BackgroundIn several studies, exposure to fine particulate matter (PM) has been associated with inflammation, with inconsistent results. We used repeated measurements to examine the association of ...long-term fine and ultrafine particle exposure with several blood markers of inflammation and coagulation.MethodsWe used baseline (2000–2003) and follow-up (2006–2008) data from the Heinz Nixdorf Recall Study, a German population-based prospective cohort of 4814 participants. A chemistry transport model was applied to model daily surface concentrations of PM air pollutants (PM10, PM2.5) and particle number on a grid of 1 km2. Applying mixed regression models, we analysed associations of long-term (mean of 365 days prior to blood draw) particle exposure at each participant's residence with the level of high-sensitivity C reactive protein (hs-CRP), fibrinogen, platelet and white cell count (WCC), adjusting for short-term PM exposure (moving averages of 1–7 days), personal characteristics, season, ambient temperature (1–5 days), ozone and time trend.ResultsWe analysed 6488 observations: 3275 participants with baseline data and 3213 with follow-up data. An increase of 2.4 µg/m3 in long-term PM2.5 was associated with an adjusted increase of 5.4% (95% CI 0.6% to 10.5%) in hs-CRP and of 2.3% (95% CI 1.4% to 3.3%) in the platelet count. Fibrinogen and WCC were not associated with long-term particle exposure.ConclusionsIn this population-based cohort, we found associations of long-term exposure to PM with markers of inflammation (hs-CRP) and coagulation (platelets). This finding supports the hypothesis that inflammatory processes might contribute to chronic effects of air pollution on cardiovascular disease.
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) describes the intermediate state between normal cognitive aging and dementia. Adverse effects of air pollution (AP) on cognitive functions have been proposed, but ...investigations of simultaneous exposure to noise are scarce.
We analyzed the cross-sectional associations of long-term exposure to AP and traffic noise with overall MCI and amnestic (aMCI) and nonamnestic (naMCI) MCI.
At the second examination of the population-based Heinz Nixdorf Recall study, cognitive assessment was completed in 4,086 participants who were 50-80 years old. Of these, 592 participants were diagnosed as having MCI (aMCI, n = 309; naMCI, n = 283) according to previously published criteria using five neuropsychological subtests. We assessed long-term residential concentrations for size-fractioned particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen oxides with land use regression, and for traffic noise weighted 24-hr (LDEN) and night-time (LNIGHT) means. Logistic regression models adjusted for individual risk factors were calculated to estimate the association of environmental exposures with MCI in single- and two-exposure models.
Most air pollutants and traffic noise were associated with overall MCI and aMCI. For example, an interquartile range increase in PM2.5 and a 10 A-weighted decibel dB(A) increase in LDEN were associated with overall MCI as follows odds ratio (95% confidence interval): 1.16 (1.05, 1.27) and 1.40 (1.03, 1.91), respectively, and with aMCI as follows: 1.22 (1.08, 1.38) and 1.53 (1.05, 2.24), respectively. In two-exposure models, AP and noise associations were attenuated e.g., for aMCI, PM2.5 1.13 (0.98, 1.30) and LDEN 1.46 (1.11, 1.92).
Long-term exposures to air pollution and traffic noise were positively associated with MCI, mainly with the amnestic subtype.
Tzivian L, Dlugaj M, Winkler A, Weinmayr G, Hennig F, Fuks KB, Vossoughi M, Schikowski T, Weimar C, Erbel R, Jöckel KH, Moebus S, Hoffmann B, on behalf of the Heinz Nixdorf Recall study Investigative Group. 2016. Long-term air pollution and traffic noise exposures and mild cognitive impairment in older adults: a cross-sectional analysis of the Heinz Nixdorf Recall Study. Environ Health Perspect 124:1361-1368; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1509824.
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CEKLJ, DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VSZLJ
Traffic noise affects a large number of people, particularly in urbanized areas. Noise causes stress and annoyance, but less is known about the relationship between noise and depression.
We ...investigated the association of residential road traffic noise with depressive symptoms using 5-year follow-up data from a German population-based study.
