Noise Exposure Research Articles

Activated tissue-resident macrophages contribute to hair cell insults in noise-induced hearing loss in mice

Macrophages serve as the primary immune cell population and assume a pivotal role in the immune response within the damaged cochleae. Yet, the origin and role of macrophages in response to noise exposure remain controversial. Here, we take advantage of Ccr2RFP/+ Cx3cr1GFP/+ dual-reporter mice to identify the infiltrated and tissue-resident macrophages. After noise exposure, we reveal that activated resident macrophages change in morphology, increase in abundance, and migrate to the region of hair cells, leading to the loss of outer hair cells and the damage of ribbon synapses. Meanwhile, peripheral monocytes are not implicated in the noise-induced hair cell insults. These noise-induced activities of macrophages are abolished by inhibiting TLR4 signaling, resulting in alleviated insults of hair cells and partial recovery of hearing. Our findings indicate cochlear resident macrophages are pro-inflammatory and detrimental players in acoustic trauma and introduce a potential therapeutic target in noise-induced hearing loss.

PPARα suppresses low-intensity-noise-induced body weight gain in mice: the activated HPA axis plays an critical role.

As the second most risky environmental pollution, noise imposes threats to human health. Exposure to high-intensity noise causes hearing impairment, psychotic disorders, endocrine modifications. The relationship among low-intensity noise, obesity and lipid-regulating nuclear factor PPARα is not yet clear. In this study, male wild-type (WT) and Pparα-null (KO) mice on a high-fat diet (HFD) were exposed to 75 dB noise for 12 weeks to explore the effect of low-intensity noise on obesity development and the role of PPARα. 3T3-L1 cells were treated with dexamethasone (DEX) and sodium oleate (OA) to verify the down-stream effect of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activation on the adipose tissues. The average body weight gain (BWG) of WT mice on HFD exposed to noise was inhibited, which was not observed in KO mice. The mass and adipocyte size of adipose tissues accounted for the above difference of BWG tendency. In WT mice on HFD, the adrenocorticotropic hormone level was increased by the noise challenge. The aggravation of fatty liver by noise exposure occurred in both mouse lines, and the transport of hepatic redundant lipid to adipose tissues were similar. The lipid metabolism in adipose tissue driven by HPA axis accorded with the BWG inhibition in vivo, validated in 3T3-L1 adipogenic stem cells. Chronic exposure to low-intensity noise aggravated fatty liver in both WT and KO mice. BWG inhibition was observed only in WT mice, which covered up the aggravation of fatty liver by noise exposure. PPARα mediates the activation of HPA axis by noise exposure in mice on HFD. Elevated adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) promoted lipid metabolism in adipocytes, which contributed to the disassociation of BWG and fatty liver development in male WT mice. Summary of PPARα suppresses noise-induced body weight gain in mice on high-fat-diet. Chronic exposure to low-intensity noise exposure inhibited BWG by PPARα-dependent activation of the HPA axis.

Pathophysiological processes underlying hidden hearing loss revealed in Kcnt1/2 double knockout mice.

Presbycusis is a prevalent condition in older adults characterized by the progressive loss of hearing due to age-related changes in the cochlea, the auditory portion of the inner ear. Many adults also struggle with understanding speech in noise despite having normal auditory thresholds, a condition termed "hidden" hearing loss because it evades standard audiological assessments. Examination of animal models and postmortem human tissue suggests that hidden hearing loss is also associated with age-related changes in the cochlea and may, therefore, precede overt age-related hearing loss. Nevertheless, the pathological mechanisms underlying hidden hearing loss are not understood, which hinders the development of diagnostic biomarkers and effective treatments for age-related hearing loss. To fill these gaps in knowledge, we leveraged a combination of tools, including transcriptomic profiling and morphological and functional assessments, to identify these processes and examine the transition from hidden to overt hearing loss. As a novel approach, we took advantage of a recently characterized model of hidden hearing loss: Kcnt1/2 double knockout mice. Using this model, we find that even before observable morphological pathology, hidden hearing loss is associated with significant alteration in several processes, notably proteostasis, in the cochlear sensorineural structures, and increased susceptibility to overt hearing loss in response to noise exposure and aging. Our findings provide the first insight into the pathophysiology associated with the earliest and, therefore, most treatable stages of hearing loss and provide critical insight directing future investigation of pharmaceutical strategies to slow and possibly prevent overt age-related hearing loss.

