Nighttime Periods Research Articles

Soundscape design for a residential development: a case study

A soundscape approach was used for a co-housing development in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. The outcomes are compared and contrasted with a conventional noise impact assessment. In-situ soundwalks were conducted with the co-housing group during daytime and night-time periods, covering locations with varied sounds and future uses. A virtual soundwalk, including external and internal scenes (with windows open and closed), was created using binaural recordings from the in-situ soundwalk. A separate virtual soundwalk event was organised for the public to investigate the ecological validity of the auralisations. Data collection and analysis methods followed ISO 12913. The questionnaire responses revealed quite different assessments of the acoustic environment compared with the measured decibel values of LAeq,T. These differences could be explained by the perception of the acoustic environment. The process helped the co-housing group to identify their expectations and preferences of the sound environment of their future homes. Ideas to encourage and highlight positive (natural) sounds were identified, as were different uses for external areas. The study illustrates the potential and challenges of using a soundscape approach for residential developments, highlighting the aspects of co-creation and inclusivity.

ADVANCES IN SOLAR COOKING IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES - A REVIEW

Increased energy demand has forced societies to rely on traditional fuel sources with negative health andenvironmental impacts. In most developing countries, solar energy is available for long hours and in ranges thatif exploited can reduce dependence on biomass and fossil fuels. However, despite its potential, uptake of solarcooking devices is low due to intermittent radiation, technological challenges, lack of awareness and slowercooking rates compared to other energy sources. There are four traditional types of solar cookers, box, panel,parabolic and tube. The latest technology is the PV conversion to electricity. Since the advent of solar cooking,numerous experiments, designs and improvements of solar cookers have been successfully developed. Researchhas focused on improving solar cooker performance such as; improved design, sun tracking mechanisms, solarthermal storage or “hybrid” designs that remove limitation of nighttime cooking or periods of poor irradiance.These improvements have increased the efficiency, reduce the cost of the solar cookers, and addressedsociocultural challenges such as sheltered cooking, visual appearance, and the ability to cook traditionalrecipes. However, more needs to be done to increase ease of adoption, the capacity of energy storage andflexibility. The cost of domestic workloads and environmental degradation should also be a factor in energypolicy formulation.

A Geo-AI-based ensemble mixed spatial prediction model with fine spatial-temporal resolution for estimating daytime/nighttime/daily average ozone concentrations variations in Taiwan

High levels of ground level ozone (O3) are associated with detrimental health concerns. Most of the studies only focused on daily average and daytime trends due to the presence of sunlight that initiates its formation. However, atmospheric chemical reactions occur all day, thus, nighttime concentrations should be given equal importance. In this study, geospatial-artificial intelligence (Geo-AI) which combined kriging, land use regression (LUR), machine learning, an ensemble learning, was applied to develop ensemble mixed spatial models (EMSMs) for daily, daytime, and nighttime periods. These models were used to estimate the long-term O3 spatio-temporal variations using a two-decade worth of in-situ measurements, meteorological parameters, geospatial predictors, and social and season-dependent factors. From the traditional LUR approach, the performance of EMSMs improved by 60% (daytime), 49% (nighttime), and 57% (daily). The resulting daily, daytime, and nighttime EMSMs had a high explanatory power with and adjusted R2 of 0.91, 0.91, and 0.88, respectively. Estimation maps were produced to examine the changes before and during the implementation of nationwide COVID-19 restrictions. These results provide accurate estimates and its diurnal variation that will support pollution control measure and epidemiological studies.

