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At least 1,153 records · Page 64Linked to original sources
PubMed1996

Effects of exposure to 16.7 Hz magnetic fields on urinary 6-hydroxymelatonin sulfate excretion of Swiss railway workers.

The aim of our study was to examine the effects of 16.7 Hz electromagnetic-field exposure on pineal melatonin production in healthy humans. The study was based on comparing urinary 6-hydroxymelatonin sulfate (6-OHMS) levels of 108 male railway workers between leisure periods and days following the start of service on electrically powered engines (66 engineers) or working beneath transmission lines (42 railway employees such as train attendants and station managers; controls). A repeated measures design was used, i.e., each volunteer served as his own control. The exposure averaged 20 muTesla in the most exposed workers and around 1 muTesla in the least exposed. Apart from magnetic exposure the workers were subject to a shift work schedule with daily advances between 15 min and 1 hr. Melatonin was assessed by sampling urinary 6-OHMS both in the morning and the early evening. Evening 6-OHMS values appeared to be lowered by a factor of 0.81 (95%CI: 0.73-0.90) during work days compared to leisure days among engine drivers, but not in the controls. The lowering was not confined to certain types of shift work such as early, normal, or late shifts. During subsequent leisure periods evening values recovered significantly, mean ratio = 1.27 (95%CI: 1.03-1.56), i.e., the effects appeared to be reversible. In contrast, morning 6-OHMS samples of engineers and controls did not differ much between work and leisure days. There was, however, a tendency for a rebound of morning values in a leisure period following a work period both for engineers and controls. The observed pattern appears to be in line with predictions of the "phase response curve." No evidence for a dose-response relation was found. The results support the hypothesis that 16.7 Hz magnetic fields alter 6-OHMS excretion in humans exposed to magnetic fields. An alternative explanation that cannot be excluded in this study is that the difference between engineers and controls is due to differential exposure to day light at work.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Annoyance caused by the sounds of a magnetic levitation train.

In a laboratory study, the annoyance caused by the passby sounds from a magnetic levitation (maglev) train was investigated. The listeners were presented with various sound fragments. The task of the listeners was to respond after each presentation to the question: "How annoying would you find the sound in the preceding period if you were exposed to it at home on a regular basis?" The independent variables were (a) the driving speed of the maglev train (varying from 100 to 400 km/h), (b) the outdoor A-weighted sound exposure level (ASEL) of the passbys (varying from 65 to 90 dB), and (c) the simulated outdoor-to-indoor reduction in sound level (windows open or windows closed). As references to the passby sounds from the maglev train (type Transrapid 08), sounds from road traffic (passenger cars and trucks) and more conventional railway (intercity trains) were included for rating also. Four important results were obtained. Provided that the outdoor ASELs were the same, (1) the annoyance was independent of the driving speed of the maglev train, (2) the annoyance caused by the maglev train was considerably higher than that caused by the intercity train, (3) the annoyance caused by the maglev train was hardly different from that caused by road traffic, and (4) the results (1)-(3) held true both for open or closed windows. On the basis of the present results, it might be expected that the sounds are equally annoying if the ASELs of the maglev-train passbys are at least 5 dB lower than those of the intercity train passbys. Consequently, the results of the present experiment do not support application of a railway bonus to the maglev-train sounds.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Noise annoyance from stationary sources: relationships with exposure metric day-evening-night level (DENL) and their confidence intervals.

Relationships between exposure to noise [metric: day-evening-night levels (DENL)] from stationary sources (shunting yards, a seasonal industry, and other industries) and annoyance are presented. Curves are presented for expected annoyance score, the percentage "highly annoyed" (%HA, cutoff at 72 on a scale from 0 to 100), the percentage "annoyed" (%A, cutoff at 50 on a scale from 0 to 100), and the percentage "(at least) a little annoyed" (%LA, cutoff at 28 on a scale from 0 to 100). The estimates of the parameters of the relations are based on the data from a field study (N=1875) at 11 locations (2 shunting yards, 1 seasonal industry, 8 other industries) in the Netherlands. With the same (yearly) DENL, the seasonal industry causes less annoyance than the other industries, while the other industries cause less annoyance than the shunting yards. It appears that annoyance caused by vibrations from shunting yards and annoyance caused by noise from through trains are (partly) responsible for the relatively high annoyance from shunting yards. The relatively low annoyance from the seasonal industry presumably is related to the presence of a relatively quiet period. Results for the two shunting yards and the seasonal industry are based on fewer data than the other industrial sources, and are indicative. The same patterns of influence of age and noise sensitivity that are generally found are also found in this study. For comparison, results regarding transportation sources are also given, including previously unpublished results for expected annoyance.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Relationship between exposure to multiple noise sources and noise annoyance.