Individual differences in the perception of phonetic category structure predict speech-in-noise performance.

Speech sounds exist in a complex acoustic-phonetic space, and listeners vary in the extent to which they are sensitive to variability within the speech sound category ("gradience") and the degree to which they show stable, consistent responses to phonetic stimuli. Here, we investigate the hypothesis that individual differences in the perception of the sound categories of one's language may aid speech-in-noise performance across the adult lifespan. Declines in speech-in-noise performance are well documented in healthy aging, and are, unsurprisingly, associated with differences in hearing ability. Nonetheless, hearing status and age are incomplete predictors of speech-in-noise performance, and long-standing research suggests that this ability draws on more complex cognitive and perceptual factors. In this study, a group of adults ranging in age from 18 to 67 years performed online assessments designed to measure phonetic category sensitivity, questionnaires querying recent noise exposure history and demographic factors, and crucially, a test of speech-in-noise perception. Results show that individual differences in the perception of two consonant contrasts significantly predict speech-in-noise performance, even after accounting for age and recent noise exposure history. This finding supports the hypothesis that individual differences in sensitivity to phonetic categories mediates speech perception in challenging listening situations.

Associations between Aircraft Noise, Sleep, and Sleep-Wake Cycle: Actimetric Data from the UK Biobank Cohort near Four Major Airports.

Nighttime aircraft noise may affect people's sleep, yet large-scale evidence using objective and subjective measures remains limited. Our aim was to investigate associations between nighttime aircraft noise exposure and objectively measured sleep disturbance using a large UK cohort. We used data from 105,770 UK Biobank cohort participants exposed and unexposed to aircraft noise who lived in 44 local authority districts near 4 international airports in England. We used a generalized linear regression model to examine cross-sectional associations between aircraft noise (23:00 hours-07:00 hours) and 7-d actimetric measures collected 2013-2015 (). We also used Logit and generalized estimating equations models to examine associations between and self-reported sleep measures at enrollment (2006-2010) and follow-up (2012-2013). This approach allowed us to compare and contrast the results and support potential future meta-analyses on noise-related sleep disturbance. Cross-sectional analyses of actimetric data suggested sleep disturbance associated with , showing higher level of movements during the least active continuous 8-h time period [: 0.12 milligravitational units; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.013, 0.23]. We also saw disrupted sleep-wake cycles as indicated by index scores of lower relative amplitude (: ; 95% CI: , ), poorer interdaily stability (: ; 95% CI: , ), and greater intradaily variability (: 0.021; 95% CI: 0.019, 0.023), comparing dB with dB. Repeated cross-sectional analyses found a 52% higher odds of more frequent daytime dozing [odds ratio (OR) ; 95% CI: 1.32, 1.75] for dB in comparison with dB, whereas the likelihood for more frequent sleeplessness was more uncertain (; 95% CI: 0.92, 1.39). Higher effect sizes were seen in preidentified vulnerable groups, including individuals of age and those with diabetes or dementia. Individuals exposed to higher levels of aircraft noise experienced objectively higher levels of sleep disturbance and changes in sleep-wake cycle. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP14156.

