جستجوی مقالات مرتبط با کلیدواژه « Noise » در نشریات گروه « پزشکی »

Drivers have a significant role in transporting and moving goods using heavy vehicles. These drivers are exposed to various complications including hearing loss, due to long journeys and constant exposure to road noise. Considering the importance of preventing hearing loss, this study was conducted to determine the occupational exposure of truck drivers to noise and its effect on noise‑induced hearing loss.

This cross‑sectional‑analytical study was conducted on 692 truck drivers of 16 types of heavy vehicles in Iran. The hearing status of the truck drivers was measured in the right and left ears using a Welton 1300 clinical audiometer in a soundproof room based on the guidelines provided by the American Speech–Language–Hearing Association. The equivalent sound pressure level (LAeq) in the truck driver’s cabin was measured by a sound meter with a CEL‑440 analyzer model and according to the standard (ISO 9612 1997) in A‑frequency weighting. Finally, using SPSS V‑26, the prevalence of hearing loss, the amount of hearing loss in different frequencies, and its relationship with exposure to noise in different frequencies were investigated.

The mean ± standard deviation LAeq in the examined truck was determined as 75.89 ± 5.98. The highest average LAeq was related to the frequency of 500 Hz with 62.76 dBA. The average LAeq was generally higher at lower frequencies (250, 500, and 1000). The prevalence of hearing loss in the right and left ears was estimated at 59.98% and 64.74%, respectively. The highest average hearing loss in the right and left ears was related to 6000 and 8000 Hz frequencies. There was a statistically significant difference between the LAeq inside the truck’s cabin with hearing loss compared to people without hearing loss in the right and left ears (P < 0.001). A statistically significant relationship between LAeq at different frequencies in different truck brands with hearing loss at different frequencies in the right and left ears was observed in the majority of trucks in reverse (P < 0.05). A significant relationship was observed between age and work experience with hearing loss in the right and left ears (P < 0.001).

Truck drivers suffer from a high level of hearing loss which is very similar to any industrial worker with high frequencies such as 4000 and 6000 Hz. Despite the lack of frequency relation between noise and hearing loss, increasing age, work experience, and noise exposure, regardless of frequency, can lead to increased hearing loss in these truck drivers, especially in the left ear. The appropriate cabin design, regular maintenance of vehicles, use of personal protective equipment, reduction of driving hours, and periodic annual examinations of drivers are suggested to prevent further progress of hearing loss in them.

Some voxels may alter the tractography results due to unintentional alteration of noises and other unwanted factors. This study aimed to investigate the effect of local phase features on tractography results providing data are mixed by a Gaussian or random distribution noise. In this simulation study, a mask was firstly designed based on the local phase features to decrease false-negative and -positive tractography results. The local phase features are calculated according to the local structures of images, which can be zero-dimensional, meaning just one point (equivalent to noise in tractography algorithm), a line (equivalent to a simple fiber), or an edge (equivalent to structures more complex than a simple fiber). A digital phantom evaluated the feasibility current model with the maximum complexities of configurations in fibers, including crossing fibers. In this paper, the diffusion images were mixed separately by a Gaussian or random distribution noise in 2 forms: a zero-mean noise and a noise with a mean of data. The local mask eliminates the pixels of unfitted values with the main structures of images, due to noise or other interferer factors.  The local phase features of diffusion images are an innovative solution to determine principal diffusion directions.

