The present study aims to explore the effects of noise sensitivity on psychophysiological responses to floor impact noises and road traffic noise. A standard impact source (i.e. an impact ball) and ...two real impact sources (i.e. an adult's walking and a child's running) were used to record floor impact noises, while road traffic noise was introduced as an outdoor noise stimulus. A total of 34 subjects were recruited based on their self-rated noise sensitivity and classified into low and high noise sensitivity groups. During the laboratory experiments, all the noise stimuli were presented for 5 min each, and the subjects rated their annoyance with each stimulus at the end of each session. Their physiological responses (heart rate: HR, electrodermal activity: EDA, and respiratory rate: RR) were measured throughout the experiment. The obtained noise annoyance ratings increased with increasing noise levels for all the sources, and the high noise sensitivity group exhibited higher annoyance ratings than the low noise sensitivity group. All physiological measures varied significantly with the duration of noise exposure. In particular, the EDA and RR values decreased sharply after 30 s, demonstrating strong habituation over time. Noise sensitivity was found to significantly affect physiological responses, whereas noise levels showed no significant influence.
•High noise sensitivity group exhibited higher noise annoyance than low noise sensitivity group.•Electrodermal activity and respiration rate decreased sharply after 30s, demonstrating strong habituation over time.•High noise sensitivity group showed more pronounced changes in the physiological responses.•The physiological responses were not affected by the type of noise source and the sound pressure level.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZRSKP
The present study analysed the effects of floor impact noise on humans using both psychological and physiological methods. Floor impact noises caused by a standard impact source (i.e. impact ball) ...and five real impact sources (e.g., human footsteps and dropped objects) were recorded as sound stimuli. During the laboratory experiments, two factors that impact psychophysiological responses were considered: (1) types of impact sources (standard or real sources) and (2) the levels of floor impact noise ranging from 31.5 to 63 dBA in terms of A-weighted maximum sound pressure level (LAFmax). Twenty-one normal-hearing subjects were then asked to judge the noticeability and annoyance caused by the floor impact noises. Meanwhile, the subjects' physiological responses (heart rate: HR, electrodermal activity: EDA, and respiration rate: RR) were monitored throughout the experiments. Noise annoyance and noticeability increased with increases in noise levels, the impact ball resulted in higher noticeability and annoyance ratings than real sources. All physiological measures varied significantly with noise exposure; HR decreased, whereas EDA and RR increased. The results show that the physiological responses were not affected by the type of noise source. In addition, the noise level was found to be significantly related to EDA and RR changes, whereas the relationship between the noise level and HR was not found to be significant.
•Noise annoyance and noticeability increased with increases in noise levels.•Physiological measures (HR, EDA, and RR) varied significantly with floor noise exposure.•Physiological responses were not affected by the type of noise source (standard or real sources).•The noise level was found to be significantly related to EDA and RR changes.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZRSKP
•Noise levels in all the patient rooms were more than the WHO guidelines, varying from 51.1 to 60.3 dBA.•Most dominant noise sources were talking/voices, door-closing, footsteps, and general ...activities.•Footsteps became an unexpected dominant noise source during the pandemic.•Talking/voices produced the highest maximum median values of the sound exposure level (SEL) and the maximum noise level at all sites.
This study aims to investigate the typical noise levels and noise sources in an intensive care unit (ICU) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Acoustic experiments were conducted over 24 hrs in patient wards and at nurse stations in four Chinese hospitals. From the measurements, noise levels and sources were analysed in terms of the A-weighted equivalent sound pressure levels (LAeq) and A-weighted maximum Fast time-weighted sound pressure levels (LAFmax) over three different time periods during the day (i.e. day, evening and night). Overall, noise levels (LAeq) for 24 hrs in all hospitals exceeded the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) guide levels, varying from 51.1 to 60.3 dBA. The highest maximum noise level reached 104.2 dBA. The single-bedded wards (side rooms) were quieter than multi-bedded wards, and night time noise levels were quieter than daytime and evening across all hospitals. It was observed that the most dominant noise sources were talking/voices, door-closing, footsteps, and general activities (e.g. noise from cleaning equipment and cutlery sound). Footsteps became an unexpected dominant noise source during the pandemic because of the staff’s disposable shoe covers which made footsteps noisier. Patient alarms and coughing varied significantly between patients. Talking/voices produced the highest maximum median values of the sound exposure level (SEL) and the maximum noise level at all sites. Noise levels in all the patient rooms were more than the WHO guidelines. The pandemic control guidelines had little impact on the noise levels in the ICUs.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
This study aimed to investigate the voice use of nurses working in intensive care units (ICUs) and their perception of acoustic environments.
The research was conducted in four different hospitals in ...China during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 60 ICU nurses were recruited for their voice use monitoring and 100 nurses participated in the survey.
