Summer thermal comfort and overheating in the elderly

2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 426-445 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline Hughes ◽  
Sukumar Natarajan
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Elevated Temperatures ◽  
Thermal Conditions ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
Climate Projections ◽  
Living Room ◽  
Warm Summer ◽  
Typical Summer ◽  
The Impact

Atypically warm summers such as 2003 and 2018 are predicted to become normal by 2050. If current climate projections are accurate, this could cause heat-related mortality to rise by 257% by 2050, the majority of which will be in vulnerable groups such as the elderly. However, little is known about the temperatures achieved in the homes of the elderly even in typical summers, and even less on whether these are comfortable. This study examines, for the first time, the validity of current thermal comfort models in predicting summer comfort levels in the 65+ demographic over a typical and an atypically warm summer. This was achieved through the first longitudinal study of thermal conditions in homes of the elderly in the South West UK, utilising repeated standardised monthly thermal comfort and health surveys with continuous temperature monitoring in both living and bed rooms. Results show that neither the PMV/PPD model (ISO 7730) nor the adaptive model (ISO 15251) accurately predict true thermal comfort in our sample. Overheating analysis using CIBSE TM59 (based on ISO 15251) suggests significantly more homes (50% living room, 94% bed room = 94% overall) overheated during the atypically warm summer, compared to the typical summer (3% living room, 57% bed room = 57% overall). These are worrying results, especially for the elderly, given the projected increases in both the severity and the frequency of extreme summers in a future, changed, climate. Practical application: This paper provides new data on the performance of the homes of the elderly in both a typical and atypically warm summer. Our results could be considered for building performance evaluation in homes with elderly occupants to mitigate overheating risk. Crucially, we not only examine the impact of CIBSE criteria on these homes but also look at thermal acceptance, which is important to understand the true impact of elevated temperatures in this demographic.

A Review of the Impact of Vegetation in Solar Control towards Enhanced Thermal Comfort and Energy Performance in Buildings

2019 ◽  
Vol 887 ◽  
pp. 428-434
Author(s):  
Dorcas A. Ayeni ◽  
Olaniyi O. Aluko ◽  
Morisade O. Adegbie
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Adaptive Capacity ◽  
Thermal Environment ◽  
Thermal Conditions ◽  
Building Design ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Tropical Region ◽  
Indoor Climate ◽  
Solar Control ◽  
The Impact

Man requires a thermal environment that is within the range of his adaptive capacity and if this fluctuates outside the normal, a reaction is required beyond its adaptive capacity which results to health challenges. Therefore, the aim of building design in the tropical region is to minimize the heat gain indoors and enhance evaporative cooling of the occupants of the space so as to achieve thermal comfort. In most cases, the passive technologies are not adequate in moderating indoor climate for human comfort thereby relying on active energy technique to provide the needed comfort for the building users. The need for the use of vegetation as a panacea for achieving comfortable indoor thermal conditions in housing is recognised by architects globally. However, the practice by architects in Nigeria is still at the lower ebb. The thrust of this paper therefore is to examine the impact of vegetation in solar control reducing thermal discomfort in housing thereby enhancing the energy performance of the buildings. Using secondary data, the paper identifies the benefits of vegetation in and around buildings to include improvement of indoor air quality through the aesthetics quality of the environment and concludes that vegetation in and around building will in no small measure contributes to saving energy consumption.

scholarly journals Impact of the Design of Walls Made of Compressed Earth Blocks on the Thermal Comfort of Housing in Hot Climate

Buildings ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 157 ◽  
Author(s):  
Césaire Hema ◽  
Adamah Messan ◽  
Abdou Lawane ◽  
Geoffrey Van Moeseke
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Inside Surface ◽  
Living Room ◽  
Thermal Discomfort ◽  
Hot Climate ◽  
Compressed Earth Blocks ◽  
Concrete Blocks ◽  
Earth Blocks ◽  
Annual Reduction ◽  
The Impact