The prevalence of multiple health hazards in various industries is on the rise, with noise and heat being common harmful factors in industrial environments in Iran. This study aimed to examine the immediate effects of simultaneous exposure to thermal stress and noise on human brain waves and perceived workload. Seventy-two students (36 men and 36 women) participated voluntarily in this study. Participants were subjected to varying levels of noise exposure, including four noise levels and heat stress (three levels of Wet Bulb Globe Temperature) for 30 minutes each. EEG recordings were conducted for 10 minutes, with participants allowed a 30-minute rest period between each test condition. The combined exposure to noise and heat at two high levels (SPL95+WBGT34 and SPL95+WBGT29) resulted in a significant increase in perceived mental workload compared to the baseline state (P<0.05). EEG analysis indicated a decrease in absolute alpha power in the two high-level conditions compared to the baseline (t<0), while absolute beta power showed a significant increase in the two high-level conditions compared to the baseline mode (SPL45+WBGT22). The study demonstrated that simultaneous exposure to noise and heat, leading to an elevated perceived mental workload, was associated with decreased absolute alpha power and increased absolute beta power in the frontal and occipital regions. These findings suggest that these changes serve as reliable indicators of cognitive and physiological performance.

The control of environmental noise pollution has been hampered by lack of sufficient knowledge of its effect on human. Noise pollution is associated with several health conditions and affects both health and behavior. This study evaluated the noise pollution level in selected market and motor parks in local government areas in Delta State. The physical parameters were measured using a digital sound level meter and a mobilebased global positioning system (GPS), in September 2021. To determine noise pollution all over the city, the noise measurements were collected in the morning and evening. The selected areas of the study were market places, road junctions/busy roads and passenger loading parks. The noise pollution levels were measured in Ogwashi-Uku Market, Ogwashi-Uku Motor Park, Nwasi Motor Park, Ibusa Market, Central Motor Park Asaba, Delta Line Park Asaba, Onitsha Park and Oko Market Asaba. The results showed that the average pollution level in the morning hours were 89.33, 90.1, 90.3, 91.72, 86.59, 90.11, 92.15 and 90.3 dB in Ogwashi-Uku Market, Ogwashi-Uku Motor Park, Nwasi Motor Park, Ibusa Market, Central Motor Park Asaba, Delta Line Park Asaba, Onitsha Park and Oko market Asaba, respectively. In the evening, the corresponding measured values were 83.65, 74.90, 90.04, 90.90, 85.07, 83.44 and 91.79 dB respectively. These values were higher than the Federal Environmental Protection Agency (FEPA) and World Health Organization (WHO) standard limits for outdoor environment. The people who are working and living in the areas under study may be at risk of noise related health hazard due to continuous daily exposure.

Noise pollution is one of the known harmful factors in workplaces. Noise can have different psychological consequences. Noise annoyance (NA) and noise sensitivity (NS) are seen as mediators in the study of noise impacts. The present study was conducted to investigate the association between NA and NS with psychological distress (PD).

This cross-sectional study was conducted among 115 textile workers. The sampling method was stratified random sampling. Noise exposure (NE) was determined by a noise dosimeter. NA, NS, and PD were assessed using Noise Annoyance Scale (NAS), Weinstein's Noise Sensitivity Scale (WNSS), and Kessler Psychological Distress Scale, respectively. Data analysis was performed in SPSS-22 software.

The median (interquartile range) of NA was equal to 7 (3). The mean (standard deviation) of NS was equal to 66.33 (15.76). The results showed that there is a positive and significant association between equivalent sound level, and PD (P=0.01, r = 0.23). The results of our study showed that PD had a significant difference in diverse levels of NA (P=0.01) and NS (P<0.001).

In general, the annoyance caused by NA and NS can affect people's PD. Therefore, it is suggested to pay attention to these factors in studying the consequences of noise exposure.

Numerous physical and chemical agents can induce destructive effects on the brain tissue. Noise and toluene, which are some of these harmful agents, have significant adverse effects on the brain tissue. This work aimed to investigate the neurotoxic changes induced by co-exposure to toluene and noise. 

A total of 24 male white New Zealand rabbits were randomly segregated into four groups, including toluene exposure, noise exposure, co-exposure to noise and toluene, and control. This in vivo study tested the neurotoxic effects of exposure to 1000 ppm toluene and 100 dB noise during two weeks (8 h/day). The serum levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor-α (BDNF-α), malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) values in the brain tissue were measured. Moreover, hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining was utilized for brain pathological analysis.