S-26-5: RENAL DENERVATION IN ASIA: GUIDELINES AND PERSPECTIVES IN CLINICAL PRACTICE

Hypertension Research will launch the special issue “A recent advance in renal denervation to clinical practice” in 2023 (Figure). Since the first proof-of-concept study in 2009, it has been passed for 13 years, the renal denervation is going to be introduced into clinical practice. The new clinical trials using the sham-control group have been performed. The meta-analysis and systematic review demonstrated that renal denervation is effective to reduce 24-hr blood pressure (BP), regardless of denervation techniques (Hypertens Res 2022;45:210–220). In 2022, the 2 major sham-controlled pivotal trials using the 2 different denervation techniques will be released. These study subjects had uncontrolled hypertension even medicated with one or more drugs. One is the SPYRAL On-Med Pivotal trial using the radiofrequency denervation technique and another is RADIANCE II trial using ultrasound technique, in which the trial, the Otsuka Holdings Co. Ltd (ReCor Medical Inc.). Inc released information on positive results in the market news. In addition, a recently longer follow-up result of SPYRAL On-Med feasibility study demonstrated a long-term BP lowering effect for 24 hours persisted for at least 3 years (Lancet 2022;399:1401–1410). Especially, even after initiating the medication titration, in those with drug-resistant hypertension, who were medicated up to 3 or more drugs, a significant difference in the nighttime and morning BPs between the renal denervation group and sham-controlled groups was overt (ISH2022, Rapid online publication in Hypertens Res). This indicates that renal denervation exhibit an “always on” BP lowering effect throughout 24 hours, which covers nighttime and morning periods, the “pits’ fall” time of medication. Recently guidelines/guidance and consensus statement include RDN in the option of antihypertensive treatment strategy. Positioning of renal denervation in the total management of hypertension in combination with non-pharmacological intervention and medication should be discussed. In addition, the patient preference studies demonstrated a consistently significant number of hypertensive patients preferred renal denervation. Cost-effectiveness should be soon addressed before clinical use. Once 2 pivotal trials demonstrated clearly clinically meaningful positive results, renal denervation will be accepted to introduce into clinical practice. During the clinical practice after regulatory approval, the residual challenges of renal denervation such as how to detect the responders and how to assess the successful endpoints of the procedures should be addressed in real-world studies. The Asia Renal Denervation Consortium consensus conference of Asian physicians actively performing renal denervation has been recently convened to share up-to-date information and regional perspectives, with the goal of consensus on RDN in Asia (Hypertension 2020;75:590–602).

Differences in adherence to using removable cast walker treatment during daytime and nighttime weight-bearing activities in people with diabetes-related foot ulcers.

Patients' adherence to using knee-high offloading treatment is critical to effective healing of diabetes-related foot ulcers (DFUs). Previous studies have found that patients generally have low adherence to using removable knee-high offloading treatments, yet no study has investigated whether their adherence differs during daytime and nighttime. This study aimed to investigate the levels and factors associated with adherence to using knee-high removable cast walker (RCW) treatment during daytime and nighttime weight-bearing activities in people with DFUs. This was a secondary analysis of data collected from a multi-centre cross-sectional study investigating adherence to using knee-high RCWs among 57 participants with DFUs. All participants had multiple socio-demographic, physiological and psychosocial factors collected, before having their adherence to using RCWs during weight-bearing activity monitored over a 1-week period using the dual activity monitor method. Adherence data were categorised into daytime (06:00-18:00) and nighttime (18:00-06:00) periods and calculated separately. Multiple linear regression was used to identify factors associated with daytime and nighttime adherence. Mean adherence to using RCW during weight-bearing activities in people with DFUs was higher during daytime compared with nighttime [39.9% (SD = 18.9) versus 20.4% (SD = 16.7), p < 0.001]. Factors independently associated with lower adherence during daytime were being male, longer diabetes duration, not having peripheral artery disease (PAD), and higher perceived RCW heaviness. Factors associated with lower adherence during nighttime were higher mean daytime steps, not having retinopathy and having dyslipidaemia. Adherence to using RCWs during weight-bearing activities reduced significantly at nighttime compared with daytime among people with DFUs, and this was associated with different factors. Interventions to improve adherence, in research and clinical practice, should incorporate methods to target daytime or nighttime adherence specifically.

Battery energy storage systems for ancillary services in Renewable energy communities

This document presents a study on the use of battery energy storage systems in a proposed renewable energy community in Savona, UNIGE Campus. The study compares the outcomes of cooperative approaches with and without flexibility services to a scenario where users do not cooperate. The study concludes that storage systems of relevant size can create new flexible instruments for the power grid and a powerful tool for citizens, which could make the investment into BESS financially viable. The study also suggests that greater transparency and information on hourly energy sales and purchase prices would facilitate awareness among community members and at the same time stimulate discussion of alternative technologies such as batteries to cover the most expensive nighttime periods for users. Overall, the study highlights the potential of battery systems in renewable energy communities in Italy and provides insights into the importance of coupling flexible services with capacity-building activities and awareness campaigns to promote demand-side-response activities and storage technologies.

