Desarrollo de una app para la captura de ruido ambiental geolocalizado

Objetivos • Creación de un prototipo funcional de una aplicación para dispositivo móvil usando software de código abierto. • Recogida y evaluación del ruido ambiental georreferenciado mediante uso del formulario. • Inclusión en el formulario de la percepción del ruido por parte del usuario. • Evaluación y elección de las soluciones existentes para llevar a cabo el proyecto. • Conseguir una app que mantenga la privacidad del usuario en todo momento. Metodología • Creación de una app móvil híbrida con Apache Cordova (HTML5, CSS3 y JS). • Creación e implementación de una base de datos MySQL en un hospedaje de web gratuito para recepción de datos provenientes de la app. • Diseño y desarrollo del FrontEnd con JQuery, JQuery Mobile entre otros. • Configuración y programación del BackEnd con PHP. • Implantación y configuración de un mapa para la visualización de los datos almacenados en la base de datos con el uso de Leaflet. Resultados • Se ha realizado una app móvil híbrida que permite el registro de la contaminación acústica mediante el uso de un formulario. • Se han implementado todos los plugins necesarios para cumplir con los objetivos (registro de decibelios, posicionamiento del usuario, UUID, fecha y hora). • Ha sido creada una base de datos en un servidor web para la recolección de datos provenientes de la app. • Se ha añadido una lista de opciones al formulario para que el usuario de la app exprese su percepción en base a la contaminación acústica. • Se ha llevado a cabo el diseño e implementación de todos los niveles de desarrollo web: interfaz de usuario, FrontEnd, Middleware, Backend y Base de Datos. Conclusiones • Se han llevado a cabo todos los objetivos propuestos (definición, diseño, implementación, test de calidad e instalación). • Toda la información se registra correctamente. • Obtención de una app híbrida realizada con código abierto y completamente funcional. • Creación de una estructura de la app, un formulario y un mapa adecuados a los objetivos establecidos y cuidando la estética. • Existencia de limitaciones: calibración y cancelación del ruido ambiental en los dispositivos móviles. • Hay margen de mejora para futuras versiones. • Resultado muy favorable: esta aplicación tiene un valor añadido porque permite contrastar el registro del ruido con la percepción del usuario. • Se han puesto en práctica muchos conocimientos adquiridos durante el máster.Objectius • Creació d'un prototip funcional d'una aplicació per a dispositiu mòbil fent servir programari de codi obert. • Recollida i avaluació del soroll ambiental georeferenciat mitjançant ús del formulari. • Inclusió en el formulari de la percepció del soroll per part de l'usuari. • Avaluació i elecció de les solucions existents per dur a terme el projecte. • Aconseguir una app que mantingui la privacitat de l'usuari en tot moment. Metolodogia • Creació d'una app mòbil híbrida amb Apache Cordova (HTML5, CSS3 i JS). • Creació i implementació d'una base de dades MySQL en un allotjament web gratuït per a recepció de dades provinents de l'app. • Disseny i desenvolupament del FrontEnd amb JQuery, JQuery Mobile entre d'altres. • Configuració i programació del BackEnd amb PHP. • Implantació i configuració d'un mapa per a la visualització de les dades emmagatzemades a la base de dades amb l'ús de Leaflet. Resultats • S'ha realitzat una app mòbil híbrida que permet el registre de la contaminació acústica mitjançant l'ús d'un formulari. • S'han implementat tots els connectors necessaris per complir amb els objectius (registre de decibels, posicionament de l'usuari, UUID, data i hora). • Ha estat creada una base de dades en un servidor web per a la recollida de dades provinents de l'app. • S'ha afegit una llista d'opcions al formulari perquè l'usuari de l'app expressi la seva percepció en relació a la contaminació acústica. • S'ha dut a terme el disseny i implementació de tots els nivells de desenvolupament web: interfície d'usuari, FrontEnd, Middleware, Backend i Base de Dades. Conclusions • S'han dut a terme tots els objectius proposats (definició, disseny, implementació, test de qualitat i instal·lació). • Tota la informació es registra correctament. • Obtenció d'una app híbrida realitzada amb codi obert i completament funcional. • Creació d'una estructura de l'app, un formulari i un mapa adequats als objectius establerts i tenint cura de la estètica. • Existència de limitacions: calibratge i cancel·lació del soroll ambiental en els dispositius mòbils. • Hi ha marge de millora per a futures versions. • Resultat molt favorable: aquesta aplicació té un valor afegit perquè permet contrastar el registre del soroll amb la percepció de l'usuari. • S'han posat en pràctica molts coneixements adquirits durant el màster.Objectives • Creation of a functional prototype of an application for mobile device using open source software. • Collection and evaluation of georeferenced environmental noise by using the form. • Inclusion of user's perception in the form about noise. • Evaluation and choice of existing solutions to carry out the project. • Get an app that maintains the user's privacy at all times. Methodology • Creation of a hybrid mobile app with Apache Cordova (HTML5, CSS3 and JS). • Creation and implementation of a MySQL database in a free web hosting for reception of data from the app. • Design and development of FrontEnd with JQuery, JQuery Mobile among others. • Configuration and programming of BackEnd with PHP. • Implementation and configuration of a map for the visualization of the data stored in the database with the use of Leaflet. Results • A hybrid mobile application has been made that allows the recording of noise pollution through the use of a form. • All necessary plugins have been implemented to achieve the goals (decibel registration, user positioning, UUID, date and time). • A database has been created on a web server to collect data from the application. • A list of options has been created for the users can express their own perception about noise pollution. • The design and implementation of all levels of web development has been carried out: user interface, FrontEnd, Middleware, Backend and Database. Conclusions • All the proposed objectives have been carried out (definition, design, implementation, quality test and installation). • All information is recorded correctly. • Obtaining a hybrid application made with open code and fully functional. • Creation of a structure of the application, a form and a map adapted to the established objectives and care of aesthetics. • Existence of limitations: calibration and cancellation of environmental noise in mobile devices. • There is room for improvement for future versions. • Very favourable result: this application has an added value because it allows contrasting the recording of noise with the perception of the user. • Many knowledges acquired during the master's degree have been put into practice

