Operational Impacts of Using Restricted Passenger Flow Assignment in High-Speed Train Stop Scheduling Problem

One key decision basis to the train stop scheduling process is the passenger flow assignment, that is, the estimated passengers’ travel path choices from origins to destinations. Many existing assignment approaches are stochastic in nature, which causes unbalanced problems such as low efficiency in train capacity occupancy or an irrational distribution of transfer passengers among stations. The purpose of this paper is to propose a train stop scheduling approach. It combines a passenger flow assignment procedure that routes passenger travel paths freely within a train network and is particularly capable of incorporating additional restrictions on generating travel paths that better resemble the rail planner’s purpose of utilizing capacity resources by introducing four criteria to define the feasibility of travel path used by a traveler. Our approach also aims at ensuring connectivity and rapidity, the two essential characteristics of train service increasingly required by modern high-speed rails. The effectiveness of our approach is tested using the Chinese high-speed rail network as a real-world example. It works well in finding a train stop schedule of good quality whose operational indicators dominate those of an existing stochastic approach. The paper concludes with a comprehensive operational impact analysis, further demonstrating the value of our proposed approach

Portable XRF Technology to Quantify Pb in Bone In Vivo

Lead is a ubiquitous toxicant. Bone lead has been established as an important biomarker for cumulative lead exposures and has been correlated with adverse health effects on many systems in the body. K-shell X-ray fluorescence (KXRF) is the standard method for measuring bone lead, but this approach has many difficulties that have limited the widespread use of this exposure assessment method. With recent advancements in X-ray fluorescence (XRF) technology, we have developed a portable system that can quantify lead in bone in vivo within 3 minutes. Our study investigated improvements to the system, four calibration methods, and system validation for in vivo measurements. Our main results show that the detection limit of the system is 2.9 ppm with 2 mm soft tissue thickness, the best calibration method for in vivo measurement is background subtraction, and there is strong correlation between KXRF and portable LXRF bone lead results. Our results indicate that the technology is ready to be used in large human population studies to investigate adverse health effects of lead exposure. The portability of the system and fast measurement time should allow for this technology to greatly advance the research on lead exposure and public/environmental health

Association of Cumulative Lead Exposure with Parkinson's Disease

BACKGROUND. Research using reconstructed exposure histories has suggested an association between heavy metal exposures, including lead, and Parkinson's disease (PD), but the only study that used bone lead, a biomarker of cumulative lead exposure, found a nonsignificant increase in risk of PD with increasing bone lead. OBJECTIVES. We sought to assess the association between bone lead and PD. METHODS. Bone lead concentrations were measured using 109Cd excited K-shell X-ray fluorescence from 330 PD patients (216 men, 114 women) and 308 controls (172 men, 136 women) recruited from four clinics for movement disorders and general-community cohorts. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for PD were calculated using logistic regression. RESULTS. The average age of cases and controls at bone lead measurement was 67 (SD = 10) and 69 (SD = 9) years of age, respectively. In primary analyses of cases and controls recruited from the same groups, compared with the lowest quartile of tibia lead, the OR for PD in the highest quartile was 3.21 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.17-8.83]. Results were similar but slightly weaker in analyses restricted to cases and controls recruited from the movement disorders clinics only (fourth-quartile OR = 2.57; 95% CI, 1.11-5.93) or when we included controls recruited from sites that did not also contribute cases (fourth-quartile OR = 1.91; 95% CI, 1.01-3.60). We found no association with patella bone lead. CONCLUSIONS. These findings, using an objective biological marker of cumulative lead exposure among typical PD patients seen in our movement disorders clinics, strengthen the evidence that cumulative exposure to lead increases the risk of PD.National Institutes of Health (R01-ES010798, K01-ES01265

Interaction of Stress, Lead Burden, and Age on Cognition in Older Men: The VA Normative Aging Study

BACKGROUND. Low-level exposure to lead and to chronic stress may independently influence cognition. However, the modifying potential of psychosocial stress on the neurotoxicity of lead and their combined relationship to aging-associated decline have not been fully examined. OBJECTIVES. We examined the cross-sectional interaction between stress and lead exposure on Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores among 811 participants in the Normative Aging Study, a cohort of older U.S. men. METHODS. We used two self-reported measures of stress appraisal-a self-report of stress related to their most severe problem and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). Indices of lead exposure were blood lead and bone (tibia and patella) lead. RESULTS. Participants with higher self-reported stress had lower MMSE scores, which were adjusted for age, education, computer experience, English as a first language, smoking, and alcohol intake. In multivariable-adjusted tests for interaction, those with higher PSS scores had a 0.57-point lower (95% confidence interval, -0.90 to 0.24) MMSE score for a 2-fold increase in blood lead than did those with lower PSS scores. In addition, the combination of high PSS scores and high blood lead categories on one or both was associated with a 0.05-0.08 reduction on the MMSE for each year of age compared with those with low PSS score and blood lead level (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS. Psychological stress had an independent inverse association with cognition and also modified the relationship between lead exposure and cognitive performance among older men. Furthermore, high stress and lead together modified the association between age and cognition.National Institutes of Health (R01ES07821, R01HL080674, R01HL080674-02S1, R01ES013744, ES05257-06A1, P20MD000501, P42ES05947, ES03918-02); National Center for Research Resources General Clinical Research Center (M01RR02635); Leaves of Grass Foundation; United States Department of Veterans Affair