Exposure to noise increased TAC values in the cerebral cortex. Co-exposure to toluene and noise increased the serum levels of BDNF-α. Nevertheless, exposure to noise decreased the levels of BDNF-α in serum. On the other hand, histopathological examinations using H&E staining exhibited that different signs of inflammation, such as lymphocyte infiltration, pyknosis, vacuolization, and chromatolysis were induced by exposure to noise and toluene in the cerebellum, hippocampus, and frontal section in the brain tissue. In addition, simultaneous exposure to toluene and noise induced antagonistic and synergistic changes in some neurotoxic parameters.

Exposure to noise and toluene, which caused inflammation in the brain tissue cells, could be a noticeable risk factor for the neurological system.

There is evidence of associations between noise exposure and psychological outcomes from noise annoyance. This study aims to examine the mediating role of noise annoyance in the relationship of noise exposure with Emotional Intelligence (EI) and Cognitive Emotion Regulation (CER).

This is a cross-sectional study that was conducted on 58 male workers of a lead mine in Yazd, Iran. Noise exposure was determined based on ISO 9612:2009. Noise annoyance was assessed using the ISO/TS 15666:2003’s numerical rating scale. The Schutte Self-Report Emotional Intelligence Test (modified version) and the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ) were used for data collection. Mann-Whitney U test, correlation test, and Generalized Structural Equation Modeling (GSEM) were used to analyze the data.

The mean age of workers was 35.78±7.10 years. A significant relationship was found between noise annoyance and noise exposure, such that a unit increase in noise exposure had a multiplicative effect on the odds of experiencing more annoyance (p<0.001). Also, for every one-unit increase in noise annoyance, mean scores for EI and CER decreased by 0.192 and 0.172, respectively.

Noise exposure is directly related to noise annoyance and indirectly related to EI and CER. Further studies in this area are recommended to clarify the issue and the relationships between these variables.

Noise pollution from various internal and external sources affects people's behaviors and job performance. The current study investigated the effects of noise pollution on annoyance, aggression, and cognitive failures.

This descriptive study was conducted in 2020-2021 recruiting 400 employees of Tejarat Bank in Tehran. First, questionnaires of cognitive failures, noise annoyance, sensitivity, aggression, and demographic information were completed by the study staff. Next, association between the variables were determined. Finally, using Bayesian models, the association between variables were modeled and important factors were identified using sensitivity analysis.

Based on the results, the mean scores of noise exposure, annoyance, sensitivity, aggression and cognitive failures were 62.86 ± 6.66, 57.74 ± 23.47, 68.26 ± 17.94, 71.19 ±12.68, and 46.83 ± 12.00, respectively. Of all the variables, only annoyance and noise sensitivity had significant effect on aggression. The factors of accuracy, precision, and recall of the Bayesian model were 0.8, 0.89, and 0.96, respectively, which indicates the appropriate diagnostic performance of the model.

Based on our findings, it can be concluded that noise annoyance increases the likelihood of cognitive failures, so that the highest probability of cognitive failures occurs when people are annoyed. In addition, because people with higher noise exposure and higher education experience more annoyance, it can be concluded that the variables of education and noise exposure cause cognitive failures through annoyance.

Printing industry workers face hazards from noise and lead exposure. This study investigates the combined effects of lead and noise on malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in these workers, as previous research has focused on isolated effects. This study aimed at assessing the impact of simultaneous lead and noise exposure on the health of people working in the printing industry.

Using TENMARS ELECTRONICS sound-meter following ISO9612:2009, malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were measured using Buege and Aust spectrophotometer Model CE1010 CECIL series 1000. Blood lead analysis followed NIOSH8003 method. Data were statistically analyzed using SPSS 20.0 with Pearson and ANOVA tests. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was employed to check the normality of the data.

