Search results for "Indoor"
showing 10 items of 219 documents
Preliminary results about the breath of passive smokers and vapers based on the use of portable air monitoring devices
2016
Abstract Preliminary studies were made on the effect of both, classical smoking and electronic cigarettes (ECs) vaping, based on the quality of the indoor air and the breath of passive smokers. Portable air monitoring devices were used to evaluate carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), particulate materials (PM), formaldehyde and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in indoor air and breath of active and passive smokers and vapers. As preliminary results, it can be observed that the major part of PMs liberated in classical smoking and ECs vaping correspond to the lowest size, which is the most dangerous for human health. However, the number of smallest PMs formed during vaping is around 5…
Chlorophyll a fluorescence, antioxidant enzymes and lipid peroxidation in tomato in response to ozone and benomyl
2001
Ozone is a widely distributed phytotoxic air pollutant and is known to reduce the yield of several important agricultural crops in Spain. However, benomyl has been found to lessen the adverse impact of ozone on plants. We studied the effects of ozone and benomyl on chlorophyll a fluorescence, antioxidant enzymes, and lipid peroxidation in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. cv. Tiny Tim) grown in open-top chambers in the field. Our results indicate that benomyl prevented the peroxidation of membrane lipids and increased protection of PSII from ozone. There was also a significant reduction in the activity of the antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase in ozone-exposed plants that had not b…
A Study on Outdoor and Indoor Climate to satisfy particular Requisites in Museum. The case of the Punic Ship in the Marsala's Archaeological Museum
2003
In the Archaeological Museum in Marsala are keept many archaeological finds discovered in the sea near the city. The most important is the wooden hull of an ancient punic ship found some years ago. The rests of the ship have been submitted to impregnation with PEG, to eliminate the water and the salts absorbed the sea mud, and then is exposed inside a protective awning of plastic material, build up in one of the rooms, in order to contain as much as possible the indoor climatic variations. The responsibles of the museum wants now expose the finds in an free environment in which fixed and steady conditions can be kept. The authors have been requested to study an air condition system that can…
Il comfort indoor nel patrimonio edilizio esistente. Tecnologie e metodi per gli ambienti di vita
2022
This volume is the result of wide-scope research on the application of IEQ (Indoor Environmental Quality) in existing buildings. The examined items are the evaluation methods and standards related to the environmental parameters for the well-being levels required to guarantee suitable livability in indoor environments. An analysis is provided on the state of the art of technological aspects in architecture for the achievement of salubrious and comfortable indoor spaces. The study is focused on passive systems for microclimatic control, with a re-proposition of the most ancient ones. Nowadays, when revisited, they have proven to be effective solutions, especially due to their possibility to …
Modelling, Analysis, and Simulation of the Micro-Doppler Effect in Wideband Indoor Channels with Confirmation Through Pendulum Experiments
2020
This paper is about designing a 3D no n-stationary wideband indoor channel model for radio-frequency sensing. The proposed channel model allows for simulating the time-variant (TV) characteristics of the received signal of indoor channel in the presence of a moving object. The moving object is modelled by a point scatterer which travels along a trajectory. The trajectory is described by the object&rsquo
Error mitigation using RaptorQ codes in an experimental indoor free space optical link under the influence of turbulence
2015
In free space optical (FSO) communications, several factors can strongly affect the link quality. Among them, one of the most important impairments that can degrade the FSO link quality and its reliability even under the clear sky conditions consists of optical turbulence. In this work, the authors investigate the generation of both weak and moderate turbulence regimes in an indoor environment to assess the FSO link quality. In particular, they show that, due to the presence of the turbulence, the link experiences both erasure errors and packet losses during transmission, and also compare the experimental statistical distribution of samples with the predicted Gamma Gamma model. Furthermore,…
COVID-19 Pandemic and Reduced Physical Activity: Is There an Impact on Healthy and Asthmatic Children?
2021
Physical activity (PA) has been seen to improve asthma symptoms, lung function, and quality of life, as well as to reduce airway inflammation and bronchial responsiveness. As a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, the minimal amount of PA recommended by the World Health Organization—i.e., about 60 min/day of moderate-to-high intensity—is difficult to achieve for many children, particularly those living in urban areas. Short-term changes in PA because of the COVID-19 pandemic may become habitual, increasing the risk of adverse asthma outcomes in children. Indeed, prolonged home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic reduces PA levels and increases sedentary behaviors, possibly impairing i…
Indoor air quality in schools of a highly polluted south Mediterranean area
2019
This study aimed at surveying lower secondary schools in southern Italy, in a highly polluted area. A community close to an industrial area and three villages in rural areas was investigated. Indoor temperature, relative humidity (RH), gaseous pollutants (CO 2 and NO 2 ), selected biological pollutants in indoor dust, and the indoor/outdoor mass concentration and elemental composition of PM 2.5 were ascertained. Temperature and RH were within, or close to, the comfort range, while CO 2 frequently exceeded the threshold of 1000 ppm, indicating inadequate air exchange rate. In all the classrooms, median NO 2 levels were above the WHO threshold value. Dermatophagoides p. allergen concentration…
Emergence of Aspergillus fumigatus azole resistance in azole-naïve patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and their homes.
2017
Azole-resistant Aspergillus fumigatus (ARAF) has been reported in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) but has not been specifically assessed so far. Here, we evaluated ARAF prevalence in azole-naïve COPD patients and their homes, and assessed whether CYP51A mutations were similar in clinical and environmental reservoirs. Sixty respiratory samples from 41 COPD patients with acute exacerbation and environmental samples from 36 of these patient's homes were prospectively collected. A. fumigatus was detected in respiratory samples from 11 of 41 patients (27%) and in 15 of 36 domiciles (42%). Cyp51A sequencing and selection on itraconazole medium of clinical (n = 68) and e…
Unconventional Reducing Gases Monitoring in Everyday Places
2017
Abstract Air pollution, be it indoors or outdoors, is a major environmental health concern as it can lead to serious health effects, such as respiratory diseases, including asthma and lung cancer. Much progress has been made in Europe in improving outdoor air quality and limit values have been set for several pollutants. However, indoor air quality also requires attention because this is where we spend most of our time. Measurements at appropriate spatial and temporal scales are essential for understanding and monitoring heterogeneous environments with complex and highly variable emission sources, such as in urban areas. However, the costs and complexity of conventional air quality measurem…