Firstly, voice-related parameters such as voice level (SPL, dB), fundamental frequency (F0, Hz), and voicing time percentage (Dt, %) were measured using a vocal monitor. To collect data, a non-invasive accelerometer was attached to the participants' necks during their working hours. Secondly, the perception of the ICU acoustic environment was assessed using semantic differential.
The results showed that nurses spoke approximately 0.9–4 dB louder to patients and colleagues in ICUs compared to quiet rooms, and their fundamental frequency (F0) significantly increased during work. The voice levels of nurses were influenced by background noise levels, with a significant correlation coefficient of 0.44 (p < 0.01). Furthermore, the background noise levels ranged from 58.1 to 73.9 dBA, exceeding the guideline values set by the World Health Organisation (WHO). The semantic differential analysis identified ‘Stress’ and ‘Irritation’ as the two main components, indicating the prevalence of negative experiences within ICUs.
This study highlights the potential risk of voice disorders among ICU nurses. The findings also underscore the importance of implementing strategies to reduce noise levels in ICUs to reduce voice disorders among nurses.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
•The combined audio-visual presentation led to a greater recovery than the no audio condition.•The 360-degree VR led to a greater recovery than the monitor screen condition.•The rural scenes led to a ...greater recovery than the urban scene.•The view of water stream led to a greater recovery when it was presented with the sound.
This study examined the effects of aural and visual experience on psycho-physiological recovery in simulated environments. Laboratory experiments were conducted with 32 participants. Ten horror videos were used as stressor clips, while five videos depicted urban or rural settings as recovery clips. The videos were presented via VR (head-mounted display) and on a monitor screen. The effect of the audio presentation was tested by presenting the stimuli with or without sound. Psychological recovery was assessed using a set of questions (e.g., perceived preference). Physiological recovery was measured with five physiological responses (e.g., fEMG and HR) monitored throughout the experiment. It was found that the rural setting led to a better psycho-physiological recovery than the urban setting when the stimuli were presented both in the VR and Screen conditions. In particular, the rural setting with water features evoked the greatest recovery. The rural setting presented with water sound showed significant differences in psychological recovery between Audio-Visual and No-Audio conditions. Compared to the Screen condition, stimuli presented in the VR condition did not have any main effect on the psychological recovery; however, it showed main effects on some of the physiological responses. The audio presentation had significant impacts on all psychological recovery ratings but it showed an impact on only one physiological response, fEMG of the zygomatic muscle.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
This study explored electroencephalogram (EEG) alpha waves (α-EEG) in response to neighbours’ sounds in wood residential buildings. Experiments were carried out in a laboratory to collect α-EEG data ...in distinct acoustics scenarios. A series of impact and airborne sounds were generated using loudspeakers and subwoofers, while the participants sat comfortably in a simulated living room wearing EEG headsets. Impact sounds were those of footsteps of adults walking on floors equipped with different timber floor configurations, whereas airborne sounds were of speech and music digitally filtered to resemble the good and poor sound insulation performances of lightweight vertical partitions. The sound sources were presented both individually and in combination (e.g. footsteps combined with music or speech). Noise sensitivity and attitudes towards neighbours were introduced as non-acoustic factors. The study highlighted significantly higher α-EEG in response to footsteps heard through floors characterised by low impact sound pressure levels (SPL) and to music heard through partition walls with low sound reduction indices. The effective duration of the autocorrelation function, τe, was computed to investigate subjective preference, and significant differences between sounds heard at various SPLs were identified for speech and music. Footsteps sounds in combination with an airborne source elicited higher α-EEG when compared to single footsteps sounds. Participants with self-reported low noise-sensitivity and positive attitude towards neighbours showed significantly larger α-EEG responses when exposed to sounds from neighbours than those who had high noise-sensitivity and negative attitude towards neighbours.
•Footsteps sounds heard through floor with good sound insulation resulted in significantly higher α-EEG.•Significant differences in τe were identified between speech and music heard through various partitions.•Listening to combined sounds elicited higher α-EEG when compared to exposure to single footsteps sounds.•Participants who self reported low noise-sensitivity and positive attitude towards neighbours showed larger α-EEG.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZRSKP
The goal of the present study is to characterize water sounds that can be used in urban open spaces to mask road traffic noise. Sounds and visual images of a number of water features located in urban ...open places were obtained and subsequently analyzed in terms of psychoacoustical metrics and acoustical measures. Laboratory experiments were then conducted to investigate which water sound is appropriate for masking urban noise. The experiments consisted of two sessions: (1) Audio-only condition and (2) combined audio-visual condition. Subjective responses to stimuli were rated through the use of preference scores and 15 adjectives. The results of the experiments revealed that preference scores for the urban soundscape were affected by the acoustical characteristics of water sounds and visual images of water features; Sharpness that was used to explain the spectral envelopes of water sounds was proved to be a dominant factor for urban soundscape perception; and preferences regarding the urban soundscape were significantly related to adjectives describing "freshness" and "calmness."
