Living near heavy traffic increases risks of dementia.

EXTRACT FROM THE HINDU-National Newspaper.

LONDON: January 05, 2017 22:13 IST Updated: January 05, 2017 22:13 IST

WHO estimates the number of people with dementia in 2015 at 47.5 million, a number that is rising as life expectancy increases? 

People who live near roads laden with heavy traffic face a higher risk of developing dementia than those living further away, possibly because pollutants get into their brains via the blood stream, according to researchers in Canada.

A study in The Lancet medical journal found that people who lived within 50 metres of high-traffic roads had a seven per cent higher chance of developing dementia compared to those who lived more than 300 metres away from busy roadways.

“Air pollutants can get into the blood stream and lead to inflammation, which is linked with cardiovascular disease and possibly other conditions such as diabetes. This study suggests air pollutants that can get into the brain via the blood stream can lead to neurological problems,” said Ray Copes, an environmental and occupational health expert at Public Health Ontario (PHO) who conducted the study with colleagues from Canada’s Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences.

Brain disease

Dementia is caused by brain diseases, most commonly Alzheimer’s disease, which result in the loss of brain cells and affect memory, thinking, behavior, navigational and spatial abilities and the ability to perform everyday activities.

The World Health Organization estimates the number of people with dementia in 2015 at 47.5 million, and that total is rising rapidly as life expectancy increases and societies age. The incurable condition is a leading cause of disability and dependency, and is starting to overtake heart disease as a cause of death in some developed countries. Independent experts said the Canadian study had important implications for public health around the world. Tom Dening of the Centre for Old Age and Dementia at Britain’s Nottingham University said the findings were “interesting and provocative”.

“It is unlikely that Ontario has the worst air quality in the world, so the risks might be even greater in cities that are habitually wrapped in smog,” he said. . — Reuters.

It’s happening everywhere, even in India, even in our living spaces and its time to figure out this major health disease.

DEMENTIA-caused due to air pollution and steady growth of community noise.

What the Wikipedia says about this urban or community noise: Noise pollution or noise disturbance is the disturbing or excessive noise that may harm the activity or balance of human or animal life. The source of most outdoor noise worldwide is mainly caused by machines and transportation systems, motor vehicles, aircraft, and trains.^[1][2] Outdoor noise is summarized by the word environmental noise. Poor urban planning may give rise to noise pollution, since side-by-side industrial and residential buildings can result in noise pollution in the residential areas. Documented problems associated with urban noise go back as far as Ancient Rome.

WE ENTER HERE…..

Noise is everywhere. It surrounds and, at times, overwhelms us. Some are better at adapting to a noisy city life than others. Some consider the noise a minor nuisance, if they consider it a nuisance at all. Then there are those of us who lose a little piece of sanity in the wake of every honking horn and heart-stopping car backfire. We know noise is a problem in our cities, but just how big a problem is it?

Noise is generally defined as unwanted sound. That’s straightforward enough, but such a definition does, in a way, understate the seriousness of noise as a social problem. Noise pollution is a form of air pollution, making it a threat to health and well being.

Our towns and cities have to balance providing mobility, which enables economic growth and social interaction, with maintaining quality of life, in the form of reduced traffic congestion, atmospheric pollution and noise.

We at Apocalypse Acoustic Science Corp are specialized experts for community and Urban Noise Abatement providing affordable solutions in Architectural, Building, Industrial and Corporate Acoustics.

Our key focus areas:

·         To Provide Techniques to reduce traffic noise from the source, support to focus on innovative solutions.

·         To Provide Techniques to reduce machinery noise through noise barriers with a focus on integrated solutions for Industries and other major noise generators.

·         To Reducing noise from the source, noise isolation for homes and living spaces at affordable prices.

·         To Provide Noise measurements with health impact on Humans through Noise Mapping or Sound Modelling.

·         Providing Socio-economic assessments with affordable solutions for noise abatement.

·         Start up a monitoring body in partnership with the Government of India to implement stricter legislative noise control measures.

·         Communication and agenda setting

·         Data collection, analysis and smart use of data for planning

·         Fundraising for establishing this Monitoring Body.

Today a complex problem with many elements is compounded by ever-increasing levels of traffic. The technology solutions have to consider all elements and the widely differing needs of many different types of travelers. Apocalypse Acoustic Sciences Corp provides end to end solutions for community and urban noise, architectural acoustics, room acoustics, building acoustics, electro acoustics, industrial acoustics, noise and vibration control, traffic and mobility management solutions for the urban environment which are based on common protocols and open standards. The results are highly future-proofed, scalable and simple to deploy available at indianized pricing-INR. 