This study investigated the impact of the design of wall systems, mainly made of compressed earth blocks (CEB), on the indoor thermal comfort of naturally ventilated housing in hot climates of Burkina Faso. Conventional housing was modeled and calibrated using the WUFI® Plus dynamic simulation tool based on typical field surveys and the literature. This allowed testing the ability of different wall designs to impact thermal comfort. Thermal discomfort was assessed through an adaptive approach and was based on the annual weighted exceedance hours of overheating. Six designs of walls made of CEB and other locally available materials were simulated and compared to those made of classical hollow concrete blocks. The results of the simulation reveal that the profiles of thermal discomfort vary depending on the wall designs and building spaces. Thus, the wall made, from the outside toward the inside surface, of plywood of 2 cm, an insulation layer of 5 cm and a CEB layer of 29 cm thickness is the most suitable for an annual reduction in overheating for the living room. Regarding the bedroom, the most suitable wall is made of a 14 cm CEB layer, 5 cm insulating layer and 2 cm wood layer from the outside toward the inside surface.

scholarly journals Effects of Supply Angle on Thermal Environment of Residential Space with Hybrid Desiccant Cooling System for Multi-Room Control

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (20) ◽  
pp. 7271
Author(s):  
Joon Ahn ◽  
Ho Yup Choi
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Thermal Environment ◽  
Cooling System ◽  
Living Room ◽  
Comfort Zone ◽  
Computational Fluid Dynamics Cfd ◽  
Dining Room ◽  
Typical Summer ◽  
Globe Temperature ◽  
American Society

In this study, local measurement and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) were employed to evaluate the thermal comfort in a residential environment where desiccant cooling is performed in an outdoor air condition, which is the typical summer weather in Korea. The desiccant cooling system in the present study has been developed for multi-room control with a hybrid air distribution, whereby mixing and displacement ventilation occur simultaneously. Due to this distribution of air flow, the thermal comfort was changed, and the thermal comfort indicators conflicted. The evaluation indicators included the ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers) comfort zone, predicted mean vote (PMV), and effective draft temperature (EDT). The dry-bulb temperature displayed a distribution of 26.2–26.8 °C in the cooling spaces, i.e., living room, kitchen, and dining room. When determined based on the standard ASHRAE comfort zone, the space where desiccant cooling takes place entered the comfort zone for summer. Due to the influence of solar radiation, the globe temperature was more than 2 °C higher than the dry-bulb temperature at the window. A difference of up to 6% in humidity was observed locally in the cooling space. In the dining room located along the outlet of the desiccant cooling device, the PMV entered the comfort zone, but was slightly above 1 in the rest of the space. Conversely, as for the EDT, its value was lower than −1.7 in the dining room, but was included in the comfort zone in the rest of the space. By adjusting the discharge angle upward, the PMV and EDT were expected to be more uniform in the cooling space. In particular, the optimum discharge angle obtained was 40° upward from the discharge surface.

The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on People with Intellectual Disabilities: A Literature Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 141-154
Author(s):  
Ghazi Maulana ◽  
Khalilullah Khalilullah ◽  
Intan Qanita
Keyword(s):  
Intellectual Disabilities ◽  
Public Services ◽  
People With Disabilities ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
High Risk Population ◽  
Access To Education ◽  
People With Intellectual Disabilities ◽  
The Impact

The ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected the global population, especially the vulnerable groups such as children, the elderly, indigenous people, and people with disabilities. Restriction and limited access to education, health, and public services due to measures taken to cope with the pandemic have made life even more difficult for people with disabilities, particularly those with intellectual ones. People with intellectual disabilities were not counted as a high-risk population, thus being excluded in most public health measurements that are done to encounter the pandemic. Several investigations have been conducted to explore the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on children, women, and the elderly, yet very few discussed how pandemics affected people with intellectual disabilities. This article is a review of existing literature using Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) keywords like “COVID-19” and “intellectual disabilities” which was conducted in Pubmed, Web of Science, Mendeley, Google Scholar and ResearchGate to find related studies. Here we reviewed studies on the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on people with intellectual disabilities, including access to education, healthcare, public services, and other related concerns. We also discussed the inclusivity of COVID-19 prevention and control measures taken so far and how it should be designed to accommodate people with intellectual disabilities. This review is expected to provide an insight for the stakeholders and policymakers to employ better and more inclusive approach in the management of pandemic to ensure the wellbeing and rights of people with disabilities in general and people with intellectual ones in particular.

