Context sensitive noise impact mapping

Apartments that are exposed to the same level of road traffic noise on front of the most exposed façade often have very different neighbourhood soundscapes. In the first part of this paper, a neighbourhood soundscape adjusted exposure indicator, NAL_den, is derived. NAL_den-values are designed to be used as input to traditional exposure-effect relationships to improve annoyance impact estimates. In the second part, generic spatial procedures are developed and implemented. These produce map presentations in the form of contiguous neighbourhood quality areas. The quality of each neighbourhood is determined from the predicted annoyance impacts for residents. Noise impact maps provide experts, politicians, and the public with high-level impact visualizations of condensed status, “what-if” and scenario information. Results and illustrations are based on data from the Norwegian socio-environmental survey database, and a comprehensive national noise mapping effort. The methodology should work well for mapping Europe’s “black” and “grey” areas.     

The prediction of noise levels L10 due to road traffic

The authors have developed an improved procedure for predicting noise levels L₁₀ from road traffic. The new method has been adopted for use within England and Wales in connection with the Noise Insulation Regulations 1975 and for other aspects of planning. The formulation of the new procedure is discussed, and its overall performance assessed by reference to a comprehensive data bank specifically assembled for that purpose.     

Converting the UK calculation of road traffic noise (CORTN) to a model capable of calculating LAeq,1h for the Tehran’s roads

This paper describes the methodology through which the UK calculation of road traffic noise (CORTN) has been converted to the algorithms that are able to calculate hourly A-weighted equivalent sound pressure level (L_Aeq,1h) for the Tehran’s roads. The methodology adopts two different approaches to model calibration and performance test through the holdout validation method on the basis of the database including 52 samples taken from 52 sampling stations located alongside 5 roads of Tehran at distances less than 4 m from the nearside carriageway edge. As to the CORTN manual the distances less than 4 m are considered to be equal to 4 m. In the first approach the model is calibrated through carrying out nonlinear regression parameter estimation using 50% of samples to replace the basic noise level parameters with the new ones that are presumably able to satisfy the objective of the study with an acceptable fitness of the model. In the second approach the model calibration is carried out on the basis of 30 measurements taken from 2 roads. In the next step the other subsets of samples are introduced into the calibrated equations to conduct the performance test. Non parametric goodness of fit tests, i.e. two related samples Wilcoxon and two independent samples Kolmogorov-Smirnov, respectively conducted for the calibration and the performance test steps; indicate satisfactory results for both approaches.     

Estimating health related costs and savings from balcony acoustic design for road traffic noise

A multi-faceted study is conducted with the objective of estimating the potential fiscal savings in annoyance and sleep disturbance related health costs due to providing improved building acoustic design standards. This study uses balcony acoustic treatments in response to road traffic noise as an example. The study area is the State of Queensland in Australia, where regional road traffic noise mapping data is used in conjunction with standard dose–response curves to estimate the population exposure levels. The background and the importance of using the selected road traffic noise indicators are discussed. In order to achieve the objective, correlations between the mapping indicator (L_{A10 (18 hour)}) and the dose response curve indicators (L_den and L_night) are established via analysis on a large database of road traffic noise measurement data. The existing noise exposure of the study area is used to estimate the fiscal reductions in health related costs through the application of simple estimations of costs per person per year per degree of annoyance or sleep disturbance. The results demonstrate that balcony acoustic treatments may provide a significant benefit towards reducing the health related costs of road traffic noise in a community.     

Sparse hyperspectral unmixing using an approximate L0 norm

Sparse unmixing aims at finding an optimal subset of spectral signatures in a large spectral library to effectively model each pixel in the hyperspectral image and compute their fractional abundances. In most previous work concerned with the sparse unmixing, L₂ norm is used to measure the error tolerance and the L₁ norm is added as the sparsity regularization. However, in some applications, using L₁ norm to measure the error tolerance has significant robustness advantages over the L₂ norm. Besides, in some cases, using a smooth function to approximate the L₀ norm can obtain more accurate results than the L₁ norm in the field of sparse regression. Thus, in this paper, we consider the two alternative choices for sparse unmixing. A reweighted iteration algorithm is also proposed so that the unconvex regularizer (smoothed L₀ norm) can be efficiently solved through transforming it into a series of weighted L₁ regularizer problems. Experimental results on both synthetic and real hyperspectral data demonstrate the efficacy of the new models.     