Apocalypse Acoustics Inc-Threshold of Salvation.                                             Copyright 2017.

Visit us at www.apocalypseindia.com or reach us at +919395333255 or mail us at apocalypse@mail.org

NOISE REDUCTION FOR OPEN PLAN OFFICES AND SPACES

NOISE REDUCTION FOR OPEN PLAN OFFICES AND SPACES BY APOCALYPSE ACOUSTICS INC

Today with Open Plan Spaces being the first choice, the importance of good acoustics and noise reduction in an office environment is the need of the hour right now and is growing up. Today, we are surrounded by sound at all times. Some sounds are pleasant and soothing; others are very very annoying and distracting which are the true factors behind our physical or psychological diseases, illness, or malfunctions.

Sound affects the way we feel and behave, and especially in our working environment, sound is particularly critical and very influential on our performance.
Complaints in the office often involve the lack of speech privacy, high noise levels and the distraction of, overheard extraneous conversations. These complaints risk becoming more pronounced when traditional office walls are replaced by partial height panels, which allow sound to circulate more freely throughout a space.
We enter here…
CASE STUDY: T HUB: T-Hub is the heart of the Telangana startup and technology ecosystem.
Web Link http://www.t-hub.co

T-Hub is a unique public/private partnership between the government of Telangana, 3 of India’s premier academic institutes (IIIT-H, ISB & NALSAR) and key private sector leaders. It stands at the intersection of the start-up, academic, corporate, research and government sectors.

T-Hub is designed for technology-related start-ups, and its mission is to catalyse the creation of one of the tightest and most vibrant entrepreneur communities in the world in order to encourage and fuel more start-up success stories in India.

The entire Hyderabad startup ecosystem with a state-of-the-art 70,000 square foot building called CatalysT, the largest building in India to be entirely dedicated to entrepreneurship. Located at the IIIT-H Campus, gachibowli, the sprawling building will bring the start-up community together by providing a platform for entrepreneurs, mentors, investors and academia to interact and collaborate.

The world-class infrastructure facilities at the building will be used for co-working spaces, meetings, mentoring, networking sessions and conferences. By giving access to top mentors, investors and academia, the T-Hub building will help every entrepreneur realize their dream; it’s the first open office space design, harnessing the green revolution technology.

·         Sound Levels measured at different Floors was 60-65 DB. A & C Weighting.

·         Actual Levels Measured at different Floors was 69-84 DB. A & C Weighting.

Project Lead Designer: http://wdesignstudio.in/

Noise & Acoustic Consultant: www. apocalypseindia.com

Putting the Pieces Together-Technical annotates

In an open plan office, the STC (Sound Transmission Class) and NRC (Noise Reduction Coefficient) must be balanced to achieve good speech privacy, while background sound levels are comfortably maintained. The combination and interaction of the STC and NRC is measured as the Noise Isolation Class (NIC).

Actually a furniture system with a NIC of 21 will reduce sound by approximately 21 decibels between work stations. (This looks completely new to us). Developed in the 1970’s, this criteria has fallen into somewhat of non-use; probably though lack of understanding of it by those who should like the (Architects, Interior Designers and some amateur Carpenters) be using it in the design and evaluation of space have totally ignored it. (No Problem we can still can handle this ignorance)

Each component in the open plan can be tested under these criteria; however, an educated evaluation of traditional properties (NRC, STC, etc.) can suffice. (We will require that at a later stage)

It is important to recognize that all of the components in an open plan office – ceiling, walls, floor and partitions, don’t forget the HVAC and mechanical systems – contribute to or detract from the overall acoustical performance of the space, but today designers just tend to forget this balancing act, their focus remains only of the designing and the aesthetics of the office

Each component can only compensate so much for the poor performance of another component. When too many compromises are made, the overall performance suffers. “NO ONE COMPONENT CAN DO THE JOB. IT CAN ONLY DO ITS JOB!”

We must first understand the Performance criteria for open plan offices which must include:

• Ceilings NRC .75 or higher
• Partitions STC 21 or higher
• Partitions NRC .70 or higher
• Walls NRC .80 or higher
• Floor (Carpeted) NRC .15

 This basic understanding of sound, its measurement, and how to control it will help us to create the most functional acoustical environment in open plan and other office space.

Contact us on +919395333255 or mail us at apocalypse@mail.org for recommendations and consultations.  Do give us a call and we will do all we can to help resolve the issue.

