An automated, real time classification system for biological and anthropogenic sounds from fixed ocean observatories

The automated, real time classification of acoustic events in the marine environment is an important tool to study anthropogenic sound pollution, marine mammals and for mitigating human activities that are potentially harmful. We present a real time classification system targeted at many important groups of acoustic events (clicks, buzzes, calls, whistles from several cetacean species, tonal and impulsive shipping noise and explosions). The achieved classification performance indicates that the system will be useful to pre-process the very large data volume that can be gathered during long term acoustic monitoring campaigns or to detect the presence of cetaceans in real time for mitigation.Peer Reviewe

Architecture for the real-time monitoring of noise pollution and marine mammal activity

As acoustic pollution in the oceans is increasing, it is becoming more important to monitor it, with special attention on its effects on the behaviour of cetaceans. In the near future governments may require constant monitoring during sea construction projects or operations. One major construction activity in the coming years will be the construction of wind farms. Not only will these farms produce a constant low level noise in their direct environment while operating, but the building of the foundations necessary to support the wind mills will produce impulsive noise dangerous to any cetaceans in the area and lethal to, for example, fish larvae. For these reasons, noise monitoring has become one of the objectives of the European Seafloor Observation Network (ESONET), to investigate the level of noise produced around European coastlines and its impact on the environment and cetaceans especially. Presented is the architecture for noise and marine mammal monitoring as it is currently implemented in ESONET through the LIDO (Listening to the Deep Ocean Environment) project. LIDO will detect in real-time changes in the background noise levels and register acoustic events (natural, biological and anthropogenic), and identify and track the sources when possible. As the system will be implemented in varying environments, a modular design is used that can be adapted easily, based on local requirements. While the system will most often run from a shore station, a more limited version is developed that can run autonomously with minimal power requirements.Peer Reviewe

The association between in-stent neoatherosclerosis and native coronary artery disease progression: a long-term angiographic and optical coherence tomography cohort study

Aims The purpose of the present study was to investigate the relationship between in-stent neoatherosclerosis (NA) and native atherosclerosis progression of untreated coronary segments. Methods and results In-stent NA was assessed by optical coherence tomography (OCT) among patients included in the SIRTAX-LATE OCT study 5 years after drug-eluting stent (DES) (sirolimus-eluting and paclitaxel-eluting stents) implantation. Neoatherosclerosis was defined as the presence of fibroatheroma or fibrocalcific plaque within the neointima of stented segments with a longitudinal extension >1.0 mm. Atherosclerosis progression in untreated native coronary segments was evaluated by serial quantitative coronary angiography (QCA). The change in minimal lumen diameter (MLD) was serially assessed within matched segments at baseline and 5-year angiographic follow-up. The key clinical endpoint was non-target lesion (non-TL) revascularization throughout 5 years. A total of 88 patients with 88 lesions were available for OCT analysis 5 years after DES implantation. In-stent NA was observed in 16% of lesions with the majority of plaques being fibroatheromas (11.4%) followed by fibrocalcific plaques (5.7%). A total of 704 non-TL segments were serially evaluated by QCA. Between baseline and 5-year follow-up, the reduction in MLD was significantly more pronounced in patients with NA (−0.25 mm, 95% CI −0.36 to −0.17 mm) when compared with patients without NA (−0.13 mm, 95% CI −0.17 to −0.10 mm, P = 0.002). Similarly, non-TL revascularization was more frequent in patients with NA (78.6%) when compared with patients without NA (44.6%, P = 0.028) throughout 5 years. Conclusions In-stent NA is more common among patients with angiographic and clinical evidence of native atherosclerosis progression suggesting similar pathophysiological mechanisms. SIRTAX trial is registered at http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT0061708

Modeling the underwater noise associated to the construction and operation of offshore wind turbines

The operation and in particular the construction of offshore wind converters induce considerable underwater noise emissions. It is assumed that small whales and seals can be affected by noise from machines and vessels, piling and installation of the wind turbines. Piling, in particular using hydraulic hammers creates impulsive noise with considerable high energy levels. Currently, only little knowledge about the effects of different noises to marine life is available. Here, we present the objectives of the ongoing project of the Laboratory of Applied Bioacoustics (Technical University of Catalonia): to simulate the generation, radiation and propagation of underwater noise; to develop forecasting hydro sound models of offshore wind converters and future noise reduction methods during pile driving; to determine the impact area of offshore wind farms; to allow the formulation of recommendations for acoustic emission thresholds; and to develop standard procedures for the determination and assessment of noise emissions.Peer Reviewe

Modelling the underwater noise associated to the construction and operation of offshore wind turbines

The operation and in particular the construction of offshore wind converters induce considerable underwater noise emissions. It is assumed that small whales and seals can be affected by noise from machines and vessels, piling and installation of the wind turbines. Piling, in particular using hydraulic hammers creates impulsive noise with considerable high energy levels. Currently, only little knowledge about the effects of different noises to marine life is available. Here, we present an ongoing project from the Laboratory of Applied Bioacoustics (Technical University of Catalonia): to simulate the generation, radiation and propagation of underwater noise; to develop forecasting hydro sound models of offshore wind converters and future noise reduction methods during pile driving; to determine the impact area of offshore wind farms; to allow the formulation of recommendations for acoustic emission thresholds; and to develop standard procedures for the determination and assessment of noise emissions.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Best practices in management, assessment and control of underwater noise pollution