Joint L1/Lp-regularized minimization in video recovery of remote sensing based on compressed sensing

L₁ regularization and L_p regularization are proposed for processing recovered images based on compressed sensing (CS). L₁ regularization can be solved as a convex optimization problem but is less sparse than L_p (0 < p < 1). L_p regularization is sparser than L₁ regularization but is more difficult to solve. This paper proposes joint L₁/L_p (0 < p < 1) regularization, which combines L_p regularization and L₁ regularization. This joint regularization is applied to recover video of remote sensing based on CS. Joint regularization is sparser than L₁ regularization but is as easy to solve as L₁ regularization. A linearized Bregman reweighted iteration algorithm is proposed to solve the joint L₁/L_p regularization problem. The performance and capabilities of the linearized Bregman algorithm and linearized Bregman reweighted algorithm for solving the joint L₁/L_p regularization model are analyzed and compared through numerical simulations.     

Estimation of the long term average sound level from hourly average sound levels

It is shown how to estimate the long-term average sound level, L_AeqLT (for free flowing road traffic) from measurements of the hourly A-weighted equivalent sound level, L_Aeq1h. To estimate the parameters of the model which describe noise emission and attenuation, concurrent measurements of L_Aeq1h at two distances from the considered road are needed. A semi-empirical formula is derived for L_AeqLT approximation. Also the uncertainty of this approximation is given as a function the distance from the road and receiver height.     

Community responses to road traffic noise in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City

Vietnam is a developing country in southeast Asia, and its environment has been seriously affected by industrialization and urbanization. In large cities like Hanoi (northern Vietnam) and Ho Chi Minh City (southern Vietnam), noise emission from road traffic has been found to be a serious concern among general public. In 2005 and 2007, two large-scale socio-acoustic surveys of community response to road traffic noise were conducted to investigate human reactions to road traffic noise in these cities; the sample sizes were 1503 people in Hanoi and 1471 in Ho Chi Minh City. The noise exposure levels (L_den) were 70–83 dB in Hanoi and 75–83 dB in Ho Chi Minh City. Noise annoyance was estimated using standardized annoyance scales. For both cities, dose–response relationships were established between L_den and the percentage of highly annoyed respondents. Compared to annoyance responses of European people, Vietnamese were less annoyed by road traffic noise by about 5 dB. Hanoi respondents seemed to be more annoyed by noise than Ho Chi Minh City respondents. Conversation and sleep disturbances were not as serious as expected in either city. Furthermore, window orientation in the home was found to affect activity disturbances.     

Practical guidance for risk assessment of traffic noise effects on sleep

Environmental noise disturbs sleep and may impair well-being, performance and health. The European Union Directive 2002/49/EC (END) requires member states to generate noise maps and action plans to mitigate traffic noise effects on the population. However, practical guidance for the generation of action plans, i.e. for assessing the effects of traffic noise on sleep, is missing. Based on the current literature, we provide guidance on hazard identification, exposure assessment, exposure-response relationships and risk estimation: there is currently no consensus on both exposure and outcome variables that describe traffic noise effects on sleep most adequately. END suggests the equivalent noise level L_night as the primary exposure variable, and our own simulations of single nights with up to 200 noise events based on a field study on the effects of aircraft noise on sleep support using expert consensus L_night ranges (<30, 30-40, 40-55, >55 dB) for risk assessment. However, the precision of risk assessment may be considerably improved by adding information on the number of noise events contributing to L_night. The calculation of L_night should be extended to the shoulder hours of the day if traffic is busy during these periods. More data are needed on the combined effects of different traffic modes.     

Spectroscopy of X2Y4 (D2h) molecules: tensorial formalism adapted to the O(3)⊃D2h chain, Hamiltonian and transition moment operators

A tensorial formalism adapted to the case of the X₂Y₄ molecules with D_2h symmetry has been developed in the same way as in the previous works on XY₄ (T_d) and XY₆ (O_h) spherical tops and XY₅Z (C_4v) symmetric tops. Here, we use the O(3)⊃D_2h group chain. All the coupling coefficients and formulas for the computation of matrix elements are given for this chain and used in the case of the Hamiltonian and transition moment operators.     