A holistic approach to different regulations for acoustic improvements in industrial facilities

With the developing technology and mechanization, the number of industrial facilities has increased. It is important for the worker’s physical and mental health to be in suitable working conditions. This paper analyses the regulations applied in the examination and evaluation of the acoustic environment in industrial facilities. The European Parliament and Council Directive, the United States, Singapore, Canada, Australia, Mexico, Japan, and WHO principles were analysed in detail. Simultaneously, analyses were conducted on the auditory perception of the workers in industrial facilities. As a result of the study, 85, 87, and 90 dBA noise exposure levels were determined for 8 h in different regulations examined. It has been determined that the regulative systems for the auditory perception of the workers in industrial facilities are insufficient. It was found necessary to develop regulation systems for evaluating noise exposure levels and the auditory perception of the workers together. It is important for the occupational health and safety of workers to develop a holistic approach in the update and revision of international regulation and to evaluate the control mechanisms within this scope. The protection of mental and physical health of the workers is presented as the most fundamental requirement. Moreover, it should be ensured that the noise control measures that can be taken (at the source, at the transmission path, and at the receiver) are formed by reducing the noise exposure and increasing the auditory perception of the workers in a positive view.

Enhancing Liver Disease Detection and Management with Advanced Machine Learning Models

The prevalence of hearing loss has risen making it a significant public health issue. Hearing loss is caused by complicated pathophysiological pathways, with various risk factors identified, such as hereditary factors, inflammatory processes, systemic disorders, noise exposure, medicines, oxidative stress, and age. Metabolic syndrome is a medical condition characterized by the presence of hypertension, central obesity, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes. Metabolic syndrome has been linked to several clinical diseases, such as stroke, heart attack, cardiovascular disease-related death, and diabetes. A cross-sectional study was done on 100 patients with metabolic syndrome which used specific cut-off points of waist circumference, fasting glucose levels, blood pressure, triglyceride, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels to diagnose the condition. Among these five criteria, at least three had to be met, and the presence of additional criteria indicated greater severity. Audiological evaluation with pure tone audiometry was done and recorded. Statistical analysis was performed to determine the significance of the results. The majority of the patients (62%) had unilateral hearing loss, amongst which sensory-neural type and moderately severe hearing loss were the most common type (67%) and severity (61%) of hearing loss respectively. Chi-square tests were done for the comparison of type, severity, and laterality of hearing loss with age, gender of the patients, and criteria fulfilled for metabolic syndrome. The severity of hearing loss had a statistically significant association with the age of the patients and the number of criteria fulfilled for metabolic syndrome with a p-value of 0.003. There was a statistically significant association between the severity of hearing loss and the age of the patients and the number of criteria fulfilled for metabolic syndrome with a p-value of 0.004. Metabolic syndrome affects the auditory system in several ways. It damages hearing and exacerbates presbycusis. Hearing loss worsens as components of the metabolic syndrome increase.

Workplace Exposures Vary Across Neighborhoods in the US: Implications on Social Vulnerability and Racial/Ethnic Health Disparities.

Ignoring workplace exposures that occur beyond the local residential context in place-based risk indices like the CDC's Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) likely misclassifies community exposure by under-counting risks and obscuring true drivers of racial/ethnic health disparities. To investigate this hypothesis, we developed several place-based indicators of occupational exposure and examined their relationships with race/ethnicity, SVI, and health inequities. We used publicly available job exposure matrices and employment estimates from the United States (US) Census to create and map six indicators of occupational hazards for every census tract in the US. We characterized census tracts with high workplace-low SVI scores. We used natural cubic splines to examine tract level associations between the percentage of racial/ethnic minorities (individuals who are not non-Hispanic White) and the occupational indicators. Lastly, we stratified each census tract into high/low occupational noise, chemical pollutant, and disease/infection exposure to examine racial/ethnic health disparities to diabetes, asthma, and high blood pressure, respectively, as a consequence of occupational exposure inequities. Our results show that racial/ethnic minority communities, particularly those that are also low-income, experience a disproportionate burden of workplace exposures that may be contributing to racial/ethnic health disparities. When composite risk measures, such as SVI, are calculated using only information from the local residential neighborhood, they may systematically under-count occupational risks experienced by the most vulnerable communities. There is a need to consider the role of occupational justice on nationwide, racial/ethnic health disparities.

