On the value of silence: A comparison of stated and revealed preferences for the external costs of traffic noise

During the last decades several studies have been carried out in order to measure the external costs of traffic noise. Both direct valuation methods, like contingent valuation (CV) and revealed preference studies linking noise levels to house prices, have been used. Though comparison of results from such studies are common, only few studies have carried out such a comparison based on the exact same area/respondents. We present preliminary results from an ongoing research project, which compares valuation results obtained by the CV method and hedonic pricing for residents in urban Copenhagen. The contingent valuation study is carried out by combining a standard socio-acoustic survey on noise annoyance with a CV scenario on the removal of the noise annoyance. Data from the hedonic pricing are partly obtained from survey and partly from the Danish housing register

The effect of gaze angle on visual acuity in infantile nystagmus

Purpose: Most individuals with infantile nystagmus (IN) have an idiosyncratic gaze angle at which their nystagmus intensity is minimized. Some adopt an abnormal head posture to use this “null zone,” and it has therefore long been assumed that this provides people with nystagmus with improved visual acuity (VA). However, recent studies suggest that improving the nystagmus waveform could have little, if any, influence on VA; that is, VA is fundamentally limited in IN. Here, we examined the impact of the null zone on VA. Methods: Visual acuity was measured in eight adults with IN using a psychophysical staircase procedure with reversals at three horizontal gaze angles, including the null zone. Results: As expected, changes in gaze angle affected nystagmus amplitude, frequency, foveation duration, and variability of intercycle foveation position. Across participants, each parameter (except frequency) was significantly correlated with VA. Within any given individual, there was a small but significant improvement in VA (0.08 logMAR) at the null zone as compared with the other gaze angles tested. Despite this, no change in any of the nystagmus waveform parameters was significantly associated with changes in VA within individuals. Conclusions: A strong relationship between VA and nystagmus characteristics exists between individuals with IN. Although significant, the improvement in VA observed within individuals at the null zone is much smaller than might be expected from the occasionally large variations in intensity and foveation dynamics (and anecdotal patient reports of improved vision), suggesting that improvement of other aspects of visual performance may also encourage use of the null zone

Characterization of shear stress distribution on a flat roof with solar collectors

In the search for new renewable energy sources, photovoltaic systems and solar thermal collectors have become more common in buildings. With increased efficiency and demand for energy, solar power has also become exploitable at higher latitudes where snow is a major load on buildings. For flat roofs, one usually expects approximately 80% of the snow to be eroded off the roof surface. Installing solar panels would change this since the flow pattern and wind conditions on the roof are affected by their presence. This study shows the erosion of sand particles from underneath solar panels of various configurations associated with different wind velocities. The pattern of erosion is used to determine the relative friction velocity, u*REL, of the wind on the roof. This value is the friction velocity on the roof relative to the friction velocity on a flat roof without solar panels. The experiments, conducted in a wind tunnel, showthat the area where u*REL is 0 and where it is expected that sand and snow will accumulate in case of an upwind particle source and decrease with increasing distances between roof and solar panel. It is also shown that a larger gap between the solar panel and roof surface creates larger erosion zones, where u*REL > 1 for both wind directions. Since the erosion is closely linked to the air flow under the solar panels, and that higher air velocity increases the erosion, it is likely that a larger solar panel, extending higher into the free air flow would be desirable to avoid snow accumulation on a flat roof with solar panels. If the solar panel has large enough dimensions, the solar panels can be used as a deflector to decrease snow accumulation on flat roofs. With solar panels of the size in the current experiments, a building with a length smaller than the equivalent of x/L = 0.3 would have u*REL > 1 on most of the roof surface and would thus likely have a lower snow load than an equivalent float roof without solar panels

Biosensoren auf der Basis von Redoxhydrogel-integrierter Quinohemoprotein Alkoholdehydrogenase für die On-Line-Detektion von Ethanol in Wein

Weine aus der Tokaj-Region in Ungarn stellen eine komplizierte Matrix für die Analytik mit Hilfe von Biosensoren dar. Sie zeichnen sich durch gleichzeitig hohe Alkohol- und Glucosekonzentrationen aus. Die geographische Lage des Anbaugebietes bedingt ein regionales Mikroklima, das den Befall der Trauben durch die Edelfäule Botrytis cinerea fördert. Der Metabolismus dieses Pilzes erhöht den Glyceringehalt der erhaltenen Weine um ein Vielfaches und führt zur Bildung von weiteren, die Analytik störenden Stoffen. Amperometrische Biosensoren auf der Basis von Oxidasen als biologischer Erkennungskomponente erfordern ein hohes Arbeitspotential von 600 mV [vs. Ag/AgCl] zur Oxidation des katalytisch gebildeten H2O2. Dies führt zur direkten Oxidation von Inhaltsstoffen der komplexen Probenmatrix an der Elektrode und so zu einer geringen Spezifität dieser Sensoren. Darüber hinaus verfügen die kommerziell erhältlichen Alkoholoxidasen über eine breite Gruppenselektivität und Methanol ist das bevorzugte Substrat. Folglich muß die Entwicklung von Biosensoren für die Bestimmung von Ethanol bzw. Glucose in Wein eine erhebliche Verbesserung der Selektivität zu Folge haben, wobei zum einen die Wahl eines geeigneten Enzyms, zum anderen eine Elektrodenarchitektur mit verringertem Arbeitspotential wesentlich ist

Secreted Cytokines within the Urine of AKI Patients Modulate TP53 and SIRT1 Levels in a Human Podocyte Cell Model