The origin of this work can be found in the project ‘Effects and Control of Anthropogenic Noise in Marine Ecosystems’ in the part relative to legal initiatives. In the first phase of the Report on this Project (December 2008) it was concluded that the level of complexity of marine issues, united by the fact that wide scientific gaps and difficulties still need to be covered and resolved, counseled against the immediate drawing up of legal projects concerning underwater acoustic pollution. Nevertheless, it was suggested that a document of ‘Best Practices’ be elaborated to focus on the ‘state of the art’ of this issue, and that it be used by public administrations and promoters of projects that will cause acoustic pollution, as much within the framework of environmental impact assessments as in management development plans in protected marine areas. It is of vital importance that activities, which generate acoustic pollution in the oceans, be monitored. Accordingly, this document could derive, in the short term, a Protocol of Applications which will in its own time open the way for the preparation of, if necessary, legislative initiatives within their own right.Preprin

A randomized multicenter trial comparing the XIENCE everolimus eluting stent with the CYPHER sirolimus eluting stent in the treatment of female patients with de novo coronary artery lesions: The SPIRIT WOMEN study

Background: The comparative performance of different drug-eluting stents (DES) among female patients has not been assessed in a randomized manner. Objectives: The SPIRIT Women Clinical Evaluation trial compared the durable polymer everolimus-eluting XIENCE stent (DP-EES) with the durable polymer sirolimus-eluting Cypher stent (DP-SES) in women undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods: A total of 455 female patients with stable CAD were randomly assigned to receive DP-EES (n = 304) or DP-SES (n = 151). The powered angiographic outcome of the trial was in-stent late lumen loss (LLL) at 9 months after the index procedure. Secondary angiographic end points included in-segment LLL, in-stent and in-segment binary restenosis and percent diameter stenosis. The primary clinical outcome was a composite of all-cause death, myocardial infarction (MI) or target vessel revascularization (TVR). Results: At 9-month follow-up, in-stent LLL was 0.19\uc2\ub10.38 mm and 0.11\uc2\ub10.37 mm in patients assigned to DP-EES and DP-SES, respectively. The one-sided upper 95% CI of the difference in in-stent LLL between the groups of 0.08 mm was 0.15 and therefore within the pre-specified non-inferiority margin of 0.17 mm (p for non-inferiority = 0.013). However, the test for superiority showed a borderline significant difference in terms of LLL between DP-EES and DP-SES (p for superiority = 0.044). There were no significant differences in binary restenosis (2.0% vs. 0.72%, p = 0.44) and percent diameter stenosis (14.97\uc2\ub112.17 vs. 13.36 \uc2\ub110.82, p = 0.19). The rate of definite stent thrombosis at 12 months was lower in patients treated with DP-EES (0% vs. 2.0%, p = 0.036). Conclusions: Among women undergoing PCI, DP-EES was associated with a small but probably clinically relevant increase in in-stent LLL at 9 months as compared to DP-SES and with a lower risk of definite stent thrombosis at 12 months. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01182428

Effect of high-intensity statin therapy on atherosclerosis in non-infarct-related coronary arteries (IBIS-4): a serial intravascular ultrasonography study

Aim The effect of long-term high-intensity statin therapy on coronary atherosclerosis among patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is unknown. The aim of this study was to quantify the impact of high-intensity statin therapy on plaque burden, composition, and phenotype in non-infarct-related arteries of STEMI patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods and results Between September 2009 and January 2011, 103 STEMI patients underwent intravascular ultrasonography (IVUS) and radiofrequency ultrasonography (RF-IVUS) of the two non-infarct-related epicardial coronary arteries (non-IRA) after successful primary PCI. Patients were treated with high-intensity rosuvastatin (40 mg/day) throughout 13 months and serial intracoronary imaging with the analysis of matched segments was available for 82 patients with 146 non-IRA. The primary IVUS end-point was the change in per cent atheroma volume (PAV). After 13 months, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) had decreased from a median of 3.29 to 1.89 mmol/L (P < 0.001), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels had increased from 1.10 to 1.20 mmol/L (P < 0.001). PAV of the non-IRA decreased by −0.9% (95% CI: −1.56 to −0.25, P = 0.007). Patients with regression in at least one non-IRA were more common (74%) than those without (26%). Per cent necrotic core remained unchanged (−0.05%, 95% CI: −1.05 to 0.96%, P = 0.93) as did the number of RF-IVUS defined thin cap fibroatheromas (124 vs. 116, P = 0.15). Conclusion High-intensity rosuvastatin therapy over 13 months is associated with regression of coronary atherosclerosis in non-infarct-related arteries without changes in RF-IVUS defined necrotic core or plaque phenotype among STEMI patient

Low-Frequency sounds induce acoustic trauma in cephalopods

There is currently relatively little information on how marine organisms process and analyze sound, making assessments about the impacts of artificial sound sources in the marine environment difficult. However, such assessments have become a priority because noise is now considered as a source of pollution that increasingly affects the natural balance of marine ecosystems. We present the first morphological and ultrastructural evidence of massive acoustic trauma, not compatible with life, in four cephalopod species subjected to low‐frequency controlled‐exposure experiments. Exposure to low‐frequency sounds resulted in permanent and substantial alterations of the sensory hair cells of the statocysts, the structures responsible for the animals' sense of balance and position. These results indicate a need for further environmental regulation of human activities that introduce high‐intensity, low‐frequency sounds in the world's oceans