Urban and Transport Planning Related Exposures and Mortality: A Health Impact Assessment for Cities

BACKGROUND: By 2050, almost 70% of people globally are projected to live in urban areas. As the environments we inhabit affect our health, urban and transport designs that promote healthy living are needed. OBJECTIVE: We estimated the number of premature deaths preventable under compliance with international exposure recommendations for physical activity (PA), air pollution, noise, heat, and access to green spaces. METHODS: We developed and applied the Urban and TranspOrt Planning Health Impact Assessment (UTOPHIA) tool to Barcelona. Exposure estimates and mortality data were available for 1357361 residents. We compared recommended with current exposure levels. We quantified the associations between exposures and mortality and calculated population attributable fractions to estimate the number of premature deaths preventable. We also modeled life-expectancy and economic impacts. RESULTS: We estimated that annually almost 20% of mortality could be prevented if international recommendations for performance of PA, exposure to air pollution, noise, heat, and access to green space were complied with. Estimations showed that the biggest share in preventable deaths was attributable to increases in PA, followed by exposure reductions in air pollution, traffic noise and heat. Access to green spaces had smaller effects on mortality. Compliance was estimated to increase the average life expectancy by 360 (95% CI: 219, 493) days and result in economic savings of 9.3 (95% CI: 4.9; 13.2) billion euro per year. CONCLUSIONS: PA factors and environmental exposures can be modified by changes in urban and transport planning. We emphasize the need for (1) the reduction of motorized traffic through the promotion of active and public transport and (2) the provision of green infrastructure, which are both suggested to provide PA opportunities and mitigation of air pollution, noise, and heat

