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Bullough, J. D., Donnell, E. T., & Rea, M. S. (2013). To illuminate or not to illuminate: roadway lighting as it affects traffic safety at intersections. Accid Anal Prev, 53, 65–77.
Abstract: A two-pronged effort to quantify the impact of lighting on traffic safety is presented. In the statistical approach, the effects of lighting on crash frequency for different intersection types in Minnesota were assessed using count regression models. The models included many geometric and traffic control variables to estimate the association between lighting and nighttime and daytime crashes and the resulting night-to-day crash ratios. Overall, the presence of roadway intersection lighting was found to be associated with an approximately 12% lower night-to-day crash ratio than unlighted intersections. In the parallel analytical approach, visual performance analyses based on roadway intersection lighting practices in Minnesota were made for the same intersection types investigated in the statistical approach. The results of both approaches were convergent, suggesting that visual performance improvements from roadway lighting could serve as input for predicting improvements in crash frequency. A provisional transfer function allows transportation engineers to evaluate alternative lighting systems in the design phase so selections based on expected benefits and costs can be made.
Keywords: Lighting; Accident Prevention/*methods; Accidents, Traffic/*prevention & control/psychology/statistics & numerical data; Cross-Sectional Studies; *Environment Design; Humans; *Lighting; Minnesota; Models, Statistical; Photoperiod; Psychomotor Performance; Regression Analysis; Safety/statistics & numerical data; Visual Perception
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Cajochen, C., Altanay-Ekici, S., Munch, M., Frey, S., Knoblauch, V., & Wirz-Justice, A. (2013). Evidence that the lunar cycle influences human sleep. Curr Biol, 23(15), 1485–1488.
Abstract: Endogenous rhythms of circalunar periodicity ( approximately 29.5 days) and their underlying molecular and genetic basis have been demonstrated in a number of marine species [1, 2]. In contrast, there is a great deal of folklore but no consistent association of moon cycles with human physiology and behavior [3]. Here we show that subjective and objective measures of sleep vary according to lunar phase and thus may reflect circalunar rhythmicity in humans. To exclude confounders such as increased light at night or the potential bias in perception regarding a lunar influence on sleep, we retrospectively analyzed sleep structure, electroencephalographic activity during non-rapid-eye-movement (NREM) sleep, and secretion of the hormones melatonin and cortisol found under stringently controlled laboratory conditions in a cross-sectional setting. At no point during and after the study were volunteers or investigators aware of the a posteriori analysis relative to lunar phase. We found that around full moon, electroencephalogram (EEG) delta activity during NREM sleep, an indicator of deep sleep, decreased by 30%, time to fall asleep increased by 5 min, and EEG-assessed total sleep duration was reduced by 20 min. These changes were associated with a decrease in subjective sleep quality and diminished endogenous melatonin levels. This is the first reliable evidence that a lunar rhythm can modulate sleep structure in humans when measured under the highly controlled conditions of a circadian laboratory study protocol without time cues.
Keywords: Adult; Aged; Cross-Sectional Studies; Electroencephalography; Female; Humans; Hydrocortisone/analysis/metabolism; Male; Melatonin/analysis/metabolism; Middle Aged; Moon; Nontherapeutic Human Experimentation; Periodicity; Saliva/metabolism; Sleep/*physiology; Sleep Stages/physiology; Young Adult
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Kessel, L., Siganos, G., Jorgensen, T., & Larsen, M. (2011). Sleep disturbances are related to decreased transmission of blue light to the retina caused by lens yellowing. Sleep, 34(9), 1215–1219.
Abstract: STUDY OBJECTIVES: Sleep pattern and circadian rhythms are regulated via the retinohypothalamic tract in response to stimulation of a subset of retinal ganglion cells, predominantly by blue light (450-490 nm). With age, the transmission of blue light to the retina is reduced because of the aging process of the human lens, and this may impair the photoentrainment of circadian rhythm leading to sleep disorders. The aim of the study was to examine the association between lens aging and sleep disorders. DESIGN: Cross-sectional population based study. SETTING: The study was performed at the Research Center for Prevention and Health, Glostrup Hospital, Denmark and at the Department of Ophthalmology, Herlev Hospital, Denmark. PARTICIPANTS: An age- and sex-stratified sample of 970 persons aged 30 to 60 years of age drawn from a sample randomly selected from the background population. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Sleep disturbances were evaluated by a combination of questionnaire and the use of prescription sleeping medication. Lens aging (transmission and yellowing) was measured objectively by lens autofluorometry. The risk of sleep disturbances was significantly increased when the transmission of blue light to the retina was low, even after correction for the effect of age and other confounding factors such as smoking habits, diabetes mellitus, gender, and the risk of ischemic heart disease (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Filtration of blue light by the aging lens was significantly associated with an increased risk of sleep disturbances. We propose that this is a result of disturbance of photoentrainment of circadian rhythms.