The Influence of FY-4A High-Frequency LST Data on Data Assimilation in a Climate Model

Based on the Beijing Climate Center’s land surface model BCC_AVIM2.0, an ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) algorithm is developed to assimilate the land surface temperature (LST) product of the first satellite of Fengyun-4 series meteorological satellites of China to study the influence of LST data with different time frequencies on the surface temperature data assimilations. The MODIS daytime and nighttime LST products derived from Terra and Aqua satellites are used as independent validation data to test the assimilation results. The results show that diurnal variation information in the FY-4A LST data has significant effect on the assimilation results. When the time frequencies of the assimilated FY-4A LST data are sufficient, the assimilation scheme can effectively reduce the errors and the assimilation results reflect more reasonable spatial and temporal distributions. The assimilation experiments with a 3 h time frequency show less bias as well as RMSEs and higher temporal correlations than that of the model simulations at both daytime and nighttime periods. As the temporal frequency of assimilated LST observations decreases, the assimilation effects gradually deteriorate. When diurnal variation information is not considered at all in the assimilation, the assimilation with 24 h time frequency showed the largest errors and smallest time correlations in all experiments. The results demonstrate the potential of assimilating high-frequency FY-4A LST data to improve the performance of the BCC_AVIM2.0 land surface model. Furthermore, this study indicates that the diurnal variation information is a necessary factor needed to be considered when assimilating the FY-4A LST.

Non-dipping blood pressure pattern in pediatricians during on-duty

IntroductionPeople with a reduced nighttime dip in blood pressure have an increased cardiovascular risk. Our objective was to describe the different patterns in blood pressure (BP) among pediatricians who work in long on-duty shifts in relation with sex, medical rank and sleeping time. MethodsDescriptive, cross-sectional, two-center study. On duty pediatric Resident physicians and pediatric Consultants were recruited between January 2018 and December 2021. ResultsFifty-one physicians were included in the study (78.4% female, 66.7% Resident physicians). Resident physicians had a higher night/day ratio (0.91 vs 0.85; p<0.001) and a shorter nighttime period (3.87 vs 5.41, p<0.001) than Consultants. Physicians sleeping less than 5h had a higher night/day ratio (0.91 vs 0.87, p=0.014). Being a Resident showed a ∼4.5-fold increased risk of having a non-dipping BP pattern compared to Consultants. ConclusionWe found a potential link between both being a Resident and, probably, having shorter sleeping time, and the non-dipping BP pattern in physicians during prolonged shifts.

Accuracy of five ground heat flux empirical simulation methods in the surface-energy-balance-based remote-sensing evapotranspiration models

Abstract. Based on the assessment from 230 flux site observations, intra-day and daytime ground heat flux (G) accounted for 19.2 % and 28.8 % of the corresponding net radiation, respectively. This indicates that G plays an important role in remote-sensing (RS) energy-balance-based evapotranspiration (ET) models. The G empirical estimation methods have been evaluated at many individual sites, while there have been relatively few multi-site evaluation studies. The accuracy of the five empirical G simulation methods in the surface-energy-balance-based RS–ET models was evaluated using half-hourly observations. The linear coefficient (LC) method and the two methods embedded with the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) were able to accurately simulate a half-hourly G series at most sites. The mean and median Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) values of all sites were generally higher than 0.50 in each half-hour period. The accuracy of each method varied significantly at different sites and at half-hour intervals. The highest accuracy was exhibited during 06:00–07:00 LST (all times hereafter are LST), followed by the period of 17:00–18:00. There were 92 % (211/230) sites with an NSE of the LC method greater than 0.50 at 06:30. It showed a slightly higher accuracy during nighttime periods than during daytime periods. The lowest accuracy was observed during the period of 10:00–15:30. The sites with an NSE exceeding 0.50 only accounted for 51 % (118/230) and 43 % (100/230) at 10:30 and 13:30, respectively. The accuracy of the model was generally higher in Northern Hemisphere sites than in Southern Hemisphere sites. In general, the highest and lowest accuracies were observed at the high- and low-latitude sites, respectively. The performance of the LC method and the methods embedded with NDVI were generally satisfactory at the Eurasian and North American sites, with the NSE values of most sites exceeding 0.70. Conversely, it exhibited relatively poor performance at the African, South American, and Oceanian sites, especially the African sites. Both the temporal and spatial distributions of the accuracy of the G simulation were positively correlated with the correlation between G and the net radiation. Although the G simulation methods accurately simulated the G series at most sites and time periods, their performance was poor at some sites and time periods. The application of RS ET datasets covering these sites requires caution. Further improvement of G simulations at these sites and time periods is recommended for the RS ET modelers. In addition, variable parameters are recommended in empirical methods of G simulation to improve accuracy. Instead of the Rn, finding another variable that has a physical connection and strong correlation with G might be a more efficient solution for the improvement, since the weak correlation between G and Rn is the main reason for the poor performance at these regions.