The study found that the die-cut unit had significantly higher daily noise exposure (mean ± standard deviation = 87.71 ± 1.469 dB) compared to other units. Additionally, the printing unit had significantly higher lead concentration (mean ± standard deviation = 0.1431 ± 0.02 ppb) and malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration (mean ± standard deviation = 0.9963 ± 0.238 mmol/lit) compared to other units.

The study found a strong link between blood lead levels and malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration in printing industry workers. However, no significant correlation was found between MDA levels and noise exposure or the combined exposure to noise and lead. These findings emphasize the need to address lead exposure in the printing industry to protect workers' health and prevent elevated MDA levels.

Knowing the root causes of air pollution in urban areas will determine the next actions to take. Analyzing the impact caused by air pollution will make it easier to determine the control efforts to be carried out. Determining control objectives makes the efforts more targeted. Air pollution can be controlled through abiotic, biotic, and cultural factors.

Primary data collection was carried out and used secondary data. This study aimed to find the causes of air pollution in urban areas using the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats analysis method so that it can see what efforts are appropriate to do.

It was revealed that the government’s efforts to control air pollution have been carried out continuously and in multi-sectoral ways, but the socialization of the impact of air pollution has not been conveyed to the community continuously and has not been on target.

Noise and dust are still the main problems affecting air quality in urban areas. Another problem is in human behavior as an affected and interested party. The potential for controlling air pollution can be carried out by combining the strengths and opportunities that are owned optimally and multi-sectorally.

Speech perception is an important auditory need. A test that can evaluate the function of the auditory brain in discovering consonants and understanding meanings in Persian language is necessary. Therefore, this study aims to determine the norm values of the Word-in-Noise Perception (WINP) test for Iranian people aged 18–25 years.

In this study, participants were 101 people with normal hearing, stress level, night sleep, and mini-mental states. The measures were the 28-item general health questionnaire, mini-mental state examination, Petersburg sleep quality index, acoustic immittance assessment, pure tone audiometry, speech reception threshold evaluation, and the WINP test with Homotonic-Monosyllabic Words (HMWs). Data analysis was performed using the Mann-Whitney U test.

The mean scores of the WINP test at three Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNRs) of 0, +5, +10 dB were 53.14%, 68.15%, 88.70% for the right ear; 52.95%, 67.83%, 88.13% for the left ear; and 53%, 68%, 88% for both ears, respectively. The mean scores of the right ear were higher than those of the left ear, and the women’s scores were higher compared to men; however, the differences were not statically significant.

By using the WINP test with the HMWs, it is possible to evaluate the function of the auditory brain in understanding the consonants in Persian language. The WINP test scores are similar between both ears and both sexes.

Noise pollution is a serious issue in hospitals, especially in emergency departments where high noise levels from emergency patients and treatments can negatively affect medical personnel and patients. This study aimed to measure noise levels during day and night shifts in three major hospitals affiliated with Tehran University of Medical Sciences (Imam Khomeini, Shariati, and Sina hospitals) and investigate the level of annoyance experienced by medical staff.

In this cross-sectional studyTES-1351B sound level meter was used to measure sound pressure levels and the measurement stations were determined according to ISO 9612 standard. A general questionnaire was used to determine demographic characteristics. Also, by a valid self-reporting questionnaire, the feeling about environmental noise intensity and noise annoyance was measured. Statistical analysis was done by SPSS software using ANOVA and t-test.

The average sound pressure level in the emergency departments of the studied hospitals was 67.940±7.70 dB. Significant differences were found between morning and evening shift noise levels. (p-value=0.001). The highest average sound pressure level occurred during the evening shift with an average of 72.382±4.35 db. Also, there was a significant difference between the feeling about environmental noise intensity and noise annoyance in Imam Khomeini and Sinai hospitals respectively, (p-value=0.037) (p-value=0.011).

The study concludes that noise pollution in the emergency departments of these hospitals needs attention. Implementing administrative and technical-engineering measures to reduce noise pollution is essential to enhance the well-being of medical staff and patients and ensure a more satisfactory healthcare environment.