Analysis of the Brinkman-Forchheimer equations with slip boundary conditions

In this work, we study the Brinkman-Forchheimer equations driven under slip boundary conditions of friction type. We prove the existence and uniqueness of weak solutions by means of regularization combined with the Faedo-Galerkin approach. Next we discuss the continuity of the solution with respect to Brinkman's and Forchheimer's coefficients. Finally, we show that the weak solution of the corresponding stationary problem is stable

HFE H63D Polymorphism as a Modifier of the Effect of Cumulative Lead Exposure on Pulse Pressure: The Normative Aging Study

Background: Cumulative lead exposure is associated with a widened pulse pressure (PP; the difference between systolic and diastolic blood pressure), a marker of arterial stiffness and a predictor of cardiovascular disease. Polymorphisms in the hemochromatosis gene (HFE) have been shown to modify the impact of cumulative lead exposure on measures of adult cognition and cardiac function. Objectives: We examined whether the HFE mutations modify the impact of lead on PP in community-dwelling older men. Methods: We examined 619 participants with a total of 1,148 observations of PP from a substudy of bone lead levels (a measure of cumulative exposure, measured by in vivo K-shell X-ray fluorescence) and health in the Normative Aging Study between 1991 and 2001. Linear mixed-effects regression models with random intercepts were constructed. Results: Of the 619 subjects, 138 and 72 carried the HFE H63D and C282Y variants, respectively. After adjusting for age; education; alcohol intake; smoking; daily intakes of calcium, sodium, and potassium; total calories; family history of hypertension; diabetes; height; heart rate; high-density lipoprotein (HDL); total cholesterol:HDL ratio; and waist circumference, baseline bone lead levels were associated with steeper increases in PP in men with at least one H63D allele (p-interaction = 0.03 for tibia and 0.02 for patella) compared with men with only the wild types or C282Y variant. Conclusions: The HFE H63D polymorphism, but not the C282Y mutation, appears to enhance susceptibility to the deleterious impact of cumulative lead on PP, possibly via prooxidative or pro-inflammatory mechanisms

Stress as a Potential Modifier of the Impact of Lead Levels on Blood Pressure: The Normative Aging Study

Background: Lead exposure and psychological stress have been independently associated with hypertension in various populations, and animal studies suggest that when they co-occur, their effects may be exacerbated. Objectives: We examined whether psychological stress modifies the impact of cumulative lead exposure (measured as bone lead levels) on hypertension and blood pressure in Boston-area community–exposed men participating in the Normative Aging Study. Methods: We evaluated the modifying effect of stress on lead exposure on baseline hypertension status (513 participants) and on blood pressure in those without hypertension (237 participants), cross-sectionally. In baseline nonhypertensives, we examined the same risk factors in relation to prospective risk of developing hypertension. Results: Cross-sectional analysis revealed a positive interaction between stress and tibia lead on systolic blood pressure, after adjusting for age, body mass index, family history of high blood pressure, education, smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, and nutritional factors. In prospective multivariate analyses, high stress also modified the effect of tibia lead and patella lead on the risk of developing hypertension. Those reporting high stress had 2.66 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.43–4.95] times the risk of developing hypertension per standard deviation increase in tibia lead and had 2.64 (95% CI, 1.42–4.92) times the risk per standard deviation increase in patella lead. Conclusion: To our knowledge, these are the first analyses to look at interactive effects of stress and lead on hypertension in humans. These results suggest that the effect of lead on hypertension is most pronounced among highly stressed individuals, independent of demographic and behavioral risk factors