scholarly journals Experimental and statistical survey on local thermal comfort impact on working productivity loss in university classrooms

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 379-392 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tamara Bajc ◽  
Milos Banjac ◽  
Maja Todorovic ◽  
Zana Stevanovic
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Productivity Loss ◽  
Thermal Conditions ◽  
Co2 Concentration ◽  
Heating System ◽  
Indoor Environmental Quality ◽  
Personal Factor ◽  
Predicted Mean Vote ◽  
Local Thermal Comfort ◽  
The Impact

The paper presents an experimental analysis of the relationship between local thermal comfort and productivity loss in classrooms. The experimental investigation was performed in a real university classroom during the winter semester in city of Belgrade. Measurements were taken for four scenarios, with different indoor comfort conditions. Variations were made by setting the central heating system on/off, adding an additional heat source to provoke higher indoor temperatures, and measuring the radiant asymmetry impact. Innovative questionnaires were developed especially for the research, in order to investigate students? subjective feelings about local thermal comfort and indoor environmental quality. Local predicted mean vote and predicted percentage dissatisfied indices were calculated using data measured in situ. The results were compared to existing models recommended in literature and European and ASHRAE standards. Student productivity was evaluated using novel tests, designed to fit the purposes of the research. Surveys were conducted for 19 days under different thermal conditions, during lectures in a real classroom, using a sample of 240 productivity test results in total. Using the measured data, new correlations between the predicted mean vote, CO2, personal factor and productivity loss were developed. The research findings imply that local thermal comfort is an important factor that can impact productivity, but the impact of the personal factor is of tremendous importance, together with CO2 concentration in the classroom.

scholarly journals TIPOLOGI KERUSAKAN BANGUNAN AKIBAT CUACA EKSTREM STUDI KASUS CUACA EKSTREM KABUPATEN BANTUL 2019

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 31-36
Author(s):  
Rachmat Wahyu Prabowo
Keyword(s):  
The Elderly ◽  
Extreme Weather ◽  
Building Damage ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
Extreme Weather Events ◽  
Graphical Form ◽  
Disaster Data ◽  
City District ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Building Elements

The threat of disaster is unavoidable in Indonesia. In 2018, for example, 2,564 disasters occurred in which no city / district in Indonesia was free from threats. Statistical data shows that more than 90% of disasters in Indonesia are included in the hydrometereological disaster category, which has continued to increase over the past 15 years. Even in the early half of 2020, there were 256 disasters with 99% of them being hydrometereological disasters such as floods, landslides and tornadoes. The existence of extreme weather events in Bantul Regency in 2019 shows that the dangers of hydrometereology can cause considerable harm to the community. There needs to be a study to find out how to mitigate hydrometereological disasters which are the most common hazards in Indonesia. Analysis of building damage and disaster data needs to be carried out to determine the characteristics of the impact of extreme weather on buildings, to identify building elements that are vulnerable to damage, to provide anticipatory measures and alertness to extreme weather in Indonesia. Building damage data is grouped and processed in graphical form to read information patterns as material for analysis. The results of the study show that there are things that must be done in the face of extreme weather including: choosing the quality of materials and the strength of the construction of the building, attention to building elements, especially the back of the building (kitchen & bathroom), walls, and foundations, high vigilance in the area steep contours and highlands, need to be vigilant with all elements of society in areas of high potential for extreme weather, and the need to pay attention to vulnerable groups of the elderly and children.