Vocalization-induced middle ear muscle reflex and auditory fovea do not contribute to the unimpaired auditory sensitivity after intense noise exposure in the CF-FM bat, Hipposideros pratti.

Behaviors and auditory physiological responses of some species of echolocating bats remain unaffected after exposure to intense noise, but information on the underlying mechanisms remains limited. Here, we studied whether the vocalization-induced middle ear muscle (MEM) contractions (MEM reflex) and auditory fovea contributed to the unimpaired auditory sensitivity of constant frequency-frequency modulation (CF-FM) bats after exposure to broad-band intense noise. The vocalizations of the CF-FM bat, Hipposideros pratti, were inhibited through anesthesia to eliminate the vocalization-induced MEM reflex. First, the anesthetized bats were exposed to intense broad-band noise, and the findings showed that the bats could still maintain their auditory sensitivities. However, auditory sensitivities were seriously impaired in CBA/Ca mice exposed to intense noise under anesthesia. This indicated that the unimpaired auditory sensitivity in H. pratti after exposure to intense noise under anesthesia was not due to anesthetization. The bats were further exposed to low-frequency band-limited noise, whose passband did not overlap with echolocation call frequencies. The results showed that the auditory responses to sound frequencies within the noise spectrum and one-half octave higher than the spectrum were also unimpaired. Taken together, the results indicate that both vocalization-induced MEM reflex and auditory fovea do not contribute to the unimpaired auditory sensitivity in H. pratti after exposure to intense noise. The possible mechanisms underlying the unimpaired auditory sensitivity after echolocating bats were exposed to intense noise are discussed.

Sensory Deafness in Workers at PT X Rokan Hulu Palm Oil Mill

Sensorineural deafness is a type of hearing loss that commonly occurs due to noise exposure in the workplace, including in palm oil mills (PKS). This condition can reduce the quality of life of workers and have an impact on productivity. This study aims to identify the prevalence and factors that influence the occurrence of sensorineural deafness in palm oil mill workers, with a focus on the Pekanbaru area. This research method uses observational research, measuring deafness using a tuning fork. at PT X in July 2020. Results. From the analysis univariate It was found that 58.6% of PKS workers experienced sensorineural deafness. The conclusion is that more than half of the workers experiencing sensorineural deafness .

Exposure to noise at home, emotional behaviour, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in 9-year-old children

The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between noise disturbance at home, sleep disturbance, and neurodevelopmental problems in 9-year-old children. Noise exposure (frequency) perceived by 430 9-year-old children from the INMA cohort in Valencia, Spain, were reported by their mothers. The risk of developing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, as well as internalizing and externalizing problems, were assessed using the Child Behaviour Checklist. The risk of internalizing (18%) and externalizing problems (11.7%) was higher compared to the risk of developing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (1.4%) and were more prevalent in boys than in girls. The most common and bothersome noise exposures were generated at home (50.8-55.3%) and by neighbours (24.5%). The risk of neurodevelopmental problems was associated with sleep disturbances, particularly in relation with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (16.1 vs 4%; p<0.001), with no differences observed between sex. Sleep disturbances were significantly more common in children exposed to noise from household or neighbours. High levels of noise exposure from street traffic and neighbours were linked to an increased risk of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, while noise from other children at home was associated with a higher risk of internalizing and externalizing problems. These effects remained consistent even after adjusting for sleep disturbances. High levels of noise annoyance from various sources perceived at home are differently associated with the risks of different neurodevelopmental problems in 9-year-old boys and girls, with sleep disturbances not influencing this relationship.

Environmental Noise Exposure and Learning Performance of Secondary School Students

Environmental Noise Exposure and Learning Performance of Secondary School Students

Noise exposure of the inner ear during robotic drilling.

