Time Of Day Research Articles

Increased temperatures could heighten vulnerability of an ant-plant mutualism.

Mutualisms may be more or less sensitive to environmental conditions depending on the diversity and responses of the species involved. Ants frequently form mutualistic associations with plants bearing extrafloral nectaries (EFNs): the ants protect the plants from herbivores and receive food resources (i.e., nectar) in return. As ectotherms, ants are strongly influenced by temperature, and temperature shifts can affect ant-plant interactions in ways that often depend on species functional traits. In this study, we explored the influence of EFN size and leaf surface temperature on ant-plant interactions in a Caatinga dry forest in Brazil. We observed the ants visiting 14 EFN-bearing plant species at different times of day over 12 sampling months; we also measured leaf surface temperatures during these periods. We next quantified EFN size for 68 individuals from the 14 plant species. The observational data were used to characterize the heat tolerance of the attendant ant species (i.e., based on levels of foraging activity). We then evaluated the mutualism's degree of functional resilience using two indices: functional redundancy (i.e., the number of ant species interacting with a given plant species) and thermal response diversity (i.e., variability in the heat tolerance of the ant species interacting with a given plant species). We found that leaf surface temperature, but not EFN size, had an influence on mutualism functional resilience. As temperatures increased, both functional redundancy and thermal response diversity decreased. This result implies that warmer global temperatures could heighten the vulnerability of facultative ant-plant mutualisms, regardless of plant traits.

Machine learning derived physical activity in preschool children with developmental coordination disorder.

To compare the device-measured physical activity behaviours of preschool children with typical motor development to those with probable developmental coordination disorder (pDCD) and at risk for developmental coordination disorder (DCDr). A total of 497 preschool children (4-5 years) in the Coordination and Activity Tracking in CHildren (CATCH) study completed repeated motor assessments and wore an ActiGraph GT3X on the right hip at baseline for 1 week. We calculated physical activity metrics from raw accelerometer data using a validated random forest classification machine learning model for preschool-age children. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and linear regression models compared physical activity between typically developing children, children at risk for DCDr, and those with pDCD identified based on motor scores at baseline and averaged over time, accounting for age, sex, and accelerometer wear time. We found no differences in daily time spent sedentary, in light physical activity, or moderate-to-vigorous physical activity between typically developing children, children at risk for DCDr, and those with pDCD. However, children in the DCD groups spent less time doing ambulatory activities (walking/running) than typically developing children. Analysis of variance: baseline classification, DCDr to typically developing, run: F = 5.34, p = 0.005, classification averaged over time, DCDr to typically developing, walk: F = 5.82, p = 0.003. Regressions: DCDr compared to typically developing for walk: B = -3.47 (standard error 1.05), p < 0.001, pDCD compared to typically developing for run: B = -1.82 (standard error 0.62), p = 0.004. Designing interventions for preschool children with motor difficulties targeting specific physical activity types (walk/run) may help mitigate physical activity intensity differences observed later in childhood.

Developing an Alert System for Agricultural Protection: Sika Deer Detection Using Raspberry Pi

Agricultural loss due to the overpopulation of Sika deer poses a significant challenge in Japan, leading to frequent human–wildlife conflicts. We conducted a study in Muroran, Hokkaido (42°22′56.1″ N–141°01′51.5″ E), with the objective of monitoring Sika deer and notifying farmers and locals. We deployed a Sika deer detection model (YOLOv8-nano) on a Raspberry Pi, integrated with an infrared camera that captured images only when a PIR sensor was triggered. To further understand the timing of Sika deer visits and potential correlations with environmental temperature and humidity, respective sensors were installed on Raspberry Pi and the data were analyzed using an ANOVA test. In addition, a buzzer was deployed to deter Sika deer from the study area. The buzzer was deactivated in the first 10 days after deployment and was activated in the following 20 days. The Sika deer detection model demonstrated excellent performance, with precision and recall values approaching 1, and a bounding box creation latency of 0.82 frames per second. Once a bounding box was established after Sika deer detection, alert notifications were automatically sent via email and the LINE messaging application, with an average notification time of 0.32 s. Regarding the buzzer’s impact on Sika deer, 35% of the detected individuals reacted by standing upright with alert ears, while 65% immediately fled the area. Analysis revealed that the time of day for Sika deer visits was significantly correlated with humidity (F = 8.95, p &lt; 0.05), but no significant association with temperature (F = 0.681, p &gt; 0.05). These findings represent a significant step toward mitigating human–wildlife conflicts and reducing agricultural production losses through effective conservation measures.