scholarly journals Scabies in Spain? A comprehensive epidemiological picture

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (11) ◽  
pp. e0258780
Author(s):  
Lidia Redondo-Bravo ◽  
Beatriz Fernandez-Martinez ◽  
Diana Gómez-Barroso ◽  
Alin Gherasim ◽  
Montserrat García-Gómez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nursing Homes ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Hospital Admissions ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
Geographical Differences ◽  
Increasing Trend ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Transmission Foci

Introduction Scabies is a neglected disease stablished worldwide with a fairy well determined incidence. In high-income countries, it often causes outbreaks affecting the residents and staff of institutions and long-term facilities, usually hard to detect and control due to the difficult diagnosis and notification delay. This study aim at characterizing the affected population, geographical distribution, and evolution of scabies in Spain from 1997–2019 as well as to describe the main environments of transmission using different data sources. Methods We carried out a nationwide retrospective study using four databases, which record data from different perspectives: hospital admissions, patients attended at primary healthcare services, outbreaks, and occupational diseases. We described the main characteristics from each database and calculated annual incidences in order to evaluate temporal and geographical patterns. We also analyzed outbreaks and occupational settings to characterize the main transmission foci and applied Joinpoint regression models to detect trend changes. Results The elderly was the most frequent collective among the hospital admitted patients and notified cases in outbreaks, while children and young adults were the most affected according to primary care databases. The majority of the outbreaks occurred in homes and nursing homes; however, the facilities with more cases per outbreak were military barracks, healthcare settings and nursing homes. Most occupational cases occurred also in healthcare and social services settings, being healthcare workers the most common affected professional group. We detected a decreasing trend in scabies admissions from 1997 to 2014 (annual percentage change -APC- = -11.2%) and an increasing trend from 2014 to 2017 (APC = 23.6%). Wide geographical differences were observed depending on the database explored. Discussion An increasing trend in scabies admissions was observed in Spain since 2014, probably due to cutbacks in social services and healthcare in addition to worsen of living conditions as a result of the 2008 economic crisis, among other reasons. The main transmission foci were healthcare and social settings. Measures including enhancing epidemic studies and national registries, reinforcing clinical diagnosis and early detection of cases, hygiene improvements and training of the staff and wide implementation of scabies treatment (considering mass drug administration in institutions outbreaks) should be considered to reduce the impact of scabies among most vulnerable groups in Spain.

scholarly journals Evaluation and modelling the micro-bioclimatological conditions of a popular playground in Szeged, Hungary

2013 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. A. Égerházi ◽  
N. Kántor ◽  
T. Gál
Keyword(s):  
Land Cover ◽  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Meteorological Parameters ◽  
Thermal Sensation ◽  
Thermal Conditions ◽  
Radiation Environment ◽  
Mean Radiant Temperature ◽  
Predicted Mean Vote ◽  
Typical Summer ◽  
Radiant Temperature

Abstract This paper presents a thermal comfort study of a popular playground in Szeged, Hungary in order to find its optimal land cover and vegetation options. For this assessment simulated micro- and bioclimatological conditions recorded on a typical summer day (12th July 2011) were analysed. The thermal and radiation features of the study area were quantified by two biometeorological indices, Predicted Mean Vote (PMV) and Mean Radiant Temperature (Tmrt). For the simulation of the meteorological parameters and the bioclimate indices, ENVI-met microclimate model was used. The results confirmed that the modelled areas with different land cover provide a variety of thermal conditions for the visitors; moreover, human thermal sensation was significantly affected by the change of the radiation environment.

scholarly journals Transformation of the Restaurant Business as a Result of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Improving the Security of Service and Maintaining the Health of Human Capital

