Editorial: Acoustics in the Built Environment: A Challenge for Improving the Quality of Life

The acoustics of the environment in which we live influences our health, comfort, performance, and well-being. In this Research Topic, it is showcased that quality of life can be changed and improved by optimizing the acoustics of the built environment. This is done by addressing the complexity of the interactions between the occupants and the sonic environment. A variety of indoor and outdoor settings, in which either communication or perception are targeted, have been taken into consideration by the contributions in this special issue. In particular, the collected papers focused on four critical aspects: effects of noise in learning environments, communication in noise and reverberation, soundscape optimization for outdoor and indoor applications, and development of perception-based criteria in acoustical design

Probing quantum gravity effects with quantum mechanical oscillators

Phenomenological models aiming to join gravity and quantum mechanics often predict effects that are potentially measurable in refined low-energy experiments. For instance, modified commutation relations between position and momentum, that accounts for a minimal scale length, yield a dynamics that can be codified in additional Hamiltonian terms. When applied to the paradigmatic case of a mechanical oscillator, such terms, at the lowest order in the deformation parameter, introduce a weak intrinsic nonlinearity and, consequently, deviations from the classical trajectory. This point of view has stimulated several experimental proposals and realizations, leading to meaningful upper limits to the deformation parameter. All such experiments are based on classical mechanical oscillators, i.e., excited from a thermal state. We remark indeed that decoherence, that plays a major role in distinguishing the classical from the quantum behavior of (macroscopic) systems, is not usually included in phenomenological quantum gravity models. However, it would not be surprising if peculiar features that are predicted by considering the joined roles of gravity and quantum physics should manifest themselves just on purely quantum objects. On the base of this consideration, we propose experiments aiming to observe possible quantum gravity effects on macroscopic mechanical oscillators that are preliminary prepared in a high purity state, and we report on the status of their realization

Microsatellites and SNPs linkage analysis in a Sardinian genetic isolate confirms several essential hypertension loci previously identified in different populations

Background. A multiplicity of study designs such as gene candidate analysis, genome wide search (GWS) and, recently, whole genome association studies have been employed for the identification of the genetic components of essential hypertension (EH). Several genome-wide linkage studies of EH and blood pressure-related phenotypes demonstrate that there is no single locus with a major effect while several genomic regions likely to contain EH-susceptibility loci were validated by multiple studies. Methods. We carried out the clinical assessment of the entire adult population in a Sardinian village (Talana) and we analyzed 16 selected families with 62 hypertensive subjects out of 267 individuals. We carried out a double GWS using a set of 902 uniformly spaced microsatellites and a high-density SNPs map on the same group of families. Results. Three loci were identified by both microsatellites and SNP scans and the obtained linkage results showed a remarkable degree of similarity. These loci were identified on chromosome 2q24, 11q23.1–25 and 13q14.11–21.33. Further support to these findings is their broad description present in literature associated to EH or related phenotypes. Bioinformatic investigation of these loci shows several potential EH candidate genes, several of whom already associated to blood pressure regulation pathways. Conclusion. Our search for major susceptibility EH genetic factors evidences that EH in the genetic isolate of Talana is due to the contribution of several genes contained in loci identified and replicated by earlier findings in different human populations

Criteri metodologici di valutazione e valori guida per il rumore: una proposta per gli ambienti scolastici che considera l’apprendimento degli allievi e lo sforzo vocale degli insegnanti