Exploring Factors Influencing Speeding on Rural Roads: A Multivariable Approach

Speeding is one of the main contributing factors to road crashes and their severity; therefore, this study aims to investigate the complex dynamics of speeding and uses a multivariable analysis framework to explore the diverse factors contributing to exceeding vehicle speeds on rural roads. The analysis encompasses diverse measured variables from Croatia’s secondary road network, including time of day and supplementary data such as average summer daily traffic, roadside characteristics, and settlement location. Measuring locations had varying speed limits ranging from 50 km/h to 90 km/h, with traffic volumes from very low to very high. In this study, modeling of influencing factors on speeding was carried out using conventional and more advanced methods with speeding as a binary dependent variable. Although all models showed accuracy above 74%, their sensitivity (predicting positive cases) was greater than specificity (predicting negative cases). The most significant factors across the models included the speed limit, distance to the nearest intersection, roadway width, and traffic load. The findings highlight the relationship between the variables and speeding cases, providing valuable insights for policymakers and law enforcement in developing measures to improve road safety by determining locations where speeding is expected and planning further measures to reduce the frequency of speeding vehicles.

Predicting the seasonal dynamics of Dalbulus maidis (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) in corn using artificial neural networks.

This study addresses the challenge of predicting Dalbulus maidis (DeLong & Wolcott) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) density in cornfields by developing an artificial neural network (ANN). Over two years, we collected data on meteorological variables (atmospheric pressure, air temperature, dew point, rainfall, relative humidity, solar irradiance, and wind speed), plant age, and density of D. maidis in cornfields located in two Brazilian biomes (Atlantic Forest and Brazilian Tropical Savannah). Out of 1056 ANNs tested, the neural network featuring a 30-day time lag, six neurons, logistic activation, and resilient propagation demonstrated the lowest root mean squared error (0.057) and a high correlation (0.919) with observed D. maidis densities. This ANN exhibited an goodness of fit in low-density (Atlantic Forest) and high-density (Brazilian Tropical Savannah) scenarios for D. maidis. Critical factors influencing D. maidis seasonal dynamics, including corn plant age, rainfall, average air temperature, and relative humidity, were identified. This study highlights the potential of the ANN as a promising tool for precise predictions of pest seasonal dynamics, positioning it as a valuable asset for integrated pest management programs targeting D. maidis.

Assessment of the functional state of dentists.

BACKGROUND: According to WHO, the main mortality factor among adults is cardiovascular diseases. High levels of emotional stress, as well as specific physical exertion, extraneous noise and vibration, static position - this is all that a dentist has to deal with on a daily basis. An analysis of the literature showed a relationship between arterial hypertension and the professional activity of a dentist. AIMS: Study of the cardiovascular system response in dentists providing outpatient services in a municipal dental clinic. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study involved dentists of different age groups who signed an informed voluntary consent. To analyze the results obtained, a protocol for studying the functional and psycho-emotional state of a dentist was developed, where each doctor participating in the study entered data on independently measured functional indicators of blood pressure and heart rate before and after work. To objectify the data obtained, a control group was included in the study, also consisting of doctors of different ages, whose measurement of functional indicators was controlled. RESULTS: The obtained results demonstrated changes in blood pressure and heart rate in all the studied doctors during the day. In the morning, the indicators of all age groups are close to normal. By lunchtime, a natural increase in BP and HR is observed. In the evening, the indicators in young doctors decrease, while in middle-aged and older people they remain elevated. CONCLUSIONS: The study of functional indicators in dentists of different age groups during the day showed significant changes depending on the time of day and age, which indicates potential risks for the cardiovascular system. The results obtained in the control group demonstrated a reliable and significant increase in functional indicators in doctors in the same age groups. The obtained results of the study indicate the need to motivate dentists to take preventive measures, which can significantly affect the quality and duration of their life.