Winds at the Mars 2020 Landing Site: 1. Near‐Surface Wind Patterns at Jezero Crater

AbstractThis is the first part of a two‐part paper. NASA's Mars 2020 Perseverance rover measured winds on the Jezero crater floor close to the delta of an ancient river. A mostly repeatable diurnal cycle was observed and presented two regimes: (a) a convective regime, from dawn to sunset, with average easterly to southeasterly winds, during which maximum wind speeds were measured, and (b) a nighttime regime with westerly‐northwesterly winds followed by a relatively calm period with highly variable wind directions as a function of sol and time of night. The timing and magnitude of the observed regimes are consistent with primary control by regional and local slope flows. Data suggest that the surface circulation at Jezero region in northern spring and summer is highly unaffected by large‐scale circulation except during particular periods in the diurnal cycle or generally during dust storms, which is supported by MarsWRF model simulations. Consequently, the observed seasonal variability was weak. However, sol‐to‐sol and seasonal variability were measured, most of it during certain nighttime periods. Traveling waves consistent with baroclinic instability were clearly observed in surface winds at Ls ∼ 75°. The early MY36/2022A regional dust storm at Ls ∼ 153° disturbed the wind patterns with changes suggesting enhanced tidal flows. After sunset, the dust storm also produced detectable gravity wave activity, increasing the mixing in the nighttime planetary boundary layer during storm conditions. Inferred wind directions from dust devil movies strongly suggest that prevailing winds continued to be slope‐driven during the late summer, fall and early winter seasons.

Individual local human thermal climates in the Hungarian lowland: Estimations by a simple clothing resistance‐operative temperature model

AbstractHuman thermal climate in the Hungarian lowland is investigated by using a clothing resistance‐operative temperature model performing individual, local, and long‐term concurrent observations of weather and human thermal perception. Human thermal load is characterized in terms of clothing resistance rcl and operative temperature To. The model is also used as a tool to analyse the relationship between rcl and the structural parameters of the body (relative fat mass index (fatBMI) and relative muscle mass index (muscleBMI)). This analysis works with data collected on more than 1,000 occasions of weather and thermal perception observation and uses body structure data of more than 3,000 adults and children. By analysing the data, the following human thermal climate characteristics have been established. (a) To of about 80°C can be considered as the upper limit of heat stress in the Hungarian lowland, similarly, To of about −35 to −37°C can be taken as the lower limit of cold stress. (b) Interpersonal thermal load variations increase with increasing of cold stress; these variations are the smallest within the “thermoneutral” zone. (c) In cold stress situations, there is a significant sexual dimorphism in the relationship between rcl and fatBMI. (d) In night time period of the day, To can vary between 25°C and the lower limit of cold stress. In this range of To, thermal perception types “neutral,” “cool,” “cold,” and “very cold” occurred. Based on the results, it can be seen that interpersonal thermal load variations cannot be neglected in extreme cold weather conditions, and that interpersonal variations of fatBMI index are determinant in the formation of individual clothing resistance.

Impacts of nighttime hypoxia on the physiological performance of Red Sea macroalgae under peak summer temperature

Eutrophication-induced hypoxic sites are increasingly reported in coastal regions. At the same time, ocean warming, water column stratification, and changing circulation lead to open-ocean deoxygenation. In coastal areas and reefs with dense vegetation, aquatic organisms can be exposed to oxygen limitation stress where oxygen concentration reaches extremely low levels, particularly during nighttime once photosynthetic O2 production has ceased. Despite scientists being aware of this for decades, little is known about the impact of deoxygenation on the physiology of marine primary producers, such as macroalgae. In the Red Sea, in particular, the physiological adaptations of macroalgae under future climate scenarios are nonexistent. Here, we investigate the impact of different oxygen levels (6.5, 2.5, and 1.3 mg O2 L-1) at night for three conspicuous Red Sea macroalgae species Halimeda opuntia and Padina boryana (calcareous) and the brown algae Sargassum latifolium (noncalcifying). We monitored algal physiological responses during a 12-hour nighttime (dark) period at 32°C by measuring photochemical efficiency (Fv/Fm), respiration rates, and cellular viability. No lethal thresholds were detected. However, both deoxygenation treatments decreased respiration rates and induced changes in cellular activity, and only under severe hypoxia was a decrease in photochemical efficiency observed in all species. We calculated sublethal O2 thresholds SLC(50) of 1.2 ± 0.1, 1.5 ± 0.1, and 1.7 ± 0.1 mg O2 L-1 for H. opuntia, P. boryana, and S. latifolium, respectively. Therefore, the effects of nighttime hypoxia are evident over short timescales and may impact ecosystems via reduced primary production. Future consequences of persistent hypoxia and subsequent performance in multifaceted stressor exposures will provide a fundamental understanding of hypoxia’s threat to biodiversity and ecosystems.