Cumulative Lead Exposure and Tooth Loss in Men: The Normative Aging Study

Background: Individuals previously exposed to lead remain at risk because of endogenous release of lead stored in their skeletal compartments. However, it is not known if long-term cumulative lead exposure is a risk factor for tooth loss. Objectives: We examined the association of bone lead concentrations with loss of natural teeth. Methods: We examined 333 men enrolled in the Veterans Affairs Normative Aging Study. We used a validated K-shell X-ray fluorescence (KXRF) method to measure lead concentrations in the tibial midshaft and patella. A dentist recorded the number of teeth remaining, and tooth loss was categorized as 0, 1–8 or ≥ 9 missing teeth. We used proportional odds models to estimate the association of bone lead biomarkers with tooth loss, adjusting for age, smoking, diabetes, and other putative confounders. Results: Participants with ≥ 9 missing teeth had significantly higher bone lead concentrations than those who had not experienced tooth loss. In multivariable-adjusted analyses, men in the highest tertile of tibia lead (> 23 μg/g) and patella lead (> 36 μg/g) had approximately three times the odds of having experienced an elevated degree of tooth loss (≥ 9 vs. 0–8 missing teeth or ≥ 1 vs. 0 missing teeth) as those in the lowest tertile [prevalence odds ratio (OR) = 3.03; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.60–5.76 and OR = 2.41; 95% CI, 1.30–4.49, respectively]. Associations between bone lead biomarkers and tooth loss were similar in magnitude to the increased odds observed in participants who were current smokers. Conclusion: Long-term cumulative lead exposure is associated with increased odds of tooth loss

Lead Exposure, B Vitamins, and Plasma Homocysteine in Men 55 Years of Age and Older: The VA Normative Aging Study

Background: Lead (Pb) exposure may influence the plasma concentration of homocysteine, a one-carbon metabolite associated with cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. Little is known about the associations between Pb and homocysteine over time, or the potential influence of dietary factors. Objectives: We examined the longitudinal association of recent and cumulative Pb exposure with homocysteine concentrations and the potential modifying effect of dietary nutrients involved in one-carbon metabolism. Methods: In a subcohort of the Veterans Affairs (VA) Normative Aging Study (1,056 men with 2,301 total observations between 1993 and 2011), we used mixed-effects models to estimate differences in repeated measures of total plasma homocysteine across concentrations of Pb in blood and tibia bone, assessing recent and cumulative Pb exposure, respectively. We also assessed effect modification by dietary intake and plasma concentrations of folate, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12. Results: An interquartile range (IQR) increment in blood Pb (3 μg/dL) was associated with a 6.3% higher homocysteine concentration (95% CI: 4.8, 7.8%). An IQR increment in tibia bone Pb (14 μg/g) was associated with a 3.7% higher homocysteine (95% CI: 1.6, 5.6%), which was attenuated to 1.5% (95% CI: –0.5, 3.6%) after adjusting for blood Pb. For comparison, a 5-year increase in time from baseline was associated with a 5.7% increase in homocysteine (95% CI: 4.3, 7.1%). The association between blood Pb and homocysteine was significantly stronger among participants with estimated dietary intakes of vitamin B6 and folate below (vs. above) the study population medians, which were similar to the U.S. recommended dietary allowance intakes. Conclusions: Pb exposure was positively associated with plasma homocysteine concentration. This association was stronger among men with below-median dietary intakes of vitamins B6 and folate. These findings suggest that increasing intake of folate and B6 might reduce Pb-associated increases in homocysteine, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and neurodegeneration. Citation: Bakulski KM, Park SK, Weisskopf MG, Tucker KL, Sparrow D, Spiro A III, Vokonas PS, Nie LH, Hu H, Weuve J. 2014. Lead exposure, B vitamins, and plasma homocysteine in men 55 years of age and older: the VA Normative Aging Study. Environ Health Perspect 122:1066–1074; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.130693

Low-Level Lead Exposure, Metabolic Syndrome, and Heart Rate Variability: The VA Normative Aging Study

BACKGROUND: Altered heart rate variability (HRV), a marker of poor cardiac autonomic function, has been associated with sudden cardiac death and heart failure. OBJECTIVE: We examined the association of low-level lead exposure measured in bone by K-X-ray fluorescence with alterations in HRV, and whether metabolic syndrome (MetS) or its individual components modify those associations. METHODS: HRV measures [power in high-frequency (HF(norm)) and low-frequency (LF(norm)) in normalized units, and LF/HF] were taken among 413 elderly men from the Normative Aging Study. MetS was defined as subjects having three or more of the following criteria: abdominal obesity, hypertriglyceridemia, low high-density lipoprotein, high blood pressure, and high fasting glucose. RESULTS: Of the subjects, 32% were identified as having MetS. Inverse but nonstatistically significant associations of both tibia and patella lead levels with HF(norm) and nonstatistically significant positive relations with LF(norm) and LF/HF were found in the entire cohort. There was a graded, statistically significant reduction in HF(norm) and increases in LF(norm) and LF/HF in association with an increase in patella lead as the number of metabolic abnormalities increased. We also observed that higher patella lead was consistently associated with lower HF(norm) and higher LF(norm) and LF/HF among subjects with MetS or its individual components. No statistically significant interaction between MetS and tibia lead was observed. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that elderly men with MetS were more susceptible to autonomic dysfunction in association with chronic lead exposure as measured in patella. The modification by MetS is consistent with a role for oxidative stress in lead toxicity on the cardiovascular system