Reliability, biological variability, and accuracy of multi-frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis for measuring body composition components

IntroductionBioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) systems are gaining popularity for use in research and fitness assessments as the technology improves and becomes more affordable and easier to use. Multifrequency BIA (MF-BIA) may improve accuracy and precision using octopolar contacts for segmental analyses.PurposeEvaluate reliability, biological variability, and accuracy of component measures (total body water, mass, and composition) of commercially available MF-BIA system (InBody 770, Cerritos, California, USA).MethodsFourteen healthy military-age adults were assessed by MF-BIA in duplicate on five laboratory visits across 3 weeks (10 measures each). Participants were evaluated at the same time of day after refraining from strenuous exercise (&amp;gt; 48 h), alcohol consumption (&amp;gt; 24 h), and caffeine, nicotine, and food (&amp;gt; 10 h). Systematic error (test–retest reliability) and biological variability (day-to-day reliability) were summarized by intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) values determined for body mass (fat, fat-free, total) and body water (extracellular, intracellular, total). Body composition measurements derived from BIA on the second visit were also tested for accuracy compared to dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA).ResultsTest–retest reliability was very high for all measurements of whole-body water and mass (ICC ≥ 0.999) and high for regional body water and mass (ICC 0.973–1.000). Biological variability was observable with very minor differences between tests (same day) for total and regional body water (0.0–0.2 L) and total and regional body mass measurements (0.0–0.2 kg); while between day differences were slightly higher (0.0–0.5 L and 0.1–0.7 kg). Compared to DXA, the MF-BIA whole-body measures showed an offset in %BF (Bias −4.0 ± 2.8%; Standard error of the estimate (SEE), 2.6%), an overprediction for total body fat-free mass (Bias 2.8 ± 2.1 kg; SEE 2.2 kg) and an underprediction of total body fat mass (Bias −2.9 ± 2.0 kg; SEE 1.9 kg).ConclusionUnder controlled conditions with fit and healthy men and women, this MF-BIA system has high methodological reliability and demonstrates stable day-to-day measurements of major body composition components. Previously reported ~3% body fat offset compared to criterion methods was again confirmed. Precision of the InBody 770 shows consistency and supports further testing of this specific device as a new military standards method and suitability across a wider range of %BF.

Family resilience and social support as mediators of caregiver burden and capacity in stroke caregivers: a cross-sectional study

IntroductionCaring for stroke survivors poses significant challenges to survivors and caregivers; understanding these relationships can inform targeted interventions and support systems.AimThis study investigates the influencing factors of caregiver burden and the potential mediating roles of family resilience and perceived social support between caregiver burden and caregiver capacity.DesignThis is a cross-sectional study.MethodsThe participants in this study included 462 stroke survivors and their primary caregivers from Ningbo Lihuili Hospital in Zhejiang Province, China. Primary caregivers completed several assessments, including the Shortened Chinese Version of the Family Resilience Assessment Scale (FRAS), the Perceived Social Support Scale (PSSS), the Zarit Caregiver Burden Interview (ZCBI), and the Family Caregiver Task Inventory (FCTI). The ZCBI was used to evaluate caregiver burden, while the activities of daily living (ADL) were assessed for stroke survivors to measure their actual level of dependence. The mediating effect of family resilience was estimated using the bootstrap method through Jamovi version 2.3.0 with the mediation plug-in, while controlling for sociodemographic variables.ResultsThe results showed that caregiver burden was influenced by stroke survivors’ level of dependence on activities of daily living (ADL), caregiver education level, caregiver health status, and average daily care time. The family resilience mediated the relationship between caregiver burden and caregiver capacity (b = 0.141; 95% confidence interval: 0.091 to 0.176). Additionally, perceived social support mediated the relationship between caregiver burden and caregiver capacity (b = 0.080; 95% confidence interval: 0.041 to 0.110).ConclusionThese findings indicate that enhancing family resilience and perceived social support can be strategies for alleviating caregiver burden. Clinical practitioners should actively assess the family resilience and social support of stroke survivors, and implement interventions that promote resilience and strengthen social support, thereby reducing caregiver burden and improving the health outcomes of stroke survivors.