Keywords: Adult; Age Factors; Aging/*pathology/physiology; Circadian Rhythm/physiology; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Fluorometry; Humans; Lens, Crystalline/*pathology/physiopathology; *Light; Male; Middle Aged; Retina/*physiopathology; Risk Factors; *Scattering, Radiation; Sleep Disorders/*etiology; Circadian rhythm; cataract; melanopsin; sleep; blue light
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Obayashi, K., Saeki, K., Iwamoto, J., Ikada, Y., & Kurumatani, N. (2013). Exposure to light at night and risk of depression in the elderly. J Affect Disord, 151(1), 331–336.
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Recent advances in understanding the fundamental links between chronobiology and depressive disorders have enabled exploring novel risk factors for depression in the field of biological rhythms. Increased exposure to light at night (LAN) is common in modern life, and LAN exposure is associated with circadian misalignment. However, whether LAN exposure in home settings is associated with depression remains unclear. METHODS: We measured the intensities of nighttime bedroom light and ambulatory daytime light along with overnight urinary melatonin excretion (UME) in 516 elderly individuals (mean age, 72.8). Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Geriatric Depression Scale. RESULTS: The median nighttime light intensity was 0.8lx (interquartile range, 0.2-3.3). The depressed group (n=101) revealed significantly higher prevalence of LAN exposure (average intensity, >/= 5 lx) compared with that of the nondepressed group (n=415) using a multivariate logistic regression model adjusted for daytime light exposure, insomnia, hypertension, sleep duration, and physical activity [adjusted odds ratio (OR): 1.89; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.10-3.25; P=0.02]. Consistently, another parameter of LAN exposure (duration of intensity >/= 10 lx, >/= 30 min) was significantly more prevalent in the depressed than in the nondepressed group (adjusted OR: 1.71; 95% CI, 1.01-2.89; P=0.046). In contrast, UME was not significantly associated with depressive symptoms. LIMITATION: Cross-sectional analysis. CONCLUSION: These results suggested that LAN exposure in home settings is significantly associated with depressive symptoms in the general elderly population. The risk of depression may be reduced by keeping nighttime bedroom dark.
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Obayashi, K., Saeki, K., Iwamoto, J., Okamoto, N., Tomioka, K., Nezu, S., et al. (2013). Exposure to light at night, nocturnal urinary melatonin excretion, and obesity/dyslipidemia in the elderly: a cross-sectional analysis of the HEIJO-KYO study. J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 98(1), 337–344.
Abstract: CONTEXT: Obesity and exposure to light at night (LAN) have increased globally. Although LAN suppresses melatonin secretion and disturbs body mass regulation in experimental settings, its associations with melatonin secretion, obesity, and other metabolic consequences in uncontrolled home settings remain unclear. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the association of exposure to LAN in an uncontrolled home setting with melatonin secretion, obesity, dyslipidemia, and diabetes. DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS: A cross-sectional study was performed in 528 elderly individuals (mean age, 72.8 yr). MEASURES: The intensity of LAN in the bedroom was measured at 1-min intervals during two consecutive nights, along with overnight urinary melatonin excretion and metabolic parameters. RESULTS: Compared with the Dim group (average <3 lux; n = 383), the LAN group (average >/=3 lux; n = 145) showed significantly higher body weight (adjusted mean, 58.8 vs. 56.6 kg; P = 0.01), body mass index (23.3 vs. 22.7 kg/m(2); P = 0.04), waist circumference (84.9 vs. 82.8 cm; P = 0.01), triglyceride levels (119.7 vs. 99.5 mg/dl; P < 0.01), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (128.6 vs. 122.2 mg/dl; P = 0.04), and showed significantly lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (57.4 vs. 61.3 mg/dl; P = 0.02). These associations were independent of numerous potential confounders, including urinary melatonin excretion. Furthermore, LAN exposure is associated with higher odds ratios (ORs) for obesity (body mass index: OR, 1.89; P = 0.02; abdominal: OR, 1.62; P = 0.04) and dyslipidemia (OR, 1.72; P = 0.02) independent of demographic and socioeconomic parameters. In contrast, urinary melatonin excretion and glucose parameters did not show significant differences between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to LAN in an uncontrolled home setting is associated with impaired obese and lipid parameters independent of nocturnal urinary melatonin excretion in elderly individuals. Moreover, LAN exposure is associated with higher ORs for obesity and dyslipidemia independent of demographic and socioeconomic parameters.
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