Preserving the cochlear structures and thus hearing preservation, has become a prominent topic of discussion in cochlear implant (CI) surgery. Various approaches and soft surgical techniques have been described when approaching the inner ear. Robot-assisted cochlear implant surgery (RACIS) reaches the round window in a minimally invasive manner by following a trajectory of minimal trauma. This involves the drilling of a keyhole trajectory to the round window, through the facial recess, with no need for a complete mastoidectomy. It involves less drilling, less drilling time and less structural damage. A lot of attention has been paid to the structural traumatic causes of hearing loss but acoustic trauma during the exposure of the inner ear appears to be neglected topic. The aim was to measure the noise exposure of the inner ear during the robotic drilling of the mastoid and bony overhang of the round window. The results were compared with the milling in conventional cochlear implantation surgery. RACIS on fresh frozen human cadavers. The equivalent frequency-weighted and time-averaged sound pressure level LAF in dB and the noise dose in % derived from a noise damage model, both obtained during RACIS. The robotic drilling of 6 trajectories towards the inner ear were performed, including 4 trajectories through round window access and 2 trajectories through cochleostomy. The results were compared with the data of 7 cases of conventional CI surgery that have been described in literature. The induced equivalent sound pressure level LAF was determined via an accelleration sensor at the zygomatic arch and a calibration according to bone conduction audiometry. A noise dose for the whole procedure was calculated from the equivalent sound pressure level LAF and the exposure time using a noise damage model. A noise dose of 100% is considered a critical exposure limit and values above are considered potentially harmful, with the risk of hearing impairment. The maximum LAF was 82 dB during fiducial screw placement; 87 dB during middle ear access; 95 dB for the accesses through the round window and 88 dB for the accesses through cochleostomy. The noise dose due to the HEARO®-procedure was always far below the critical value of 100%. There was no acoustic trauma of the inner ear in all cases with the noise dose being smaller than 0.1% in five out of the six cases. The maximum LAF in the seven cases of conventional CI surgery was 118 dB with a maximum cumulative noise dose of 172.6%. The critical exposure limit of 100% was exceeded in three cases of conventional CI surgery. RACIS provokes significantly less acoustic trauma than conventional mastoid surgery in our findings. There were no observable differences in noise exposure levels between a cochleostomy or a round window approach where the bony overhang needed to be drilled.

Pedestrian flow-environmental pollutants interactions and health risks to residents in high-occupancy public areas of apartment buildings

The current interaction of pedestrian flow and environmental pollutants in high-occupancy public areas of apartment and the risks of residents being exposed to environmental pollutants are issues that are often overlooked but urgently need to be addressed. In this study, we provide a comprehensive of pedestrian flow-environmental pollutants interactions and health risks to residents in first-floor public areas of apartment with high-occupancy. The main findings indicate that under closed management conditions, there is a significant increase in TVOC and noise levels during the peak periods of nighttime pedestrian flow. In the correlation analysis, the significant impact of time granularity selection in clarifying the correlation between pedestrian flow and environmental pollutants has been highlighted, with larger time granularities generally showing stronger correlations, while finer time granularities may help identify specific risks in areas directly connected to the external environment. There is a significant correlation exists between pedestrian flow and environmental pollutants (TVOC, ozone, and noise), with higher concentrations of these pollutants observed during peak pedestrian flow periods, thereby increasing the risk of residents being exposed to adverse environmental conditions. To mitigate the risks associated with TVOC pollution and noise exposure, it is crucial to maintain proper ventilation, avoid conducting cleaning or maintenance activities during peak hours, and implement noise-reducing measures, such as distancing noise sources from residential areas or installing soundproofing barriers. Additionally, the study identifies total volatile organic compounds originating from property maintenance activities and clarifies their dispersion patterns, emphasizing the importance of developing robust, standardized maintenance protocols for indoor environmental quality assurance. This research can improve the environmental sustainability of apartment buildings and provide a theoretical basis for the development of environmental health strategies for high-occupancy public areas of apartment buildings.