Momentary mood response to natural outdoor environments in four European cities

Exposure to natural outdoor environments (NOE) has been shown in population-level studies to reduce anxiety and psychological distress. This study investigated how exposure to one’s everyday natural outdoor environments over one week influenced mood among residents of four European cities including Barcelona (Spain), Stoke-on-Trent (United Kingdom), Doetinchem (The Netherlands) and Kaunas (Lithuania). Participants (n = 368) wore a smartphone equipped with software applications to track location and mood (using mobile ecological momentary assessment (EMA) software), for seven consecutive days. We estimated random-effects ordered logistic regression models to examine the association between mood (positive and negative affect), and exposure to green space, represented by two binary variables indicating exposure versus no exposure to NOE using GPS tracking and satellite and aerial imagery, 10 and 30 min prior to participants’ completing the EMA. Models were adjusted for home city, day of the week, hour of the day, EMA survey type, residential NOE exposure, and sex, age, education level, mental health status and neighbourhood socioeconomic status. In addition, we tested for heterogeneity of effect by city, sex, age, residential NOE exposure and mental health status. Within 10 min of NOE exposure, compared to non-exposure, we found that overall there was a positive relationship with positive affect (OR: 1.39, 95% CI: 1.06, 1.81) of EMA surveys, and non-significant negative association with negative affect (OR: 0.80, 95% CI: 0.58, 1.10). When stratifying, associations were consistently found for Stoke-on-Trent inhabitants and men, while findings by age group were inconsistent. Weaker and less consistent associations were found for exposure 30 min prior to EMA. Our findings support increasing evidence of psychological and mental health benefits of exposure to natural outdoor environments, especially among urban populations such as those included in our study

Does surrounding greenness moderate the relationship between apparent temperature and physical activity? Findings from the PHENOTYPE project

Background: Physical activity can be affected by both meteorological conditions and surrounding greenness, but few studies have evaluated the effects of these environmental factors on physical activity simultaneously. This multi-city comparative study aimed to assess the synergetic effects of apparent temperature and surrounding greenness on physical activity in four European cities. Specifically, we aimed to identify an interaction between surrounding greenness and apparent temperature in the effects on physical activity. Methods: Data were collected from 352 adult residents of Barcelona (Spain), Stoke-on-Trent (United Kingdom), Doetinchem (The Netherlands), and Kaunas (Lithuania) as part of the PHENOTYPE study. Participants wore a smartphone for seven consecutive days between May-December 2013 and provided additional sociodemographic survey data. Hourly average physical activity (Metabolic Equivalent of Task (MET)) and surrounding greenness (NDVI) were derived from the Calfit mobile application collecting accelerometer and location data. Hourly apparent temperature was calculated from temperature and relative humidity, which were obtained from local meteorological stations along with other meteorological covariates (rainfall, windspeed, and sky darkness). We assessed the interaction effects of apparent temperature and surrounding greenness on hourly physical activity for each city using linear mixed models, while adjusting for meteorological, demographic, and time-related variables. Results: We found significant interactions between apparent temperature and surrounding greenness on hourly physical activity in all four cities. Significant quadratic effects of apparent temperature were found in the highest level of surrounding greenness for Stoke-on-Trent and Doetinchem, with 4% decrease in median MET observed for a 10°C departure from optimal temperature (15.2°C and 14.6°C, respectively). On the other hand, significant linear effects were found for higher levels of surrounding greenness in Barcelona and Kaunas, whereby an increase of 10°C was associated with ∼4% increase in median MET. Conclusion: Apparent temperature and surrounding greenness interacted in the effect on hourly physical activity across the four European cities, with varying effect between cities. While quadratic effects of temperature suggest diminishing levels of physical activity in the highest greenness levels in cities of temperate climates, the variation in surrounding greenness between cities could be further explored, particularly by looking at indoor-outdoor locations. The study findings support the need for evidence-based physical activity promotion and urban design

Natural outdoor environments and mental health: Stress as a possible mechanism.