Field testing anti-speeding messages

PurposeDetermine whether anti-speeding messages displayed on roadside variable message signage (VMS) influence drivers’ speed choice selections. MethodSpeed detection tubes were installed across a single carriageway 60 km/h limit road section at positions prior to, immediately after, and at a longer distance from VMS display of anti-speeding messages during study Week2. Bi-directional vehicle speed data were collected continuously during the week prior to VMS installation (Week1), throughout the week that the anti-speeding messages were displayed (Week2), and a post-display week (Week3). ResultsOf six separately measured locations, Week2 southbound mean speeds (facing signage) and percent of drivers/riders exceeding the signed speed limit were consistently below those recorded during Week1 for all time periods. Aggregated Week3 (post-VMS) southbound data for all time periods, showed consistent patterns for mean speed and percent of drivers exceeding the signed speed limit, being higher than in Week2 (VMS displayed) but lower than during Week1 (pre-VMS). DiscussionCompared with Week1, messages influenced aggregate driver speed selection during Week2, with a residual positive effect (slower speeds) in Week3. While all three messages had positive effects, differences occurred in relative effectiveness between daytime (school and non-school hours) and night-time periods. Separately disaggregated data revealed differential effects for the three messages. ConclusionsFindings demonstrated the value of implementing theoretically informed message content and provided evidence for the impact that roadside road safety messaging can have on driver speed selection.

Sex-related short-term blood pressure variability differences in kidney transplant recipients.

Kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) display higher cardiovascular morbidity and mortality than the general population. Increased short-term blood pressure variability (BPV) is associated with a higher risk of adverse cardiovascular outcomes in chronic kidney disease (CKD). The aim of this study is to investigate sex differences in short-term BPV in KTRs. In total, 136 male and 69 female KTRs with valid 24 h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring were included in this analysis. Systolic and diastolic BPV indices [SD, weighted SD (wSD), coefficient of variation (CV), average real variability (ARV) and variability independent of the mean (VIM)] were calculated with validated formulas for the 24 h, daytime and nighttime periods. Age, time from transplantation surgery and history of major comorbidities did not differ between men and women. During the 24-h period, systolic BPV indices did not differ between men and women (SBP-ARV: 9.4 ± 2.2 vs. 9.9 ± 2.5; P = 0.212). During the daytime period, SBP-CV and SBP-VIM were significantly higher in females compared with male participants (SBP-CV: 9.9 ± 2.4 vs. 11 ± 3.1%; P = 0.022 and SBP-VIM: 12.6 ± 3.0 vs 14.2 ± 3.9; P = 0.008); daytime SBP-SD and SBP-ARV, and all studied indexes during nighttime did not differ between groups. No significant between-group differences in 24 h and daytime diastolic BPV indices were detected. Nighttime DBP-CV was marginally higher in men (12.0 ± 3.6 vs. 11.4 ± 4.0; P = 0.053); the rest nighttime diastolic BPV indices measured were also nonsignificantly higher in men. In conclusion, 24-h systolic and diastolic BPV parameters did not differ between male and female KTRs, but short-term BPV over the respective day- and nighttime periods showed different trends in men and women. Further studies are needed to examine possible differences in long-term BPV in KTRs.

