ABSTRACT
Many studies have shown the significant correlation between noise annoyance and noise sensitivity identified by Weinstein's noise sensitivity scale (WNS). However, the validity of the scale has not been sufficiently assessed. This study was designed to investigate the validity of each question in WNS and to develop a more valid noise sensitivity measurement scale. A questionnaire study was conducted in a residential area along trunk roads in Kusatsu, Japan, and 301 responses were collected. In this paper, noise sensitivity was defined as the factor that induced individual variability in reactions caused by noise exposure and that is not affected by the noise exposure. The relationship between noise exposure and answers to each question in WNS was investigated by multiple logistic regression analysis, and the influence of response bias on the score of WNS was examined. The results showed that WNS contained some questions that were inappropriately related to noise exposure level and that the score was affected by response bias. The reported correlation between annoyance and the score of WNS could be confounded by noise exposure and response bias. A noise sensitivity measurement scale named WNS-6B was newly developed, excluding the biased questions from the original WNS and applying binary coding to six-response options in order to reduce the response bias. WNS-6B seemed to be more appropriate to assess noise sensitivity than the original scale.
Subject(s)
Adult , Aged , Female , Humans , Japan , Loudness Perception , Male , Middle Aged , Noise/adverse effects , Psychometrics , Surveys and Questionnaires/standards , Sensory ThresholdsABSTRACT
To examine the possible age-related blood pressure (BP) deregulation in response to central hypervolemia, we measured spontaneous baroreflex sensitivity (SBRS), carotid arterial compliance (CC), and R-R interval coefficient of variation (RRICV) during basal and thermoneutral resting head-out-of-water immersion (HOWI) in 7 young (YG = 24.0 ± 0.8 years) and 6 middle-aged/older (OL = 59.3 ± 1.3 years) healthy men. Compared with basal conditions (YG = 19.6 ± 4.0 vs OL = 6.1 ± 1.5 ms/mmHg, P < 0.05), SBRS remained higher in YG than OL during rest HOWI (YG = 23.6 ± 6.6 vs OL = 9.3 ± 2.1 ms/mmHg, P < 0.05). The RRICV was significantly different between groups (YG = 6.5 ± 1.4 vs OL = 2.8 ± 0.4 percent, P < 0.05) under HOWI. The OL group had no increase in CC, but a significant increase in systolic BP (basal = 115.3 ± 4.4 vs water = 129.3 ± 5.3 mmHg, P < 0.05) under HOWI. In contrast, the YG group had a significant increase in CC (basal = 0.16 ± 0.01 vs water = 0.17 ± 0.02 mm²/mmHg, P < 0.05) with no changes in systolic BP. SBRS was positively related to CC (r = 0.58, P < 0.05 for basal vs r = 0.62, P < 0.05 for water). Our data suggest that age-related vagal dysfunction and reduced CC may be associated with SBRS differences between YG and OL groups, and with BP elevation during HOWI in healthy older men.
Subject(s)
Adult , Aged , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Aging/physiology , Baroreflex/physiology , Carotid Arteries/physiology , Immersion , Rest/physiology , Age Factors , Blood Pressure/physiology , Carotid Arteries/anatomy & histology , Electrocardiography , Hypovolemia , Heart Rate/physiologyABSTRACT
The association of aircraft noise exposure with cognitive performance was examined by means of a cross-sectional field survey. Two hundred thirty six children attending 10 primary schools around Heathrow Airport in west London were tested on reading comprehension, immediate/delayed recall and sustained attention. In order to obtain the information about their background, a questionnaire was delivered to the parents and 163 answers were collected. Logistic regression models were used to assess performance on the cognitive tests in relation to aircraft noise exposure at home and possible individual and school level confounding factors. A significant dose-response relationship was found between aircraft noise exposure at home and performance on memory tests of immediate/delayed recall. However there was no strong association with the other cognitive outcomes. These results suggest that aircraft noise exposure at home may affect children's memory.
Subject(s)
Aircraft , Attention/physiology , Child , Comprehension/physiology , Cross-Sectional Studies , Data Collection , Environmental Exposure/adverse effects , Female , Humans , London , Male , Mental Recall/physiology , Noise, Transportation/adverse effects , Surveys and Questionnaires , Reading , Schools , Urban HealthABSTRACT
The genome of Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv contains three contiguous genes (plc-a, plc-b and plc-c) which are similar to the Pseudomonas aeruginosa phospholipase C (PLC) genes. Expression of mycobacterial PLC-a and PLC-b in E. coli and M. smegmatis has been reported, whereas expression of the native proteins in M. tuberculosis H37Rv has not been demonstrated. The objective of the present study was to demonstrate that native PLC-a is expressed in M. tuberculosis H37Rv. Sera from mice immunized with recombinant PLC-a expressed in E. coli were used in immunoblots to evaluate PLC-a expression. The immune serum recognized a 49-kDa protein in immunoblots against M. tuberculosis extracts. No bands were visible in M. tuberculosis culture supernatants or extracts from M. avium, M. bovis and M. smegmatis. A 550-bp DNA fragment upstream of plc-a was cloned in the pJEM12 vector and the existence of a functional promoter was evaluated by detection of ß-galactosidase activity. ß-Galactosidase activity was detected in M. smegmatis transformed with recombinant pJEM12 grown in vitro and inside macrophages. The putative promoter was active both in vitro and in vivo, suggesting that expression is constitutive. In conclusion, expression of non-secreted native PLC-a was demonstrated in M. tuberculosis