Impact of Operative Room Noise on Laparoscopic Performance—A Prospective, Randomized Crossover Trial

IntroductionSurgeons are often exposed to different types of operative room (OR) noise, for instance machine alarms, phone calls, and interacting objects. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of OR noise on the surgeons’ laparoscopic performance. MethodsA total of 30 laparoscopic novices participated in this single-center, prospective, randomized cross-over trial after completing a standardized laparoscopic training until reaching proficiency. Afterward, all participants performed four different laparoscopic tasks (peg transfer, circle cutting, balloon resection, suture, and knot) twice, once under noise exposure (intervention group), and once without any noise (control group). Primary endpoints were the force exertion and motion analyses. To assess the psychological workload the NASA task load index score was used. ResultsThe error rates varied and were significantly different between the noise and the control group. More complex tasks like the circle cutting and suture and knot task revealed higher error rates concerning precision (circle cutting: P < 0.01; suture and knot: P < 0.01). In line with increased error rates in the circle cutting task, increased NASA task load index scores were observed in this task (P = 0.03). However, no significant differences were found in force parameters, such as the maximal force exertion (peg transfer: P = 0.43; circle cutting: P = 0.54; balloon resection: P = 0.64; suture and knot: P = 0.63) and the mean force exertion (peg transfer: P = 0.43; circle cutting: P = 0.54; balloon resection: P = 0.64; suture and knot: P = 0.63) between the groups. ConclusionsExposure to normal OR noise led to higher error rates in two of four tasks. This effect could be linked to an increased psychological workload that was present under normal OR noise exposure. However, normal OR noise does not appear to impact surgical novices' laparoscopic task performance regarding applied forces and instrument motion.

Effects of aircraft noise exposure on self-reported health through aircraft noise annoyance: Causal mediation analysis in the DEBATS longitudinal study in France.

Previous studies reported an association between transportation noise and self-reported health status (SRHS). They also suggested a mediating role of noise annoyance using conventional statistical methods. These methods are subject to bias in longitudinal studies with time-dependent exposure, mediator and confounding factors. This study aims to investigate the mediating role of aircraft noise annoyance in the effect of aircraft noise on SRHS using a causal inference approach to address time-dependent variables issues. We used data from 881 participants in all three visits in the DEBATS longitudinal study conducted around three French airports. Participants over 18 years of age reported their self-perceived health status, aircraft noise annoyance, and noise sensitivity by completing a questionnaire at three visits in 2013, 2015 and 2017. Noise maps were used to estimate aircraft noise levels outside their homes. Marginal structural models with inverse probability weighting were used to estimate the total effect of aircraft noise levels on SRHS and its decomposition into direct and indirect effect through aircraft noise annoyance. This study showed a deleterious effect of aircraft noise on SRHS. The odds ratio (OR) corresponding to the total effect and comparing the highest aircraft noise category (≥60 dBA) to the reference category (<50 dBA) was significant (ORpoor/fair_SHRS = 1.25 (95%CI: 1.06 to 2.08)). It also showed no direct effect of aircraft noise levels on SRHS, but an indirect effect through annoyance. This indirect effect increased as aircraft noise levels increased, with a statistically significant OR when comparing the highest noise category (≥60 dBA) to the lowest (<50 dBA) (ORpoor/fair_SHRS = 1.16 (95%CI: 1.03 to 1.52)). Nearly 66% of aircraft noise's effect on SRHS was mediated by aircraft noise annoyance. This study supports the deleterious causal effect of aircraft noise on SRHS. The results highlight the important mediating role of aircraft noise annoyance in the causal pathway from exposure to aircraft noise to poor/fair SRHS.