We analyzed data from 3,300 participants in the Heinz Nixdorf Recall study who were between 45 and 75 years old and were without depressive symptoms at baseline (2000-2003). Depressive symptoms were defined based on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale (CES-D) 15-item questionnaire (total score ≥ 17) and antidepressant medication intake. Road traffic noise was modeled according to European Parliament/Council Directive 2002/49/EC. High noise exposure was defined as annual mean 24-hr noise levels > 55 A-weighted decibels dB(A). Poisson regression with robust variance was used to estimate relative risks (RRs) a) adjusting for the potential confounders age, sex, socioeconomic status (SES), neighborhood-level SES, and traffic proximity; b) additionally adjusting for body mass index and smoking; and c) additionally adjusting for the potential confounders/intermediates comorbidities and insomnia.
Overall, 35.7% of the participants were exposed to high residential road traffic noise levels. At follow-up (mean = 5.1 years after baseline), 302 participants were classified as having high depressive symptoms, corresponding to an adjusted RR of 1.29 (95% CI: 1.03, 1.62; Model 1) for exposure to > 55 versus ≤ 55 dB(A). Adjustment for potential confounders/intermediates did not substantially alter the results. Associations were stronger among those who reported insomnia at baseline (RR = 1.62; 95% CI: 1.10, 2.59 vs. RR = 1.21; 95% CI: 0.94, 1.57) and appeared to be limited to those with ≤ 13 years of education (RR = 1.43; 95% CI: 1.10, 1.85 vs. 0.92; 95% CI: 0.56, 1.53 for > 13 years).
Our results suggest that exposure to residential road traffic noise increases the risk of depressive symptoms.
Orban E, McDonald K, Sutcliffe R, Hoffmann B, Fuks KB, Dragano N, Viehmann A, Erbel R, Jöckel KH, Pundt N, Moebus S. 2016. Residential road traffic noise and high depressive symptoms after five years of follow-up: results from the Heinz Nixdorf Recall Study. Environ Health Perspect 124:578-585; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1409400.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VSZLJ
The ideal Stirling cycle provides a clear control strategy for the piston paths of ideal representations of Stirling cycle machines. For non-equilibrium Stirling cycle machines however, piston paths ...aiming to emulate the ideal cycle’s four strokes will not necessarily yield best performance. In this contribution, we ask the question: What are the
-optimal piston paths for specific non-equilibrium Stirling cryocoolers? To this end, we consider a low-effort Stirling cryocooler model that consists of a set of coupled ordinary differential equations and takes several loss phenomena into account. For this model and an exemplary parameter set, piston path optimizations are done with an indirect iterative gradient method based on optimal control theory. The optimizations are repeated for two different kinds of volume constraints for the working spaces: one representing an alpha-Stirling configuration, the other a beta-Stirling configuration. Compared to harmonic piston paths, the optimal piston paths lead to significant improvements in
of ca. 88 % for the alpha-Stirling and ca. 117 % for the beta-Stirling at the maximum-
operational frequency. Additionally—and even though the optimizations were performed for maximum
—cooling power was increased with even lager ratios.
Despite the importance of understanding associations of air pollution and noise exposure with loss of neurocognitive performance, studies investigating these exposures and local brain structure are ...limited.
We estimated associations of residential air pollution and noise exposures with neurocognitive test performance and the local gyrification index (lGI), a marker for local brain atrophy, among older adults.
For
participants from the population-based 1000BRAINS study, based on the German Heinz Nixdorf Recall study, we assessed residential exposures to particulate matter (
,
,
), accumulation mode particle number (
), and nitrogen oxides (
,
), using land-use regression and chemistry transport models. Weighted 24-h and nighttime noise were modeled according to the European noise directive. We evaluated associations of air pollution and noise exposure at the participants' 2006-2008 residential addresses with neurocognitive test performance and region-specific lGI values (
) from magnetic resonance imaging, both assessed in 2011-2015, using linear regression and adjusting for demographic and personal characteristics.
