentrum München-German Research Center for Environmental Health, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany.
| | - Boris Tilov
- Medical College, Medical University of Plovdiv, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
| | - Zlatoslav Arabadzhiev
- Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Plovdiv, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
| | - Drozdstoj Stoyanov
- Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Plovdiv, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
| | - Penka Gatseva
- Department of Hygiene and Ecomedicine, Faculty of Public Health, Medical University of Plovdiv, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
| | - Donka D Dimitrova
- Department of Health Management and Healthcare Economics, Faculty of Public Health, Medical University of Plovdiv, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
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