FePt L10 ordering and grain growth using millisecond pulse laser processing

The structural and magnetic properties of ∼12 nm thick FePt thin films grown on Si substrates annealed using a 1064 nm wavelength laser with a 10 ms pulse have been examined. The A1 to L1₀ ordering phase transformation was confirmed by electron and X-ray diffraction. An order parameter near 50% and a maximum coercivity of 12 kOe were obtained with laser energy densities of 25-32 J/cm². Grain growth, quantified by dark field transmission electron microscopy, occurred during chemical ordering at the laser pulse widths studied.     

L10 FePt thin films with [0 0 1] crystalline growth fabricated by SiO2 addition—rapid thermal annealing and dot patterning of the films

FePt films that have a high degree of order S in their L1₀ structure (S>0.90) and well-defined [0 0 1] crystalline growth perpendicular to the film plane were fabricated on thermally oxidized Si substrates by the addition of an oxide and successive rapid thermal annealing (RTA). The mechanism of L1₀ ordering and [0 0 1] crystalline growth perpendicular to the film plane arising through the oxide addition and RTA process is also discussed. The L1₀ ordering (S>0.90) and the [0 0 1] crystalline growth were achieved by (1) lowering the activation energy due to in-plane tensile stress and the initiation of L1₀ ordering at a low temperature, (2) [0 0 1] crystalline growth through in-plane tensile stress, and (3) enhancement of atomic diffusion via the addition of an oxide and the resultant lowering of the ordering temperature. Effect (1) was observed in the case of SiO₂ addition, effect (2) was generally observed in the case of oxide addition and the RTA process, and effect (3) was prominent in the case of ZnO addition. With the addition of ZnO, the L1₀ ordering started at below 400 °C and was completed at 500 °C. Finally, dot patterns were successfully fabricated down to a diameter of 15 nm using electron beam lithography, and the magnetic state of the dot pattern was observed by magnetic force microscopy.     

A fuzzy expert system capable of computing LA,max for the Tehran-Karaj commuter train

This paper describes the methodology through which a fuzzy expert system capable of computing maximum A-weighed noise level (L_A,max) for the Tehran-Karaj commuter train is developed, tested, tuned and validated on the basis of the 50 measurements from five locations at distances of 25 m, 35 m, 45 m, 55 m, and 65 m from the centre of the track and at a height of 1.5 m. The expert system is initially developed, tested and tuned through the judgements made on the premise of the samples taken at the distances of 25, 45 and 65 m. The conducted hypothesis test, the non-parametric two-related samples Wilcoxon test, for this stage indicates satisfactory results. Eventually the developed expert system is validated for the measurements related to the distances of 35 and 55 m through carrying out the non-parametric two-independent samples Kolmogorov-Smirnov test.     

Mathematical, statistical and neural models capable of predicting LA,max for the Tehran-Karaj express train

This paper presents mathematical logarithmic, statistical linear regression, and neural models capable of predicting maximum A-weighed noise level (L_A,max) for the Tehran-Karaj express train. The models have been developed upon the basis of the measurements from sampling locations at distances of 25 m, 45 m, and 65 m from the centreline of the track and at a height of 1.5 m. In the next step, the predictive capability of the models have been tested on the data associated with the sampling locations, situated, respectively at distances of 35 and 55 m from the centreline of the track at a height of 1.5 m. The non-parametric tests i.e. two-related samples Wilcoxon, and two-independent samples Kolmogorov-Smirnov, carried out, respectively for training and testing steps, indicate satisfactory results. In the final step the non-parametric k-related samples Friedman test detects no significant differences amongst the absolute testing set error of the models.     

New vehicle noise emission for French traffic noise prediction

Traffic noise prediction models in France are based on vehicle noise emission values defined by the French Guide du Bruit des Transports Terrestres (Noise Guide for Ground Transport - Noise levels prediction). These emission values are suited for models addressing the noise assessments of road infrastructures and the dimensioning of acoustic protections, needing traffic noise estimations in terms of ?_Aeq over a long period of time (an hour or more).The values, obtained from measurements collected in the 70s, are updated in the publication of a new guide (Methodological Guide, Vehicle noise emissions, to be published), which addresses the road surface influence on tyre/road noise. The emission values are now expressed through the contributions of a power unit component, function of traffic speed, traffic flow type and road declivity, and of a rolling noise component, function of traffic speed and road pavement.The paper outlines the procedures followed to determine the components, gives their numerical values, and illustrates some vehicle noise emissions.     