This study aimed to determine the preventive effect of N-Acetylcysteine (NAC) against continuous noise-induced hearing loss.

A total of 24 adult male Wistar rats were randomly assigned into 4 groups of 6 animals: control, noise, noise and NAC, noise and saline. Animals were subjected to 102 dB (102±0.5) of continuous, 8 kHz-centered high pass white noise. For two days before to noise, one hour prior to noise for ten days in a row, and two days after noise, NAC (325 mg/kg) was intraperitoneally administered. Temporary and permanent hearing loss were assessed by pre and post noise (1, 7 and 21 days) recordings of distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs).

Amplitudes was temporally reduced significantly first day post noise exposure in all groups, and all frequencies (P<0.05). The initial and subsequent recovery was more pronounced in noise-exposed animal treated with NAC compared to those received noise and saline, especially in higher frequencies (P<0.05). Noise and NAC group experienced less permanent hearing loss than noise and saline group (P<0.05).

NAC could partially improve permanent hearing loss after noise exposure However, temporary hearing loss was not affected by NAC.

There are considerable opium addicts, particularly among workers in Iran's industrial sectors. This study aimed to investigate the effects of simultaneous exposure to excessive noise and opium addiction on adult rat sperm parameters.

In this experimental study 42 adult Wistar male rats in 6 groups were studied as follows: group 1 control, group 2 exposed to noise (100 dB) 8 h/day, group 3 received daily 50 mg/case opium solution, group 4 received daily 100 mg/case opium solution, group 5 received daily 50 mg/case opium solution and exposed to noise 8h/day, and group 6 received daily 100 mg/case opium solution and exposed to noise 8h/day. After 50 days, cauda epididymis was removed for sperm parameters examination (WHO guidelines).

In the groups receiving opium (50 and 100 mg/case), sperm count, sperm viability, and normal sperm morphology (%) significantly decreased compared to the control group. Exposure to noise and consumption of opium solution simultaneously significantly reduced the count, viability, and percentage of sperm with normal morphology in both selected doses, as well as a significant difference between groups 5 and 6 in count, viability, and normal sperm morphology(%) parameters(P<0.05).

According to the results, noise exposure and taking opium would actively reduce the count, viability, and normal sperm morphology. It is therefore suggested that the mechanism of such effects should be investigated in animal and human studies.

Many people are exposed to cigarette smoke actively or passively. We aimed to determine the effect of active and passive smoking on hearing thresholds and hearing loss noise-exposed workers.

This cross-sectional study was conducted on 929 metal workers. We divided the workers into 3 groups according to smoking status—current smokers, nonsmokers, and passive smokers. Audiometric testing was recorded for both ears. Hearing loss was defined by 3 models. The SPSS software Version 24 was used to analyze the collected data. We used an independent t test, chi-square, Fisher exact, and analysis of variance tests and logistic regression, and the significance level was set at P ˂0.05 to interpret the relationships between variables.

The hearing threshold levels at 4000 Hz, high frequencies, and low frequencies were significantly higher in smokers than nonsmokers (P < 0.05). Also, and hearing loss at the 4000 Hz (P = 0.002; odds ratio [OR] = 1.96; 95% CI = 1.27-3.03) and high frequencies (P = 0.001; OR = 2.15; 95% CI = 1.36-3.4) had a significant correlation with smoking. Hearing loss was significantly correlated with passive smoking at 4000 Hz (P < 0.001; OR = 5.87; 95% CI = 3.29-10.47), high frequencies (P < 0.001; OR = 7.16; 95% CI = 3.97-12.89) and low frequencies (P = 0.021; OR = 4.16; 95% CI = 1.12-15.43).

The findings show that active and passive smokers who work in noisy environments are at higher risk for noise-induced hearing loss. Therefore, smoking cessation in smoker workers and reduction of environmental exposure to cigarette smoke is necessary to reduce the exacerbation of hearing loss. Moreover, more attention should be paid to passive smokers and they should be given priority in the same programs.