Hemospray as first-line treatment option for malignant gastrointestinal bleeding: A cost-utility analysis in the United Kingdom.

For managing malignant upper gastrointestinal bleeding (MUGIB), randomised control trial data have shown the haemostatic powder; Hemospray (TC-325), results in greater immediate haemostasis and lower 30-day rebleeding rates than standard endoscopic therapy (SET). We sought to determine if using TC-325 as a first-line option for patients with MUGIB would be cost-effective compared with SET in the United Kingdom. A decision tree was developed among patients with MUGIB, assessing initial therapy with TC-325 or SET over a 30-day time horizon. Patients with failed initial haemostasis, or a rebleed within 30 days, underwent further endoscopic treatment, escalation to either transcatheter arterial embolisation or surgery, or radiotherapy. Overall, 30-day mortality was applied. Costs, in Great British Pounds, were based on the United Kingdom National Health Services costs for 2023/2024. Results are reported as incremental differences in cost, quality-adjusted life years, and net monetary benefit. Deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses and scenario analyses were performed. The cost of treating MUGIB patients with TC-325 was £245.88 lower than SET, with an incremental increase of 0.001 Quality Adjusted Life Years (QALYs). TC-325 remained cost-saving for sensitivity and scenario analyses. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis revealed TC-325 as more effective and cost-saving in 82.0% of simulations (range 68.8-97.8%). Initial treatment of MUGIB with TC-325 compared to SET is more effective (higher primary haemostasis and lower 30-day rebleeding) and cost-saving due to requiring fewer interventions, readmissions, and length of stay. Additional studies are needed to address model uncertainties in the follow-up management of these complex patients.

Procedure time-of-day effects on postoperative opioid requirements in children.

Postoperative analgesic requirements in adults follow circadian rhythm patterns with requirements for opioids and local anesthetics highest in the morning. Procedure time of day may also potentially affect circadian rhythm patterns with surgery at night promoting wakefulness during nighttime hours. This disruption may produce a shift in the circadian rhythm and potentially affect when postoperative opioid requirements are highest. We hypothesized that children undergoing surgery at night would have higher postoperative opioid requirements during nighttime hours secondary to a shift in the circadian rhythm with those requirements remaining higher than daytime requirements for the duration of the hospital stay. A retrospective cohort was completed on all children aged 1-18 years undergoing a laparoscopic appendectomy for complicated appendicitis between January 2018 and December 2019. Outcomes were total postoperative morphine equivalents (mg/kg), including total daytime and nighttime postoperative morphine equivalents (mg/kg) in children undergoing surgery during the day and at night. There were 999 children who underwent a laparoscopic appendectomy for complicated appendicitis at Texas Children's Hospital from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2019. Of these, 758 children underwent the procedure during the day and 241 children at night. The total, daytime, and nighttime median morphine equivalents (mg/kg) for children undergoing an appendectomy during the day were 0.1 (0.0-0.4), 0.0 (0.0-0.2), 0.1 (0.0-0.2), respectively. The total, daytime, and nighttime morphine equivalents (mg/kg) for children undergoing an appendectomy at night were 0.2 (0.0-0.5) (p = -0.01), 0.1 (0.0-0.3) (p = 0.01), and 0.1 (0.0-0.2) (p = 0.03), respectively. All children, irrespective of the procedure time of day, required more morphine equivalents during daytime hours than during nighttime hours. We found that procedure time of day did not impact postoperative opioid requirements in children undergoing a laparoscopic appendectomy for complicated appendicitis. Both children undergoing an appendectomy during the day or at night required more morphine equivalents during daytime hours than during nighttime hours. Surgery at night did not produce a shift in opioid requirements postoperatively from daytime hours to nighttime hours in children undergoing an appendectomy at night.

