Search results for " quality."
showing 10 items of 2995 documents
Distribution patterns of epiphytic reed-associated macroinvertebrate communities across European shallow lakes
2021
So far, research on plant-associated macroinvertebrates, even if conducted on a large number of water bodies, has mostly focused on a relatively small area, permitting limited conclusions to be drawn regarding potentially broader geographic effects, including climate. Some recent studies have shown that the composition of epiphytic communities may differ considerably among climatic zones. To assess this phenomenon, we studied macroinvertebrates associated with the common reed Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steud in 46 shallow lakes using a common protocol. The lakes, located in nine countries, covered almost the entire European latitudinal range (from <48°N to 61°N) and captured much …
Combined effects of heatwaves and micropollutants on freshwater ecosystems: Towards an integrated assessment of extreme events in multiple stressors …
2022
Freshwater ecosystems are strongly influenced by weather extremes such as heatwaves, which are predicted to increase in frequency and magnitude in the future. In addition to these climate extremes, the freshwater realm is impacted by the exposure to various classes of chemicals emitted by anthropogenic activities. Currently, there is limited knowledge on how the combined exposure to heatwaves and chemicals affects the structure and functioning of freshwater ecosystems. Here, we review the available literature describing the single and combined effects of heatwaves and chemicals on different levels of biological organization, to obtain a holistic view of their potential interactive effects. …
Science Advances
2019
River ecosystems receive and process vast quantities of terrestrial organic carbon, the fate of which depends strongly on microbial activity. Variation in and controls of processing rates, however, are poorly characterized at the global scale. In response, we used a peer-sourced research network and a highly standardized carbon processing assay to conduct a global-scale field experiment in greater than 1000 river and riparian sites. We found that Earth’s biomes have distinct carbon processing signatures. Slow processing is evident across latitudes, whereas rapid rates are restricted to lower latitudes. Both the mean rate and variability decline with latitude, suggesting temperature constrai…
Control of indoor environments in heritage buildings: experimental measurements in an old Italian museum and proposal of a methodology
2005
Abstract This paper describes some results from an experiment carried out regarding a procedure to be adopted for temperature and R.H. monitoring of indoor spaces designed for exhibiting events, such as museums and similar institutions. The monitored data employed in this study has been collected by the Department di Ricerche Energetiche ed Ambientali of the Universita degli Studi di Palermo in co-operation with the Regional Gallery ''Palazzo Abatellis'' of Palermo. The study analyses a simple method for characterising the environmental quality of museums so as to ensure the optimal conservation of works of art. This methodology is based on the procedure (where thermal and hygrometry parame…
Indoor air quality of everyday use spaces dedicated to specific purposes—a review
2017
According to literature data, some of the main factors which significantly affect the quality of the indoor environment in residential households or apartments are human activities such as cooking, smoking, cleaning, and indoor exercising. The paper presents a literature overview related to air quality in everyday use spaces dedicated to specific purposes which are integral parts of residential buildings, such as kitchens, basements, and individual garages. Some aspects of air quality in large-scale car parks, as a specific type of indoor environment, are also discussed. All those areas are characterized by relatively short time use. On the other hand, high and very high concentration level…
Control of Acoustical Quality of Indoor Spaces: Thorough Analysis of the Influence of Façade Typologies
2001
Building shape is of prime importance with regard to the acoustic aspects of achieving adequate indoor environmental quality. This paper presents experimental results obtained in a measurement programme carried out at CSTB, using reduced-scale models. The objectives were to identify the architectural forms of façades' best for noise mitigation, and to address the influence of façade architecture on indoor acoustic quality. Many façade typologies have been assessed in different situations involving combinations of structural and architectural elements, such as balustrades, balconies, loggias, etc. A systematic simulation of real configurations (buildings in front of one another, stacked or …
Daylighting offices: A first step toward an analysis of photobiological effects for design practice purposes
2014
Abstract The research presented in this paper reports an analysis of daylight in three offices with different exposures and characteristics located in Naples (Italy). The goal was to fully investigate daylight characteristics, also considering the circadian impact of daylight entering these offices, with the hope to develop guidelines to better assess daylight quality in built environments. One of the main findings of this research is that the spectral distributions and CCTs of the light reaching the eye of a person seated at the desk in these offices are similar irrespective of the offices' different characteristics (dimensions, surfaces' spectral reflectances, external obstructions, etc.)…
Methods to Evaluate Lighting Quality in Educational Environments
2015
Abstract The current standard for lighting of indoor work places (EN 12464-1) essentially prescribes values of photometric quantities (illuminance, Unified Glare Index, etc.); therefore it does not allow a comprehensive analysis of the luminous environment. In Italy, educational buildings do not always comply with the standard requirements for lighting. Therefore an analysis of their current state is needed and this paper illustrates two methods, developed by the authors, to carry out this investigation: the former is based on the analysis of luminance maps obtained through the HDR imaging technique whereas the latter focuses on the evaluation of non-visual effects of light.
Visually low-impacting methods for the measurement of parameters related to IAQ risk indicators in exhibition halls
2021
Microclimate for cultural heritage plays a fundamental role in the degradation process of artefacts exhibited in museums. Generally, the Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) monitoring inside museums is based on conventional measurements of thermo-hygrometry parameters and longtime averaged measurements of atmospheric pollutants’ concentration. Unfortunately, all these approaches require electric supply and are usually characterized by a noticeable visual impact on the exhibition space, which clearly negatively affects the visitors’ experience. This paper intends to revisit and discuss a methodology (and its test application on field, to estimate the risk of damage of three artefacts displayed in an ol…
Special Issue “Smart Urban Lighting Systems”
2020
The design and operation of multifunctional infrastructures for public lighting as well as their impact on the urban environment and citizens’ life is today of great interest. The cost of energy for public lighting is often an issue for the budget of municipalities. Furthermore, researchers’ and designers’ attention is increasingly focused on aspects of public lighting not directly valuable through economic factors. Starting from the “quality” of the light environment, looking at citizens’ visual comfort, the light has to be considered as an instrument to improve the urban context and objects therein (including buildings). Indeed, urban degradation (lack of infrastructures, maintenance, ser…