Apocalypse Acoustics Inc. Copyright 2016.

Cathedral of MEDAK banks on BOSE Professional

MEDAK CATHEDRAL, TELANGANA. INDIA-By Apocalypse Acoustics Inc-2016.

 

Engrossing the congregation in order to make services and speech relevant and attentive is a challenge for all houses of worship. If the worshipers can’t understand what’s being said, the message is lost. Therefore the ability to provide good sound reinforcement is essential, and this begins at the input stage. Discerning this, Cathedral of MEDAK relied on BOSE Professional for its Audio upgradation.

Presbyter Incharge of CATHEDRAL PASTORATE of MEDAK, Rev. Robinson, has many responsibilities within the church, including serving as the Main Presbyter, training the assistant presbyters, understanding the importance of worship, raising up volunteers, maintaining the church’s audio arsenal, and overseeing purchases.

Medak Cathedral at Medak in Telangana, India, is the largest church in Telangana and has been the cathedral church of the Diocese of Medak of the Church of South India since 1947. Originally built by British Wesleyan Methodists, it was consecrated on 25 December 1924. The Medak diocese is the single largest diocese in Asia and the second in the world after the Vatican.

This cathedral was built under the stewardship of Reverend Charls Walker Posnett who was driven by the motto my best for my Lord. Rev. Posnett arrived in Secunderabad in 1895. He first ministered among the British soldiers at Trimullghery. Unsatisfied with the army work, he launched forth into villages. In the year 1896, Rev. Charles Walker Posnett visited a village called Medak and built a bungalow there by staying in dock bungalow.

The cathedral is 100 ft (30 m) wide and 200 ft (61 m) long, and conforms to the Gothic Revival style. It can accommodate about 5,000 people at a time. The mosaic tiles were imported from Britain and are of six different colours. Italian masons from Bombay were engaged for laying the decorative flooring. Massive pillars built with fine-hewn and well dressed grey stone support the gallery and the whole edifice. The roof of the church is made sound-proof by means of hollow sponge material, and has an impressive style of vaulting, with a Measured RT of 0.66. The surface of the vaulting has the shape of squares. The bell-tower is 175 ft (53 m) high. (It is said that when the Nizam of Hyderabad discovered that the church would be higher than the Charminar, he made a vain bid to have its height reduced.

The roof has been cast to ensure best acoustics and sound proof made by hollow sponge material to have an impressive style of vaulting. With its immensity and beauty, this century old church stands out as one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture in India.

Medak Cathedral is a multi-generational, multi-ethnic, traditional Anglican Protestant Christian church,’ he explained. Our services are Anglican and multi-sensory. We utilize the Anglican traditional style of service including instruments and big choir. It is essential that all speech, dialogue, music and vocal performances reach the congregation with a high level of speech intelligibility for singing, a natural, musical sound quality. To achieve this, we depended on BOSE AUDIO SOLUTION.

The audio system design involved a total of Eight MA 12 vertical line array System deployed at FOH in a L-R configuration with 4 cabinets on either side on the Main Pillars, supporting the main speakers we configured the inner fill using six BOSE DS 100 SE’s and the upper and altar fills with eight BOSE DS 40 SE’s cabinets on either side of the cathedral. Control would be provided from a single Bose Control Space ESP-4120 engineered sound processor in an open-architecture DSP with 4x12 fixed analog audio connected through a Behringer SX 3242 FX mixing console, while microphones from AKG Perception Dual wireless, D5 Wired, CGN Goosenecks and Groove Instrument series completed the design. For the monitors BEHRINGER B415 Active which are run through a DBX 231S-Dual Band Analogue Graphic Equalizer to Cut the Lower Frequency and maintain the audio quality without howling and ringing.

We formulated and developed this system design keeping in mind the various points that members of the church committee had discussed with us during our meetings,’ recalled Mr. Anil Noel Flemming, Lead Project Designer and Consultant-Apocalypse Acoustic Sciences Corp. ‘With all the details in place, we figured that the BOSE Solution with MA Vertical Line Arrays would be the better fit for the audio upgradation project, keeping in mind its compact structure, aesthetically pleasing appearance and of course its performance, all in an easy to use and maintain bundle. And advancing on the fundamental of “easy to use”, the Behringer SX 3242 FX analogue console fits perfectly into the mix with the best in class sound processor for complete control and clarity. 

For More comprehensible insights or clarifications on this project please call Mr. Noel Flemming at +919395333255 or mail him  at flemming@consultant.com

Apocalypse Acoustics Inc-Copyright 2016.