Frequency and severity of idiopathic epistaxis relative to time of day

This study investigated the frequency of idiopathic epistaxis onset and its severity relative to the time of day. Idiopathic epistaxis was defined as epistaxis in the emergency department, with no epistaxis diagnosis in any hospital 12 months before incident epistaxis. The timing of epistaxis onset was divided into four categories: morning (6:01–12:00), afternoon (12:01–18:00), evening (18:01–24:00), and overnight (00:01–6:00). The chi-square test was used to analyse the time distribution of epistaxis (p ≤ .05).. During the study period, a total of 1684 patients with a median age of 56 years developed epistaxis. Epistaxis incidence was highest in December (n = 213), lowest in July (n = 95), and highest in winter, followed by fall, spring, and summer. Epistaxis occurred most frequently overnight (n = 823, 48.8%), followed by evening (n = 410, 24.3%), morning (n = 254, 15.1%), and afternoon (n = 197, 11.7%; p < .001). Afternoon was selected as the reference. After adjustment for covariates, odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of the risk of epistaxis were 1.34 (95% CI, 1.26–1.43), 1.47 (1.38–1.56), and 3.52 (3.14–3.91) in the evening, morning, and overnight, respectively. Epistaxis rates overnight were significantly strongest and positively proportional to blood pressure levels between 0:01 am and 6:00 am (r = 18.1, p < .001), followed by overnight rates (r = 11.5, p = .017). Patients who developed epistaxis overnight were more likely to develop posterior epistaxis and to receive endoscopic electrocoagulation haemostasis (p < .001). In this cohort, these results suggest that adult idiopathic epistaxis occurred most frequently at overnight, especially in the winter, and more need management to immediately control the bleeding in ENT emergency departments. In addition, this study found that high frequent of epistaxis at overnight associated with serious blood pressure between 0:01 am and 6:00 am. This analysis supports that health care professionals and caregiver should be aware of individuals with hypertension, and the status of blood pressure at overnight should be considered in preventing nasal bleeding’s risk.

Taste triggers a homeostatic temperature control in hungry flies.

Hungry animals consistently show a desire to obtain food. Even a brief sensory detection of food can trigger bursts of physiological and behavioral changes. However, the underlying mechanisms by which the sensation of food triggers the acute behavioral response remain elusive. We have previously shown in Drosophila that hunger drives a preference for low temperature. Because Drosophila is a small ectotherm, a preference for low temperature implies a low body temperature and a low metabolic rate. Here, we show that taste-sensing triggers a switch from a low to a high temperature preference in hungry flies. We show that taste stimulation by artificial sweeteners or optogenetics triggers an acute warm preference, but is not sufficient to reach the fed state. Instead, nutrient intake is required to reach the fed state. The data suggest that starvation recovery is controlled by two components: taste-evoked and nutrient-induced warm preferences, and that taste and nutrient quality play distinct roles in starvation recovery. Animals are motivated to eat based on time of day or hunger. We found that clock genes and hunger signals profoundly control the taste-evoked warm preferences. Thus, our data suggest that the taste-evoked response is one of the critical layers of regulatory mechanisms representing internal energy homeostasis and metabolism.

Taste triggers a homeostatic temperature control in hungry flies

Hungry animals consistently show a desire to obtain food. Even a brief sensory detection of food can trigger bursts of physiological and behavioral changes. However, the underlying mechanisms by which the sensation of food triggers the acute behavioral response remain elusive. We have previously shown in Drosophila that hunger drives a preference for low temperature. Because Drosophila is a small ectotherm, a preference for low temperature implies a low body temperature and a low metabolic rate. Here, we show that taste-sensing triggers a switch from a low to a high temperature preference in hungry flies. We show that taste stimulation by artificial sweeteners or optogenetics triggers an acute warm preference, but is not sufficient to reach the fed state. Instead, nutrient intake is required to reach the fed state. The data suggest that starvation recovery is controlled by two components: taste-evoked and nutrient-induced warm preferences, and that taste and nutrient quality play distinct roles in starvation recovery. Animals are motivated to eat based on time of day or hunger. We found that clock genes and hunger signals profoundly control the taste-evoked warm preferences. Thus, our data suggest that the taste-evoked response is one of the critical layers of regulatory mechanisms representing internal energy homeostasis and metabolism.