INTRODUCTION Better mental health has been associated with exposure to natural outdoor environments (NOE). However, comprehensive studies including several indicators of exposure and outcomes, potential effect modifiers and mediators are scarce. OBJECTIVES We used novel, objective measures to explore the relationships between exposure to NOE (i.e. residential availability and contact) and different indicators of mental health, and possible modifiers and mediators. METHODS A nested cross-sectional study was conducted in: Barcelona, Spain; Stoke-on-Trent, United Kingdom; Doetinchem, Netherlands; Kaunas, Lithuania. Participants' exposure to NOE (including both surrounding greenness and green and/or blue spaces) was measured in terms of (a) amount in their residential environment (using Geographical Information Systems) and (b) their contact with NOE (using smartphone data collected over seven days). Self-reported information was collected for mental health (psychological wellbeing, sleep quality, vitality, and somatisation), and potential effect modifiers (gender, age, education level, and city) and mediators (perceived stress and social contacts), with additional objective NOE physical activity (potential mediator) derived from smartphone accelerometers. RESULTS Analysis of data from 406 participants showed no statistically significant associations linking mental health and residential NOE exposure. However, NOE contact, especially surrounding greenness, was statistically significantly tied to better mental health. There were indications that these relationships were stronger for males, younger people, low-medium educated, and Doetinchem residents. Perceived stress was a mediator of most associations, and physical activity and social contacts were not. CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicate that contact with NOE benefits mental health. Our results also suggest that having contact with NOE that can facilitate stress reduction could be particularly beneficial

Castell de Castelldefels. Arqueologia, història, art

La recerca en el castell era adreçada a esbrinar els trets generals de l'evolució, però sense exhaurir el jaciment, atesa la inversió econòmica considerable que aquest procediment hagués suposat. En conseqüència, es va realitzar una excavació selectiva en punts ben significatius, la qual s'ha anat ampliant amb altres sondeigs fets paral·lelament a les obres iniciades el 2001, com veurem més endavant en un capítol a part,2 i que actualment continuen en curs. Els punts significatius excavats són els següents: l'indret on se suposava que havia de ser l'entrada principal, entre l'angle nord-est i els lavabos actuals (fig. 68, sondeig VII), els voltants de la porta del pati 1 (fig. 53, 54, 61, 62, sondeig I i fig. 55, sondeig VII) i els àmbits CA2, CA4, CA5 i CA6 (fig. 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 56, 57, sondeigs IV, Vbis, V i VI, respectivament), tot això dins el cos A. Al cos B només es va dur a terme una rasa estratigràfica a la meitat septentrional de l'espai CB4 (fig. 51, 58, 59, 60, sondeig VIII), la qual va donar dades il·lustratives. A l'església i els edificis adjacents, en canvi, atès que les obres havien de començar ben aviat i que n'afectarien el subsòl, les cobertes i els paraments de manera substancial, hom va dur a terme una excavació extensiva a gairebé tot l'interior, llevat de la capella de la Salut, on només es va treballar a la meitat de llevant. Al mateix temps, es va realitzar una intervenció àmplia a la coberta d'aquest edifici, com també al subsòl i a la volta intermèdia de la sagristia. L'àrea de la rectoria també va ser excavada a fons, tot i que es van deixar alguns testimonis a R3. Totes aquestes recerques es Paral·lelament al treball de camp, es va enllestir l'aplegament de documentació sobre el castell i el temple. De tal manera que posseïm un recull interessant de notícies, sobretot des del segle XIV, mancat, però, d'algunes precisions, a causa de la dispersió notable dels textos i a la dificultat, de vegades insuperable, per accedir als fons particulars.3 També s'han dut a terme estudis d'història de l'art sobre determinats aspectes del conjunt, com ara la decoració de la sala principal del castell, l'ambientació de la resta de les estances o les restauracions portades a terme per Ramon Soriano (1897) i Enric Sagnier (1910)

Evaluating the association between artificial light-at-night exposure and breast and prostate cancer risk in Spain (MCC-Spain study).