Calcitriol alleviates noise-induced hearing loss by regulating the ATF3/DUSP1 signalling pathway

BackgroundCalcitriol (Cal) is the most active metabolite of vitamin D and has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of Cal in noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) to further elucidate the mechanism of noise-induced oxidative stress in the mouse cochlea. MethodsC57BL/6 J mice were given six intraperitoneal injections of Cal (500 ng/kg/d). After 14 days of noise exposure, auditory brainstem response (ABR) thresholds, and the cochlear outer hair cell loss rate were analysed to evaluate auditory function. Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR, immunofluorescence and western blotting were performed in vitro after the treatment of cochlear explants with 100 µM tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP) for 2.5 h and HEI-OC1 cells with 250 µM TBHP for 1.5 h. ResultsIn vivo experiments confirmed that Cal pretreatment mitigated NIHL and outer hair cell death. The in vitro results demonstrated that Cal significantly reduced TBHP-induced cochlear auditory nerve fibre degradation and spiral ganglion neuron damage. Moreover, treatment with Cal inhibited the expression of oxidative stress-related factors (3-NT and 4-HNE) and DNA damage-related factors (γ-H2A.X) and attenuated TBHP-induced apoptosis in cochlear explants and HEI-OC1 cells. A total of 1479 upregulated genes and 1443 downregulated genes were screened in cochlear tissue 1 h after noise exposure. The level of transcription factor 3 (ATF3) was significantly elevated in HEI-OC1 cells after TBHP stimulation. Gene Transcription Regulation Database （GTRD）and Cistrome database analyses revealed that the downstream target gene of ATF3 is dual specificity phosphatase 1 (DUSP1). Cistrome DB Toolkit database results showed that the transcription factor of DUSP1 was ATF3. In addition, the ChIP-PCR results indicated that ATF3 might be a direct transcription factor of DUSP1. ConclusionThe results of our study suggest that Cal attenuates NIHL and inhibits noise-induced apoptosis by regulating the ATF3/DUSP1 signalling pathway.

Auditory Spatial Perception as a Function of Recreational Noise Exposure in Gen-Z Adults with Normal Hearing

Auditory Spatial Perception as a Function of Recreational Noise Exposure in Gen-Z Adults with Normal Hearing

A reference learning network for fault diagnosis of rotating machinery under strong noise

The strong noise often masks the fault characteristics of equipment, which reduces the accuracy of fault diagnosis and even leads to the inability of intelligent fault diagnosis algorithms to be applied in industrial environments. This has always been a challenge in the field of mechanical fault diagnosis. As known that equipment failure results from the continuous degradation of the equipment’s state, with the failure state evolving from the healthy state. Considering that both healthy signals and fault signals contain similar noise, this paper proposes a Reference Learning Network (RLNet) model. The model aims to enhance the distinguishing features between healthy and faulty samples through reference units, thereby eliminating the influence of noise on feature distribution. Firstly, the impact of variable speed on the model’s robustness is mitigated using the computed order tracking method. Then, the difference features between healthy samples and a class of fault samples are extracted through the binary classification reference learning unit (RLU). Next, the extracted differential features are used to train the state classifier. Finally, membership weights are employed to effectively combine the feature recognition results, reducing the influence of fault features from mismatched RLUs. The robustness and superiority of the proposed method were verified by comparing it with five other intelligent fault diagnosis methods on the gear and bearing datasets. RLNet is of great significance for the engineering application of intelligent fault diagnosis methods in industrial noise environments.

Sensing noise exposure and its inequality based on noise complaint data through vision-language hybrid method

This study seeks to reveal urban noise exposure patterns and inequalities using noise complaint data and vision-language hybrid method. By applying a natural language processing model to 17,243 noise complaint records, we uncovered distinct patterns of traffic, industrial, and living noise exposures across residential communities. Our analysis of street view images near complaint locations, utilizing a Residual Network (ResNet) model and Class Activation Mapping (CAM), identified the key environmental elements of different noise sources. Notably, our assessment of noise exposure inequality across 9791 communities yielded a counterintuitive finding: contrary to previous studies in Western contexts, rich communities in China experience higher and more unequal noise exposure compared to average communities, with Gini coefficients exceeding 0.8. This unexpected result likely stems from China's unique rapid urbanization process. Our use of crowdsourced complaint data aligns more closely with human subjective perceptions of noise, offering a novel perspective on noise exposure inequality. These findings challenge existing assumptions about the relationship between socioeconomic status and environmental quality in urban China, and have significant implications for urban planning and noise management strategies in rapidly developing cities.