Cyberbullying, psychosocial problems and affecting factors among adolescents

PurposeThe aim of the study is to examine cyberbullying, psychosocial problems and the factors affecting them among adolescents. Design and methodsA cross-sectional study was conducted in Türkiye. The population of the study consisted of 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th-grade students from a public middle school. Data were collected through a descriptive characteristics questionnaire, Cyberbullying Scale, and Pediatric Symptom Checklist. ResultsBoth psychosocial problems and cyberbullying levels were found to be significantly higher in students who were male, in the 7th and 8th grades, and who used the internet for 3 h or more per day (p < .05). It was found that the level of psychosocial problems was significantly higher in students who had chronic diseases, who used medication regularly, and whose parents had a high school education or lower (p < .05). A weak positive correlation was found between the Pediatric Symptom Checklist and Cyberbullying Scale (r = 0.169, p < .001). Daily internet usage time and cyberbullying explained 7.6 % of psychosocial problems. ConclusionsThe study found that adolescents' psychosocial problems were associated with the level of cyberbullying, and that gender, grade level, and daily internet use duration affected psychosocial problems and cyberbullying, while the presence of a chronic disease and the level of parental education affected psychosocial problems. Daily internet usage time and cyberbullying were predictors of psychosocial problems. It is recommended that educational programs on safe internet use be provided, especially for male adolescents in grades 7–8 who spend more than 3 h a day on the internet.

Association of the time of day of chemoradiotherapy and durvalumab with tumor control in lung cancer

Background/purposeThe circadian clock governs the expression of genes related to immunity and DNA repair. We investigated whether the time of day of radiotherapy and/or systemic therapy infusions (chemotherapy or anti-PD-L1) are associated with disease control and survival in locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (LA-NSCLC). Materials/methods178 consecutive patients with inoperable LA-NSCLC who received definitive chemoradiotherapy followed by durvalumab between 5/2017–8/2022 were reviewed. Outcomes evaluated included progression-free survival (PFS), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), locoregional control (LRC), and overall survival (OS). ResultsAt a median follow up of 48.0mo from durvalumab initiation, median PFS and OS were 26.2mo and 50.0mo, respectively. Median LRC and DMFS were not reached and 41.0mo, respectively. Receiving > 50 % (N = 23) versus ≤ 50 % (N = 155) of radiotherapy treatments within 3hr of sunset was associated with younger age; otherwise, there were no other differences between cohorts. There were no significant differences in characteristics between patients who received > 50 % (N = 23) versus ≤ 50 % (N = 155) of durvalumab infusions within 3hr of sunset. On multivariable analysis, receiving > 50 % of radiotherapy treatments within 3hr of sunset was independently associated with reduced risk for progression (HR 0.39, p = 0.017) and distant metastasis (HR 0.27, p = 0.007); conversely, receiving > 50 % of durvalumab infusions within 3hr of sunset was independently associated with increased risk for distant metastasis (HR 2.13, p = 0.025). The timing of chemotherapy was not associated with disease outcomes. ConclusionThe time of day of radiotherapy and durvalumab infusion may be associated with disease control in LA-NSCLC, and the optimal time of treatment depends on the treatment modality.

Impact of short-term aircraft noise on cardiovascular disease risk in the area surrounding London Heathrow airport: the RISTANCO epidemiological study.