BACKGROUND: Night shift work, exposure to light at night (ALAN) and circadian disruption may increase the risk of hormone-dependent cancers. OBJECTIVES: We evaluated the association of exposure to ALAN during sleeping time with breast and prostate cancer in a population based multicase-control study (MCC-Spain), among subjects who had never worked at night. We evaluated chronotype, a characteristic that may relate to adaptation to light at night. METHODS: We enrolled 1,219 breast cancer cases, 1,385 female controls, 623 prostate cancer cases, and 879 male controls from 11 Spanish regions in 2008-2013. Indoor ALAN information was obtained through questionnaires. Outdoor ALAN was analyzed using images from the International Space Station (ISS) available for Barcelona and Madrid for 2012-2013, including data of remotely sensed upward light intensity and blue light spectrum information for each geocoded longest residence of each MCC-Spain subject. RESULTS: Among Barcelona and Madrid participants with information on both indoor and outdoor ALAN, exposure to outdoor ALAN in the blue light spectrum was associated with breast cancer [adjusted odds ratio (OR) for highest vs. lowest tertile, OR=1.47; 95% CI: 1.00, 2.17] and prostate cancer (OR=2.05; 95% CI: 1.38, 3.03). In contrast, those exposed to the highest versus lowest intensity of outdoor ALAN were more likely to be controls than cases, particularly for prostate cancer. Compared with those who reported sleeping in total darkness, men who slept in "quite illuminated" bedrooms had a higher risk of prostate cancer (OR=2.79; 95% CI: 1.55, 5.04), whereas women had a slightly lower risk of breast cancer (OR=0.77; 95% CI: 0.39, 1.51). CONCLUSION: Both prostate and breast cancer were associated with high estimated exposure to outdoor ALAN in the blue-enriched light spectrum. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP1837.The study was partially funded by the Accion Transversal del Cancer, approved by the Spanish Ministry Council on 11 October 2007, by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III-FEDER (PI08/1770, PI08/0533, PI08/1359, PS09/00773-Cantabria, PS09/01286-León, PS09/01903-Valencia, PS09/02078-Huelva, PS09/01662-Granada, PI11/01889-FEDER, PI11/02213, PI12/00488, PI12/00265, PI12/01270, PI12/00715, PI14/0613), by the Fundación Marqués de Valdecilla (API 10/09), by the ICGC International Cancer Genome Consortium CLL [the ICGC CLL-Genome Project is funded by Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO) through the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII) and Red Temática de Investigación del Cáncer (RTICC) del ISCIII (RD12/0036/0036)], by the Junta de Castilla y León (LE22A10-2), by the Consejería de Salud of the Junta de Andalucía (PI-0571-2009, PI-0306-2011, salud201200057018tra), by the Conselleria de Sanitat of the Generalitat Valenciana (AP_061/10), by the Regional Government of the Basque Country, by the Consejería de Sanidad de la Región de Murcia, by the European Commission grants FOOD-CT-2006-036224-HIWATE, by the Spanish Association Against Cancer (AECC) Scientific Foundation, by the Catalan Government–Agency for Management of University and Research Grants (AGAUR) grants 2014SGR647 and 2014SGR850, by the Fundación Caja de Ahorros de Asturias, and by the University of Oviedo. ISGlobal is a member of the Centres de Recerca de Catalunya (CERCA) Programme, Generalitat de Catalunya. This research was also supported in part by the STARS4ALL project funded by the H2020-ICT-2015-688135 program of the European Union, the ORISON project funded by the H2020-INFRASUPP-2015-2 program of the European Union, and through the resources of researchers and collaborators of the Cities at Night project. J.G.-P. was funded by the Scientific Foundation of the Spanish Association against Cancer (Fundación Científica de la Asociación Española Contra el Cáncer (AECC), EVP-1178/14)