Relationships between exposure to noise [metric: day-night level (DNL) or day-evening-night level (DENL)] from a single source (aircraft, road traffic, or railways) and annoyance based on a large international dataset have been published earlier. Also for stationary sources relationships have been assessed. Here the annoyance equivalents model concerning noise annoyance from combined sources and the underlying assumptions are presented. The model first translates the noise from the individual sources into the equally annoying sound levels of a reference source, road traffic, and then sums these levels giving total level L. The annoyance from the combined sources is found by substituting exposure L in the road traffic exposure-annoyance relationship. The most important assumption, independence of the contributions of the sources, is discussed. It appears that independence will be violated substantially only due to the effect of the presence or absence of a quiet side of building which is not incorporated in the model. For use in practice the application of the model is broken down in five steps. The step by step procedure can be used for the assessment of the total noise level and the associated total annoyance on the basis of the DNL or DENL values of the individual sources.

Acoustics↗
PubMed2006

The relationship between railway noise and community annoyance in Korea.

A study of community annoyance caused by exposures to railway noise was carried out in 18 areas along railway lines to accumulate social survey data and assess the relationship between railway noise levels and annoyance responses in Korea. Railway noise levels were measured with portable sound-level meters. Social surveys were administered to people living within 50 m of noise measurement sites. A questionnaire contained demographic factors, degree of noise annoyance, interference with daily activities, and health-related symptoms. The question relating to noise annoyance was answered on an 11-point numerical scale. The randomly selected respondents, who were aged between 18 to 70 years of age, completed the questionnaire independently. In total, 726 respondents participated in social surveys. Taking into consideration the urban structure and layout of the residential areas of Korea, Japan, and Europe, one can assume that the annoyance responses caused by the railway noise in this study will be similar to those found in Japan, which are considerably more severe than those found in European countries. This study showed that one of the most important factors contributing to the difference in the annoyance responses between Korea and Europe is the distance between railways and houses.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Community response to noise: is all noise the same?

There have been nearly a dozen papers published in the last 5 years which compare community response to noise from several different sources such as road and rail traffic. This paper draws on those and other studies to address three questions. First, is the variation in results simply due to random sources or measurement error, such that use of an "average" dose-response curve is appropriate, or is there some identifiable systematic variation? Second, what characteristics of the noise or community might lead to systematic variation, if there is any? Third, under what conditions is it reasonable to use an average function, even if there are systematic variations? Both of the first two questions receive only tentative answers on the basis of available studies. Although the evidence shows different functions for different sources (e.g., rail and road noise), for different types of one source (e.g., air carrier airports and general aviation airports), and even for different studies at the same location (e.g., Heathrow), the evidence is not sufficiently strong to totally reject the idea that all of this is just random variation about an "average" response. As yet, there is no clear identification of what acoustical or community factors explain the differences in response, so it is sensible simply to use the type of source (i.e., road, rail, or air traffic noise) to categorize the differences. The answer to the third question, then, is that an "average" dose-response curve is useful in the face of limited information--that is, when we cannot specify precisely the conditions calling for different functions.

Aircraft↗
PubMed1980

Children in wheelchairs.

Three hundred and seventy-five families replied to a questionnaire about the use of their disabled children's wheelchairs. Many problems were found, such as difficulty in folding the chair and placing it in the car boot and difficulty in using pulbic transport. These families need adequate guidance to anticipate and deal with the problems. Provision of a wheelchair does not solve the mobility problems. The parents are faced with the task of transporting both the disabled child and the wheelchair whenever they want to use their own car or public transport. Ease of folding and lightness are important criteria for wheelchairs carried by cars. Parents need careful guidance about selecting suitable cars and also need to be shown how to lift the chairs without endangering their backs. Such advice should be provided by every wheelchair clinic and assessment and rehabilitation certre.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

Study of 100 patients injured by London underground trains 1981-6.

One hundred patients who were injured by London underground trains during 1981-6 were studied; 43 of them died. Deliberate self harm was probable in roughly three quarters. Alcohol intoxication was thought to play an important part in a further tenth of cases. Thirteen were psychiatric inpatients at the time of the incident, and a further two had recently been discharged. Early warning of a potential suicide attempt was given during the 24 hours preceding the incident in 15 of the cases. Some of the deaths in the psychiatric patients may have been preventable.

Accidents↗
PubMed1975

Moorgate tube train disaster. Part 1-Response of medical services.

Experience of the medical staff at a major subterranean accident scene showed that there appeared to be a substantial advantage in using site medical teams that could offer anaesthetic facilities. The need for adequate communication from the accident site to the hospital is emphasized.

Blood Transfusion↗
PubMed1975

Moorgate tube train disaster. Part II. Clinicopathological review.

A review of the injuries sustained by the 113 casualties of the Moorgate tube train disaster has shown the need for rapid evacuation of casualties. Recognition of the "crush syndrome" and its early consequence, hyperkalaemia, is important and a radical surgical approach is suggested. Chest injuries were common and contributed to many of the deaths.

Abdominal Injuries↗
PubMed1991

Off the rails.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Alcohol Drinking↗
PubMed1996

Caring for Older People. Public transport.

Most older people are mobile and able to use public transport without any problems. Those who are hard of hearing or have poor vision and those with mobility problems need not be deterred from using public transport. Though the design and provision of suitable buses, taxis, and trains is not always optimum, many now have imaginative features to help older passengers. Travel by air and sea needs extra planning for disabled elderly people, but helpful advice is available and much can be done to enable even the most disabled traveller to make long journeys confidently and in comfort.

Aged↗