Circadian nutritional behaviours and risk of cardiovascular disease in NutriNet-Santé

Abstract Meal timings and daily night-time fasting periods can synchronise the circadian system, which regulates the cardiovascular system. The present study aims to evaluate the prospective associations between circadian nutritional behaviours, defined by meal timing and frequency, and the risk of cardiovascular diseases. We used data from 103,389 adults (79% females) in the French NutriNet-Santé study, 2009-2021. Circadian nutritional behaviours were assessed using repeated 24h food records during the first two years of follow-up. We examined the associations between circadian eating behaviours and risk of cardiovascular, coronary heart and cerebrovascular diseases by multivariable Cox proportional hazard models. During a median follow-up of 7.2 years, 2036 incident cardiovascular diseases were diagnosed. A later first meal of the day was associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular diseases (HR per hour increase = 1.06, 95% CI 1.01 - 1.12). A later last meal of the day was associated with a higher risk of cerebrovascular diseases (HR per hour increase = 1.08, 95% CI 1.01 - 1.15). Among women, a later last meal was also associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease (HR per hour increase = 1.08, 95% CI 1.01 - 1.15). We found no evidence for an association between night-time fasting duration nor meal frequency, with risk of cardiovascular diseases. This study suggests that the habit of eating a later first meal, and a later last meal (in women) could be associated with a higher risk of developing circulatory diseases. These results need to be confirmed in other largescale studies before they can be transferable to clinical practice. Key messages • Beyond nutritional quality of meals, meal timing could also be a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. • If confirmed in other largescale studies, early breakfast and dinner could be considered in preventive strategies of cardiovascular diseases.

The effects of night-time aviation noise exposure on sleep disturbance and annoyance

This paper will report on the methodology for a new UK study of aviation night-noise exposure on health. Funded by the United Kingdom Department of Transport (DfT), the study is examining the effects of aviation night-noise exposure for a range of night-time periods on sleep disturbance and annoyance. The study involves a cross-sectional survey of 4000 participants living near eight UK airports to assess associations of aircraft noise exposure at night and subjective sleep disturbance and annoyance, as well as an objective sleep disturbance study of 170 participants, where physiological assessments of sleep disturbance will be linked to aircraft noise exposure at the participant’s home. The study will deliver exposure-response functions showing how time-averaged metrics such as LAeq,8h, LAeq,1h, N60 relate to subjective and objective sleep disturbance, and annoyance, which could be used to inform updates to the DfT’s Transport Analysis Guidance (TAG) and subsequently aviation night-noise policy in the UK. It will also explore if a relationship for objective sleep disturbance can be estimated for event-related metrics such as LAmax and sound exposure level. Effect modification will be examined; quantifying whether some population groups may be more vulnerable to the effects of aviation night-noise on sleep disturbance and annoyance.

NEW TYPE OF GLUEING OF REDOX FLOW STACKS

For the energy transition to succeed, the growing amount of solar and wind power need to be stored for night-time or low-wind periods. Redox flow storage offers a good way of balancing out the fluctuations in renewable energies and is considered a promising energy storage system because it is potentially inexpensive and relatively easy to scale. However, the costs are still too high for this technology to be a resounding success. New manufacturing and joining technologies can help here. This will be demonstrated using the central element of the redox flow battery, the stack, as an example. Here, novel bonding ideas will be investigated and explained. The aim was to improve the contact between the gas diffusion fleece on the active side of the bipolar half plates and the current collector on the bipolar edge plates. A media and temperature-resistant adhesive was tested and tried out in different geometries.

Measurement report: Observations of long-lived volatile organic compounds from the 2019–2020 Australian wildfires during the COALA campaign

Abstract. In 2019–2020, Australia experienced its largest wildfire season on record. Smoke covered hundreds of square kilometers across the southeastern coast and reached the site of the COALA-2020 (Characterizing Organics and Aerosol Loading over Australia) field campaign in New South Wales. Using a subset of nighttime observations made by a proton-transfer-reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometer (PTR-ToF-MS), we calculate emission ratios (ERs) and factors (EFs) for 15 volatile organic compounds (VOCs). We restrict our analysis to VOCs with sufficiently long lifetimes to be minimally impacted by oxidation over the ∼ 8 h between when the smoke was emitted and when it arrived at the field site. We use oxidized VOC to VOC ratios to assess the total amount of radical oxidation: maleic anhydride / furan to assess OH oxidation, and (cis-2-butenediol + furanone) / furan to assess NO3 oxidation. We examine time series of O3 and NO2 given their closely linked chemistry with wildfire plumes and observe their trends during the smoke event. Then we compare ERs calculated from the freshest portion of the plume to ERs calculated using the entire nighttime period. Finding good agreement between the two, we are able to extend our analysis to VOCs measured in more chemically aged portions of the plume. Our analysis provides ERs and EFs for six compounds not previously reported for temperate forests in Australia: acrolein (a compound with significant health impacts), methyl propanoate, methyl methacrylate, maleic anhydride, benzaldehyde, and creosol. We compare our results with two studies in similar Australian biomes, and two studies focused on US temperate forests. We find over half of our EFs are within a factor of 2.5 relative to those presented in Australian biome studies, with nearly all within a factor of 5, indicating reasonable agreement. For US-focused studies, we find similar results with over half our EFs within a factor of 2.5, and nearly all within a factor of 5, again indicating reasonably good agreement. This suggests that comprehensive field measurements of biomass burning VOC emissions in other regions may be applicable to Australian temperate forests. Finally, we quantify the magnitude attributable to the primary compounds contributing to OH reactivity from this plume, finding results comparable to several US-based wildfire and laboratory studies.