Air pollution and noise were associated with language and short-term/working memory and with local atrophy of the fronto-parietal network (FPN), a functional resting-state network associated with these cognitive processes. For example, per
, local brain atrophy was more pronounced in the posterior brain regions of the FPN, with a
95% confidence interval (CI):
, 0.00 lower lGI. In contrast, in the anterior regions of the FPN, weighted 24-h and nighttime noise were associated with less local brain atrophy e.g., 0.02 (95% CI: 0.00, 0.04) for
(A) 24-h noise.
Air pollution and noise exposures were associated in opposite directions with markers of local atrophy of the FPN in the right brain hemisphere in older adults, suggesting that both chronic air pollution and noise exposure may influence the physiological aging process of the brain. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP5859.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VSZLJ
Despite the importance of understanding the connection between air pollution exposure and diabetes, studies investigating links between air pollution and glucose metabolism in nondiabetic adults are ...limited.
We aimed to estimate the association of medium-term air pollution exposures with blood glucose and glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) among nondiabetics.
This study included observations from nondiabetic participants (n
=7,108) of the population-based Heinz Nixdorf Recall study at baseline (2000–2003) and follow-up examination (2006–2008). Daily fine particulate matter (aerodynamic diameter≤2.5 μm, PM
; aerodynamic diameter≤10 μm, PM
), accumulation mode particle number (PN
), and nitrogen dioxide (NO
) exposures were estimated at participants’ residences using the spatiotemporal European Air Pollution Dispersion (EURAD) chemistry transport model. We evaluated the associations between medium-term air pollution exposures (28- and 91-d means) and glucose metabolism measures using mixed linear regression and adjusting for season, meteorology, and personal characteristics. A range of other exposure windows (1-, 2-, 3-, 7-, 14-, 45-, 60-, 75-, 105-, 120-, and 182-d means) were also evaluated to identify potentially relevant biological windows.
We observed positive associations between PM
and PN
exposures and blood glucose levels e.g., 28-d PM
: 0.91 mg/dL (95% CI: 0.38, 1.44) per 5.7 μg/m
. PM
, PM
, and PN
exposures were positively associated with HbA1c e.g., 91-d PM
: 0.07 p.p. (95% CI: 0.04, 0.10) per 4.0 μg/m
. Mean exposures during longer exposure windows (75- to 105-d) were most strongly associated with HbA1c, whereas 7- to 45-d exposures were most strongly associated with blood glucose. NO
exposure was not associated with blood glucose or with HbA1c.
Medium-term PM and PN
exposures were positively associated with glucose measures in nondiabetic adults. These findings indicate that reducing ambient air pollution levels may decrease the risk of diabetes. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP2561.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VSZLJ
Due to inconsistent epidemiological evidence on health effects of air pollution on progression of atherosclerosis, we investigated several air pollutants and their effects on progression of ...atherosclerosis, using carotid intima media thickness (cIMT), coronary calcification (CAC), and thoracic aortic calcification (TAC).
We used baseline (2000-2003) and 5-y follow-up (2006-2008) data from the German Heinz Nixdorf Recall cohort study, including 4,814 middle-aged adults. Residence-based long-term air pollution exposure, including particulate matter (PM) with aerodynamic diameter
(
), (
), and nitrogen dioxide (
) was assessed using chemistry transport and land use regression (LUR) models. cIMT was quantified as side-specific median IMT assessed from standardized ultrasound images. CAC and TAC were quantified by computed tomography using the Agatston score. Development (yes/no) and progression of atherosclerosis (change in cIMT and annual growth rate for CAC/TAC) were analyzed with logistic and linear regression models, adjusting for age, sex, lifestyle variables, socioeconomic status, and traffic noise.
While no clear associations were observed in the full study sample (mean age 59.1 (
) y; 53% female), most air pollutants were marginally associated with progression of atherosclerosis in participants with no or low baseline atherosclerotic burden. Most consistently for CAC, e.g., a
higher exposure to
(LUR) yielded an estimated odds ratio of 1.19 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.03, 1.39 for progression of CAC and an increased annual growth rate of 2% (95% CI: 1%, 4%).