Long-term exposure to aircraft noise has been associated with small increases in cardiovascular disease risk, but there are almost no short-term exposure studies. Research questions were: Is there an association between short-term changes in exposure to aircraft noise and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality? What are the key effect modifiers? Is there variability in risk estimates between areas with consistent versus changing patterns of noise exposure? Do risk estimates differ when using different noise metrics? Descriptive analyses of noise levels and variability at different times of day, analyses of inequalities in noise exposure and case-crossover analyses of cardiovascular events in relation to aircraft noise exposure. Area surrounding London Heathrow airport. 2014-18. Whole population in study area. Cardiovascular disease hospitalisations and mortality. Aircraft noise levels modelled using a standard noise model for: (1) daily equivalent continuous sound levels at different times of day; (2) daily number of events above defined noise thresholds (2018 only). National Health Service digital hospital admission records and Office for National Statistics mortality records for 2014-18 for cardiovascular outcomes, plus individual-level confounders available from healthcare records. Confounder data including road traffic noise (Leicester modelled), rail noise and air pollution (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs), area level deprivation and ethnicity (UK Census). The morning shoulder period (06.00-07.00 hours) was the noisiest of all eight bands (mean: 50.92 dB). The morning shoulder period also had the third highest number of noisy events (flights) > 60 dB per day, with three events across postcodes on average. However, the highest number of noisy events occurred in daytime (highest between 07.00 and 15.00 hours, second highest 15.00 and 19.00 hours). To identify areas with high variability in aircraft noise exposure (due to changes in flight paths because of wind direction and airport operations), we used coefficients of variation (CoV). The period 24.00-04.30 hours had the highest mean CoV (67.33-74.16), followed by 04.30-06.00 hours and 23.00-24.00 hours. Postcodes in the least deprived quintiles of Carstairs index or avoidable death rate had the lowest noise levels. In case-crossover analyses, we observed increased risk for cardiovascular disease hospital admissions for evening noise 19.00-23.00 hours (odds ratio 1.005, 95% confidence interval 1.000 to 1.010 per 5 dB), but not for other periods or mortality. Further analyses suggested that increased risks were occurring in postcodes with low CoV for noise. We found effect modification by age, sex, ethnicity, deprivation and season. The industry standard noise model, the Aviation Environmental Design Tool, used does not take account of wind direction, which may have led to some exposure misclassification. We developed a comprehensive dataset of daily aircraft noise variability. We found small associations between cardiovascular hospitalisations (but not deaths) and evening aircraft noise levels, particularly in areas with low variability of noise. More studies are needed to understand the effect of noise variation and respite/relief on cardiovascular disease. This award was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Public Health Research programme (NIHR award ref: 15/192/13) and is published in full in Public Health Research; Vol. 12, No. 13. See the NIHR Funding and Awards website for further award information.

Effect of physiological and environmental factors on mosquito wingbeat frequency.

Wingbeat frequency may serve as a distinctive physical signature for identifying mosquito species. However, variation in wingbeat frequency within species may compromise reliability of wingbeat frequency-based mosquito identification. We examined the impact of mosquito density (number of females), time of day (day or night), gravid status, and age (days post-emergence) on the wingbeat frequency of three important vector mosquito species using infrared optical sensors. Wingbeat frequency of Culex quinquefasciatus was significantly higher (6.2% and 9.5%) for single females compared to groups of five and ten females, respectively, and 9.4% higher during the daytime compared to nighttime. Wingbeat frequency was also significantly higher for gravid Cx. quinquefasciatus (9.4%) and Aedes aegypti (1.4%) than nongravid conspecifics. Within a short age range (five to seven days post-emergence), wingbeat in Cx. quinquefasciatus did not vary significantly. Our results highlight that both extrinsic (density and time of day) and intrinsic (gravid status) factors contribute to wingbeat variation, potentially posing challenges for development of wingbeat profile libraries and the classification of unknown specimens. Traps that aim to use wingbeat frequency and target specific cohorts of the population (i.e., host-seeking or gravid females) will need to account for differences in wingbeat frequency due to multiple factors.

Elucidating Diurnal Patterns in Touch Desire Using Social Media Data Toward Design of Haptic Applications and Displays.