Scenario analysis and noise action planning: Modelling the impact of mitigation measures on population exposure

This paper reports on strategic noise mapping research conducted in Dublin, Ireland. Noise maps are constructed for the day–evening–night-time and night-time periods and levels of population exposure are estimated for the same periods. In methodological terms, the research uses the UK’s calculation of road traffic noise (CRTN) method for calculating noise levels in the study area. This method has been adopted as the interim calculation method by the Irish authorities responsible for meeting the obligations set out in the EU Environmental Noise Directive (END). The research also investigates the usefulness of three noise mitigation measures for ‘acoustical planning’ purposes: traffic reductions, speed reductions and erection of acoustical barriers. The results indicate that levels of population exposure during night-time are extremely high relative to guideline limits set down by the World Health Organisation. In addition, the results highlight the significant role that certain noise mitigation measures can play in good ‘acoustical planning’.     

Lower excited states of 7-azaindole dimer with a C2h(M) symmetry

The title subjects (in the vapor phase) were assessed to be in the weak-coupling limit as Frenkel-type excitons of a L_a-type excited state, by examining reported data on these systems: (1) L_b/L_a interconversion by dimerization (in the solution) just like what happens in the monomer by the change of solvent polarity, e.g., from 3-methylpentane to ethanol. (2) Good correspondence between the monophotonic excitation spectrum of the tautomer fluorescence (after excited-state double proton-transfer reaction of the dimer) and mass-selected (2 + 2) photoionization spectrum of the dimer, as is predicted theoretically. (3) Potential minima for locally excited configurations, as were predicted by ab initio calculations. Comments on the current controversy about the mechanism of its excited-state tautomerization, i.e., whether it is of one step or two steps, are made as well.     

Cu addition and its role in thermoelectric properties and nanostructuring in the series compounds (InSb)nCum

We have performed a comparative investigation of the series compounds (InSb)_nCu_m to assess the roles of Cu addition on the thermoelectric properties and nanostructuring in bulk InSb. Detailed temperature dependent transport properties including electrical conductivity, the Seebeck coefficient, and thermal conductivity are presented. The Seebeck coefficients of In₂₀Sb₂₀Cu (m:n = 1:20) are increased by 13 percent in magnitude if compared to those of InSb, which is responsible for the 22 percent enhancement in the highest ZT value at 687 K. Although the magnitudes of κ_L are larger than those of InSb over the entire temperature range, a remarkable reduction in lattice thermal conductivities (κ_L) was observed with measuring temperature elevation. Such changes are mainly due to the precipitation of a large number of Cu₉In₄ nanoparticles with the size of smaller than 5 nm, dispersed in the matrix observed using high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) images.     

Reactions to railway noise in Denmark

People's reactions to railway noise were studied along seven Danish railway lines with traffic intensities from 30 to about 300 trains per 24 hours. The calculated sound levels varied between 43 and 71 dB(A) for L_Aeq,24h and between 78 and 102 sB(A) for L_Amax. 615 persons were interviewed. One third of these felt strongly or somewhat annoyed by the railway noise. The relations between the noise level and the extent of annoyance or various kinds of behaviour (telephone conversation, TV-listening, opening of windows, sleep, etc.) were found. The relations were found for both L_Aeq,24h and L_Amax, but the correlation for L_Amax is generally bad. Noise in the evenings was found to be more annoying than noise in other daytime periods. More than half of the interviewees answered that goods trains especially were a problem. People exposed to noise at their place of work seem to feel more annoyed by railway noise than other people.     

Noise annoyance assessment of various urban road vehicle pass-by noises in isolation and combined with industrial noise: A laboratory study

Noise maps are diagnosis tools which represent the noise exposure situation using the energy-based index L_den (the day–evening–night level). Two major drawbacks may be attributed to noise maps: (1) energy-based indices only account for one acoustical factor (exposure level) that may give rise to annoyance; (2) combined exposures situations are left unframed.