Our study suggests that development and progression of subclinical atherosclerosis is associated with long-term air pollution in middle-aged participants with no or minor atherosclerotic burden at baseline, while overall no consistent associations are observed. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP7077.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VSZLJ
Objective Venous diseases are among the most frequent diseases in the general population of industrialized countries. The aim of this article is to investigate the population-based prevalence of ...pathologic reflux in superficial and deep leg veins, taking into account factors as gender, age, and clinical classification of venous disease. Methods In a population-based cross-sectional study, 3072 subjects aged 18 to 79 years (1350 male, 1722 female, response 59%) were enrolled from October 2000 through November 2001. A standardized interview was conducted to document phlebological history and clinical examinations including duplex sonography of selected superficial and deep leg veins. Pathological reflux was defined as being >500 ms. All participants where classified according to the CEAP classification. Results Using the highest clinical stage per participant, 9.6% where classified C0, 59.0% C1, 14.3% C2, 13.5% C3, 2.9% C4, and 0.7% C5-C6. A pathological reflux (>500 ms) was found in 35.3% (95% confidence interval CI 33.6-37.1) of subjects with 21.0% (95% CI 19.5-22.5) showing reflux in at least one superficial vein and 20.0% (95% CI 18.6-21.5) showing reflux in at least one deep vein. We observed significantly higher reflux prevalence for the superficial veins in women while for the deep veins reflux prevalence were significantly higher in men. Prevalence of reflux in the superficial veins markedly increases with age. In the deep venous system, no clear changes in reflux prevalence with age can be observed. For superficial veins, reflux prevalence is markedly higher with higher C-stages. For the deep veins, the proportion of refluxes is relatively constant in stages C0-C3 with a distinct increase of prevalence from stage C4 onward. Conclusion Our results show a high prevalence of reflux both for the superficial and the deep venous system. Reflux prevalence is associated with gender, age, and the clinical stage as measured by the CEAP classification. Further longitudinal studies are needed to clarify the relevance of pathological reflux in subjects with otherwise healthy veins.
Background: Long-term exposure to urban air pollution may accelerate atherogenesis, but mechanisms are still unclear. The induction of a low-grade systemic inflammatory state is a plausible ...mechanistic pathway. Objectives: We analyzed the association of residential long-term exposure to paniculate matter (PM) and high traffic with systemic inflammatory markers. Methods: We used baseline data from the German Heinz Nixdorf Recall Study, a populationbased, prospective cohort study of 4,814 participants that started in 2000. Fine PM aerodynamic diameter ≤ 2.5 ¼m ($PM_{2.5} $) exposure based on a small-scale dispersion and chemistry transport model was assigned to each home address. We calculated distances between residences and major roads. Long-term exposure to air pollution (annual$PM_{2.5} $and distance to high traffic) and concentration of inflammatory markers high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and fibrinogen on the day of the baseline visit were analyzed with sex-stratified multiple linear regression, controlling for individual-level risk factors. Results: In the adjusted analysis, a cross-sectional exposure difference of 3.91 ¼g/m 3 in PM2.5 (interdecile range) was associated with increases in hs-CRP of 23.9% 95% confidence interval (CI), 4.1 to 47.4% and fibrinogen of 3.9% (95% CI, 0.3 to 7.7%) in men, whereas we found no association in women. Chronic traffic exposure was not associated with inflammatory markers. Short-term exposures to air pollutants and temperature did not influence the results markedly. Conclusions: Our study indicates that long-term residential exposure to high levels of PM 25 is associated with systemic inflammatory markers in men. This might provide a link between air pollution and coronary atherosclerosis.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VSZLJ
The connection between endoreversible models of Finite-Time Thermodynamics and the corresponding real running irreversible processes is investigated by introducing two concepts which complement each ...other:
and
. In that context, the importance of particular machine diagrams for
and (reconstruction) parameter diagrams for
is emphasized. Additionally, the treatment of internal irreversibilities through the use of contact quantities like the contact temperature is introduced into the Finite-Time Thermodynamics description of thermal processes.
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