Ambulatory central BP and arterial stiffness in patients with and without intradialytic hypertension.

Increased arterial stiffness is suggested to be involved in the pathogenesis of intradialytic-hypertension (IDH). Ambulatory pulse-wave-velocity (PWV) is an independent predictor for all-cause-mortality in haemodialysis and its prognostic power is better than office PWV. This is the first study examining ambulatory central blood pressure (BP) and arterial stiffness parameters in patients with and without IDH. This study examined 45 patients with IDH (SBP rise ≥10 mmHg from pre- to post-dialysis and post-dialysis SBP ≥150 mmHg) in comparison with 197 patients without IDH. All participants underwent 48-h ABPM with Mobil-O-Graph-NG; parameters of central haemodynamics, wave reflection and PWV were estimated. Age, dialysis vintage and interdialytic weight gain did not differ between-groups. IDH patients had higher 48-h cSBP (131.7 ± 16.2 vs. 119.2 ± 15.2 mmHg, p < 0.001), 48-h cDBP (86.7 ± 12.7 vs. 79.6 ± 11.5 mmHg, p < 0.001) and 48-h cPP (45.5 ± 10.4 vs. 39.8 ± 10.0 mmHg, p=0.001) compared to patients without IDH. Similarly, during day- and nighttime periods, cSBP/cDBP and cPP levels were higher in IDH-patients compared to non-IDH. Forty-eight-hour augmentation pressure and index, but not AIx(75) were higher in IDH patients; 48-h PWV (10.0 ± 2.0 vs. 9.2 ± 2.1m/s, p=0.017) was significantly higher in patients with IDH. The two study groups displayed different trajectories in central BP and PWV over the course of the recording; IDH patients had steadily high values of the above variables during the 2 days of the interdialytic-interval, whereas non-IDH patients showed a gradual elevation, with significant increases from the 1st to 2nd 24 h. IDH patients have significantly higher levels of ambulatory central BP and arterial stiffness parameters and a different course over the 48-h period compared with non-IDH patients. Increased arterial stiffness could be a prominent factor associated with the high burden of cardiovascular disease in this population.

Impact of various night-time period definitions on nocturnal ambulatory blood pressure.

Several definitions of night-time BP exist for the calculation of nocturnal blood pressure (BP) based on 24-h BP measurements. How much these methods differ regarding the resulting nocturnal blood pressure values, under which circumstances these differences become clinically meaningful, and under which circumstances diary-adjusted measurements should be used preferentially remains uncertain. Data of 512 24-h BP recordings were analysed regarding differences in nocturnal BP based on three alternative definitions of night-time: 2300-0700 h, 0100-0500 h, and diary-adjusted measures. Mean systolic nocturnal BP between 2300-0700 h was 2.5 mmHg higher than between 0100 and 0500 h and 1.6 mmHg higher than diary adjusted estimates. Up to 38.3% of individuals showed BP differences of more than 5 mmHg when comparing temporal definitions of night-time, resulting in significant proportions of individuals being re-classified as hypertensive. When diary-derived sleeping patterns differed by less than 2 h from the 2300 to 0700 h fixed time definition, mean BP discrepancies remained below 3 mmHg. Absolute time discrepancies between diary and 2300-0700 h fixed time definition of 2-4, 4-8 or at least 8 h led to SBP/DBP differences of 4.1/3.1, 6.8/6.1, and 14.5/9.1mmHg, respectively. Average differences of nocturnal BP between varying definitions in study/cohort data are small and would be of limited relevance in many settings. However, substantial differences can be observed in individual cases, which may affect clinical decision-making in specific patients. In patients whose sleeping patterns differs by more than 2 h from defined fixed night-times, diaries should be used for adjustment.