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a major kidney disease with a poor clinical outcome. It is a common complication, with an incidence of 10–15% of patients admitted to hospital. This rate even increases for patients who are admitted to the intensive care unit, with an incidence of >50%. AKI is characterized by a rapid increase in serum creatinine, decrease in urine output, or both. The associated symptoms include feeling sick or being sick, diarrhoea, dehydration, decreased urine output (although occasionally the urine output remains normal), fluid retention causing swelling in the legs or ankles, shortness of breath, fatigue and nausea. However, sometimes acute kidney injury causes no signs or symptoms and is detected by lab tests. Therefore, the identification of cytokines for the early detection and diagnosis of AKI is highly desirable, as their application might enable the prevention of the progression from AKI to chronic kidney disease (CKD). In this study, we analysed the secretome of the urine of an AKI patient cohort by employing a kidney-biomarker cytokine assay. Based on these results, we suggest ADIPOQ, EGF and SERPIN3A as potential cytokines that might be able to detect AKI as early as 24 h post-surgery. For the later stages, as common cytokines for the detection of AKI in both male and female patients, we suggest VEGF, SERPIN3A, TNFSF12, ANPEP, CXCL1, REN, CLU and PLAU. These cytokines in combination might present a robust strategy for identifying the development of AKI as early as 24 h or 72 h post-surgery. Furthermore, we evaluated the effect of patient and healthy urine on human podocyte cells. We conclude that cytokines abundant in the urine of AKI patients trigger processes that are needed to repair the damaged nephron and activate TP53 and SIRT1 to maintain the balance between proliferation, angiogenesis, and cell cycle arrest

Visual processing in infantile nystagmus is not slow

Purpose: Treatments for infantile nystagmus (IN) sometimes elicit subjective reports of improved visual function, yet quantifiable improvements in visual acuity, if any, are often negligible. One possibility is that these subjective “improvements” may relate to temporal, rather than spatial, visual function. This study aimed to ascertain the extent to which “time to see” might be increased in nystagmats, as compared to normally sighted controls. By assessing both eye movement and response time data, it was possible to determine whether delays in “time to see” were due solely to the eye movements, or to an underlying deficit in visual processing. Methods: The time taken to respond to the orientation of centrally and peripherally presented gratings was measured in subjects with IN and normally sighted controls (both groups: n = 11). For each vertically displaced grating, the time until the target-acquiring saccade was determined, as was the time from the saccade until the subject's response. Results: Nystagmats took approximately 60 ms longer than controls to execute target-acquiring saccades to vertically displaced targets (P = 0.010). However, the time from the end of the saccade until subjects responded was not significantly different between groups (P = 0.37). Despite this, nystagmats took longer to respond to gratings presented at fixation. Conclusions: Individuals with IN took longer to direct their gaze toward objects of interest. However, once a target was foveated, the time taken to process visual information and respond did not appear to differ from that of control subjects. Therefore, conscious visual processing in IN is not slow

Iron Status and Analysis of Efficacy and Safety of Ferric Carboxymaltose Treatment in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Background and Aims:We analyzed iron deficiency and the therapeutic response following intravenous ferric carboxymaltose in a large single-center inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) cohort. Methods: 250 IBD patients were retrospectively analyzed for iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia. A subgroup was analyzed regarding efficacy and side effects of iron supplementation with ferric carboxymaltose. Results: In the cohort (n = 250), 54.4% of the patients had serum iron levels 60 mu g/dl, 61.6% had ferritin >100 ng/ml, and 90.7% reached Hb >12/13 g/dl at follow-up (p < 0.0001 for all parameters vs. pretreatment values). The most frequent adverse event was a transient increase of liver enzymes with male gender as risk factor (p = 0.008, OR 8.62, 95% CI 1.74-41.66). Conclusions: Iron deficiency and anemia are frequent in IBD patients. Treatment with ferric carboxymaltose is efficious, safe and well tolerated in iron-deficient IBD patients. Copyright (C) 2011 S. Karger AG, Base

Infantile nystagmus adapts to visual demand

purpose. To determine the effect of visual demand on the nystagmus waveform. Individuals with infantile nystagmus syndrome (INS) commonly report that making an effort to see can intensify their nystagmus and adversely affect vision. However, such an effect has never been confirmed experimentally. methods. The eye movement behavior of 11 subjects with INS were recorded at different gaze angles while the subjects viewed visual targets under two conditions: above and then at resolution threshold. Eye movements were recorded by infrared oculography and visual acuity (VA) was measured using Landolt C targets and a two-alternative, forced-choice (2AFC) staircase procedure. Eye movement data were analyzed at the null zone for changes in amplitude, frequency, intensity, and foveation characteristics. Waveform type was also noted under the two conditions. results. Data from 11 subjects revealed a significant reduction in nystagmus amplitude (P < 0.05), frequency (P < 0.05), and intensity (P < 0.01) when target size was at visual threshold. The percentage of time the eye spent within the low-velocity window (i.e., foveation) significantly increased when target size was at visual threshold (P < 0.05). Furthermore, a change in waveform type with increased visual demand was exhibited by two subjects. conclusions. The results indicate that increased visual demand modifies the nystagmus waveform favorably (and possibly adaptively), producing a significant reduction in nystagmus intensity and prolonged foveation. These findings contradict previous anecdotal reports that visual effort intensifies the nystagmus eye movement at the cost of visual performance. This discrepancy may be attributable to the lack of psychological stress involved in the visual task reported here. This is consistent with the suggestion that it is the visual importance of the task to the individual rather than visual demand per se which exacerbates INS. Further studies are needed to investigate quantitatively the effects of stress and psychological factors on INS waveforms