Advances in haptic technology have led researchers and engineers to seek out killer applications in which users can enjoy an experience of touch in AR/VR spaces. Such applications will respond appropriately to human desire for haptic experiences (i.e., touch desire) and thus it is essential for researchers and engineers to understand the nature of people's touch desires as they arise in the course of daily life. In this study, we employed Twitter data analysis to investigate a diurnal pattern in touch desire. Our results showed that touch desire identified in and extracted from Twitter texts did reveal a diurnal pattern. Touch desire tended to be at its lowest in the morning and increased as the day progressed. The time at which it peaked varied with the specific target of touch desire. Touch desire in relation to other people and objects reached its peak at night, but touch desire in relation to animals reached its peak at noon. These results were confirmed not only by our Twitter text analysis but also by data from other social media and an online survey. In addition, we found that the diurnal pattern of touch desire for each target shows a strong correlation with that of visual desire for the same target. This suggests that the diurnal pattern of touch desire is not limited to the sense of touch but is common to other sensory desires for each target. Our findings suggest that researchers need to take the time of day into account when investigating touch desire. Our findings also offer valuable insights for developers into the design of haptic applications and displays that takes into account the timing of daily peaks in touch desire.

EuroCity Persons 2.0: A Large and Diverse Dataset of Persons in Traffic.

We present the EuroCity Persons (ECP) 2.0 dataset, a novel image dataset for person detection, tracking and prediction in traffic. The dataset was collected on-board a vehicle driving through 29 cities in 11 European countries. It contains more than 250K unique person trajectories, in more than 2.0M images and comes with a size of 11 TB. ECP2.0 is about one order of magnitude larger than previous state-of-the-art person datasets in automotive context. It offers remarkable diversity in terms of geographical coverage, time of day, weather and seasons. We discuss the novel semi-supervised approach that was used to generate the temporally dense pseudo ground-truth (i.e., 2D bounding boxes, 3D person locations) from sparse, manual annotations at keyframes. Our approach leverages auxiliary LiDAR data for 3D uplifting and vehicle inertial sensing for ego-motion compensation. It incorporates keyframe information in a three-stage approach (tracklet generation, tracklet merging into tracks, track smoothing) for obtaining accurate person trajectories. We validate our pseudo ground-truth generation approach in ablation studies, and show that it significantly outperforms existing methods. Furthermore, we demonstrate its benefits for training and testing of state-of-the-art tracking methods. Our approach provides a speed-up factor of about 34 compared to frame-wise manual annotation. The ECP2.0 dataset is made freely available for non-commercial research use.

Why does tinnitus vary with naps? A polysomnographic prospective study exploring the somatosensory hypothesis

(1) BackgroundTinnitus, defined as the conscious awareness of a noise without any identifiable corresponding external acoustic source, can be modulated by various factors. Among these factors, tinnitus patients commonly report drastic increases of tinnitus loudness following nap sleep. Previous studies have suggested that this clinical pattern could be attributed to a somatosensory modulation of tinnitus. To our knowledge, no polysomnographic study has been carried out to assess this hypothesis. (2) MethodsFor this observational prospective study, 37 participants reporting frequent increases of tinnitus following naps were recruited. They participated to six full-polysomnography nap attempts over two days. Audiological and kinesiologic tests were conducted before and after each nap attempt. (3) Results197 naps were collected. Each nap at each time of day elicited an overall significant increase in tinnitus minimum masking level (MML). Each inter nap period elicited an overall significant decrease. Tinnitus modulations were found significantly correlated with nap sleep duration (Visual numeric scale on tinnitus loudness, VNS-L, p< 0.05), with snoring duration (MML, p< 0.001), with snoring average sound level (VNS on tinnitus intrusiveness, VNS-I, p< 0.05) and with sleep apnea count (VNS-I, p< 0.001). (4) ConclusionsThis study confirms objectively that tinnitus may increase following naps. No association was found between these modulations and somatosensory modulations involving the temporomandibular joint and cervical areas. However, it may be possible that nap-induced tinnitus modulations are a hidden form of somatosensory modulation as snoring and sleep apnea events are often related to tensor veli palatini muscle dysfunction.