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 27-38
Author(s):  
Oleksandr Matsenko ◽  
Oleksandra Kubatko ◽  
Volodymyr Bardachenko ◽  
Kateryna Demchuk
Keyword(s):  
Human Capital ◽  
Customer Service ◽  
Business Performance ◽  
Business Models ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Restaurant Industry ◽  
Business Strategies ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
Study Results ◽  
The Impact

The study identified socio-economic problems in the restaurant business, analyzed the dynamics of its decline and recovery during the pandemic COVID-19, considered innovative trends in the transformation of restaurant management. Systematization of literature sources and approaches to the study of the impact of epidemics and pandemics on restaurant activities showed that until 2019, cases of infection of restaurant visitors occurred. However, they were isolated or local (regional) in nature and attracted the attention of most medical researchers. The COVID-19 pandemic is global in heart and has affected all economic areas, including the restaurant industry. Therefore, the number of scientific papers in this field is proliferating. The urgency of solving the scientific problem is that during the COVID-19 pandemic, restaurant customers’ behavior and a significant increase in the number of online orders. This encourages restaurants to respond and transform their business models, business strategies and diversify sales channels. The research method is based on the statistical analysis of restaurant business performance indicators at the global level and the level of Ukraine and the analysis of innovative modern trends in the transformation of the restaurant business. The study results showed that the restaurant industry’s main problems in the period of quarantine restrictions and lockdowns are mass layoffs, declining sales, inability to adapt and transform to the new conditions of the restaurant business. Accordingly, the directions of transformation of the restaurant business based on breakthrough innovations to increase customer service safety during the pandemic are proposed. The article focuses on the possibilities of restaurants to promote the health of human capital by diversifying the menu for vulnerable groups, such as children, people with chronic diseases, members of certain racial and ethnic minorities, the elderly. The results of this study can help build a policy in the restaurant industry to overcome the crisis in this area and improve public health. Also, the results can be used by restaurants to increase their competitiveness based on specific transformation measures.

scholarly journals POLITICAL TRUST AND SOCIAL COHESION AT A TIME OF CRISIS The Impact of COVID-19 on Kurdistan Region-Iraq

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 86-112
Author(s):  
Mohammedali Yaseen Taha ◽  
Juline Beaujouan ◽  
Amjed Rasheed
Keyword(s):  
Social Cohesion ◽  
Political Trust ◽  
Direct Consequence ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Government Support ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
The Media ◽  
High Level ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Source Of Information

COVID-19 has attracted much attention in Kurdish neighbourhoods and has been relayed massively by the media across the KRI. Kurdistanis put their trust mostly in television as the most accessible source of information across the region. Conversely, social media was not considered a reliable source of information during the pandemic. The results of this survey highlight a strong lack of trust in federal political figures and institutions. At the regional level, Kurdistanis are divided along lines of political affiliation and geography. While respondents from Duhok and Erbil expressed a high level of trust in the KRG, people of Silemani are openly distrustful of the KRI government. The institutions responsible for mitigating the impact of the pandemic attract the highest level of trust across governorates. This is the case with the KRG Ministry of Health and Ministry of Interior, including the security forces and the police. Conversely, participants expressed strong rejection of both parliaments that sit in Baghdad and Erbil. The legislative body attracted the least trust among the population surveyed. The COVID-19 pandemic has fostered social cohesion in the KRI. The majority of respondents believed that all Kurdistanis, including both vulnerable and non-vulnerable groups, should be treated equally and should receive the same amount of government support during the pandemic. That being said, a significant number of respondents recognized the importance of caring for those most vulnerable, such as the elderly, Syrian refugees, and International Displaced Persons (IDPs) more broadly. Finally, respondents have been shown to rely mostly on their social circles and family throughout the crisis, rather than regional and federal institutions. Those surveyed strongly supported the preventive measures in general imposed by the KRG on the three governorates. Yet, answers to the survey reveal that such measures have had an impact on the personal economic circumstances of Kurdistanis, especially among the younger portion of the population, who expected to face financial difficulties in the near future as a direct consequence of the pandemic and its impact.

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