Introduzione: il Sottogruppo coordinato da AIA con la collaborazione di AIDII e SIMLII si po-ne l’obiettivo di affrontare le tematiche poco note attinenti il disturbo da rumore nei luoghi di vita e di lavoro. Il primo lavoro del Sottogruppo riguarda gli ambienti scolastici. In questi ambienti, condizioni acustiche inadeguate, quali l’elevato rumore di fondo e l’eccessiva riverberazione, producono perdita di concentrazione e affaticamento nei docenti e discenti (1), riducono l’intelligibilità della parola compromettendo l’apprendimento degli allievi (2), determinano negli insegnanti un elevato sforzo vocale i cui effetti si manifestano come sintomi di una vera e propria malattia professionale (3). Obiettivi: nel lavoro si riportano i metodi di misurazione e di calcolo dei parametri acustici fondamentali per la valutazione dell’adeguatezza degli ambienti scolastici (livello del rumore di fondo, rapporto segnale-rumore, tempo di riverberazione, chiarezza, speech transmission index, livello di sforzo vocale), nonché i valori guida riferiti a detti parametri e indicazioni sulla ristrutturazione-progettazione acustica delle scuole. Metodi: l’intelligibilità del parlato è una precondizione essenziale in un ambiente destinato all’apprendimento; si valuta tramite alcuni dei parametri sopra indicati, misurabili e oggetto di norma. È possibile inoltre ricorrere a prove soggettive che consistono in test d’ascolto con materiale vocale registrato da svolgersi in campo o in laboratorio simulando condizioni acustiche ambientali differenti. Il livello di sforzo vocale è valutato tramite monitoraggio dell’attività vocale degli insegnanti per l’intera giornata lavorativa, mediante un dispositivo (Voice Care) costituito da un microfono a contatto da fissare in corrispondenza della fossetta giugulare e da un data logger. Da osservare che il monitoraggio dell’attività vocale può costituire uno strumento di prevenzione d’insorgenza di patologie della voce. Nell’ambito dello studio sono stati rilevati i requisiti acustici di circa cinquanta aule, sono stati eseguiti test d’ascolto su circa ottocento bambini e ragazzi, è stato monitorato lo sforzo vocale di alcune decine di insegnanti. Risultati e discussione: i valori guida sono stati ripresi dalla legislazione straniera e dalla letteratura scientifica e sono stati verificati e validati sperimentalmente al fine di giungere a una proposta integrata nazionale. In Italia la normativa sugli ambienti scolastici risale al 1975: oltre a non essere applicata, essa soffre del fatto di definire requisiti acustici meno stringenti di altri Paesi dove tali requisiti sono aggiornati con il progredire della ricerca. L’AIA sta operando affinché i valori guida proposti siano adottati in sede legislativa al fine di migliorare l’apprendimento e la salute nelle scuole

High Differentiation among Eight Villages in a Secluded Area of Sardinia Revealed by Genome-Wide High Density SNPs Analysis

To better design association studies for complex traits in isolated populations it's important to understand how history and isolation moulded the genetic features of different communities. Population isolates should not “a priori” be considered homogeneous, even if the communities are not distant and part of a small region. We studied a particular area of Sardinia called Ogliastra, characterized by the presence of several distinct villages that display different history, immigration events and population size. Cultural and geographic isolation characterized the history of these communities. We determined LD parameters in 8 villages and defined population structure through high density SNPs (about 360 K) on 360 unrelated people (45 selected samples from each village). These isolates showed differences in LD values and LD map length. Five of these villages show high LD values probably due to their reduced population size and extreme isolation. High genetic differentiation among villages was detected. Moreover population structure analysis revealed a high correlation between genetic and geographic distances. Our study indicates that history, geography and biodemography have influenced the genetic features of Ogliastra communities producing differences in LD and population structure. All these data demonstrate that we can consider each village an isolate with specific characteristics. We suggest that, in order to optimize the study design of complex traits, a thorough characterization of genetic features is useful to identify the presence of sub-populations and stratification within genetic isolates

From tangible to intangible heritage indie Italina historical opera houses

Historical opera houses in Italy have been the place for the development of a relevant part of the National musical tradition and their design is paired with a peculiar acoustical fingerprint. Due to its relevance this can be regarded as an intangible heritage embedded in the tangible heritage constituted by the theatre building itself. In particular the presence of fairly deep lateral enclosures opened to the main hall volume, called the “boxes”, is of paramount importance for the implications it had on the listening experience perceived by the public. For instance, the positions in the box recess had a much less favorable sound field compared to the frontal ones located at the box opening towards the hall. In this work the need for the box design is briefly recalled from an historical perspective and then the sound field in the boxes is described as the combination of several sound reflections from specific interior surfaces. It is seen how the related listening experience can vary in a remarkable manner while moving from boxes at different tiers. This characteristic greatly differentiates historical opera houses from modern ones, where one of the most valuable attribute is a limited change in acoustics over large audiences. The acoustical environment of historical halls, and inside boxes in particular, was important in building up the ear of the Italian opera goers, thus a close consideration of the peculiarities of the intangible heritage is necessary in case of restorations and cannot be overlooked

Research trajectories in classroom acosutics: investigting children perception beyond task performance

Classroom acoustics has been a topic of research for decades and still attracts the interest of scientists because of the many aspects that are involved, which range from listener centered issues such as cognitive proficiency to the acoustical design of the room and also to the speaker’s voice alterations in noisy conditions. Prof. Murray Hodgson has been a key person in the field and his findings have inspired many others that followed, including the present authors. In this work it is firstly discussed that the objective acoustical indicators whose provision warrants a suitable speech intelligibility in the classroom are not able to disentangle listening conditions which are perceived and rated differently by the listeners. For this reason an additional assessment has been developed based on the audiologically–oriented concept of “listening effort”. The method is implemented by means of one of the proxy measures of listening effort, that is the response time to the auditory stimulus. The present work reviews the main results obtained when the approach was applied to several problems related to classroom acoustics