Epidemiological studies have demonstrated that transportation noise is associated with blood pressure and hypertension, but little is known about its relationship in the adults living in multi-storey ...residential buildings, where neighbour noise is frequently heard. This study aimed to investigate the effects of transportation noise exposure on blood pressure in 400 adult residents of multi-storey residential buildings and modifying effects of indoor noise annoyance and self-rated noise sensitivity on the associations between transportation noise and blood pressure. Noise levels were measured on the top of buildings for 24 h, and levels of each house unit were then predicted for different sources and periods using noise maps. Adjusted linear regression analyses were performed to estimate the associations of noise exposure levels (LDEN, LDay, and LNight) with systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP). The questionnaire also included questions related to annoyance caused by indoor noise, noise sensitivity, and sociodemographic variables. Adjusted regression models yielded significant effect estimates for a 5-dBA increase in overall transportation noise for 24 h (SBP β = 0.20; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.25–1.81; DBP β = 0.16; 95% CI: 0.12–0.93). The overall (road traffic and railway noise) and road traffic noises showed stronger associations with the SBP than with the DBP, while the railway noise had similar associations with the SBP and the DBP. Stronger associations were estimated for the participants who reported higher indoor noise annoyance ratings. Furthermore, the regression coefficients between the noise exposure and blood pressure slightly increased (β = 0.26 and 0.22 for overall and road traffic noise, respectively for SBP) in a subgroup that excluded participants exposed to high railway noise. The results lend some support to the hypothesis that long-term exposure to transportation noise is associated with a higher blood pressure in adults living in multi-storey residential buildings.
•The overall (road traffic and railway) and road traffic noises showed stronger associations with the SBP than with the DBP.•Railway noise had similar associations with SBP and DBP.•Noise-sensitive persons who reported higher indoor noise annoyance had significantly greater SBP and DBP than others.•Exclusion of participants exposed to high railway noise elevated the associations between noise exposure and blood pressure.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
The aim of this study is to characterize urban spaces, which combine landscape, acoustics, and lighting, and to investigate people's perceptions of urban soundscapes through quantitative and ...qualitative analyses. A general questionnaire survey and soundwalk were performed to investigate soundscape perception in urban spaces. Non-auditory factors (visual image, day lighting, and olfactory perceptions), as well as acoustic comfort, were selected as the main contexts that affect soundscape perception, and context preferences and overall impressions were evaluated using an 11-point numerical scale. For qualitative analysis, a semantic differential test was performed in the form of a social survey, and subjects were also asked to describe their impressions during a soundwalk. The results showed that urban soundscapes can be characterized by soundmarks, and soundscape perceptions are dominated by acoustic comfort, visual images, and day lighting, whereas reverberance in urban spaces does not yield consistent preference judgments. It is posited that the subjective evaluation of reverberance can be replaced by physical measurements. The categories extracted from the qualitative analysis revealed that spatial impressions such as openness and density emerged as some of the contexts of soundscape perception.
•Slab thickness itself could not predict the subjective responses.•Noise sensitivity had significant associations with the responses.•House ownership had significant associations with the ...responses.•Empathy moderated annoyance and anger responses.•Residents in noisy outdoor ambient reported higher noise sensitivity.
This study aimed to investigate whether different acoustic and non-acoustic factors have effects on the subjective responses to floor impact noise made by upstairs neighbours in multi-story residential buildings. An on-site evaluation was conducted in four different apartment complexes with 100 residents from each site (N = 400). All the buildings had a box-frame-type structure with reinforced concrete slab floors with different thicknesses; two sites used 150 mm slabs, another used 180 mm, and the last used 210 mm slabs. The participants responded to a questionnaire which measured annoyance, anger, and empathy as their subjective responses to floor impact noise. The questionnaire also asked about socio-demographic, personal, and situational variables. Outdoor noise measurements were carried out for 24 h on the top of the buildings at each site in order to assess any masking effect of ambient noise on the subjective responses to the indoor noise. Results showed that the subjective responses were significantly affected by noise sensitivity and house ownership. Those who had higher noise sensitivity or those who were house owners reported higher annoyance and anger towards floor impact noise. Outdoor noise did not have any masking effect on the responses but those who lived in higher ambient noise levels reported higher annoyance and anger to the indoor noise. The subjective responses were not solely understood by slab thickness; however, slab thickness contributed to predicting the subjective responses with other variables. These findings imply that it is limited to fully explain the subjective responses to floor impact noise without other acoustic and non-acoustic factors such as noise sensitivity.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
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