Behaviour of Pigeon Excreta on Masonry Surfaces

2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dirk HR Spennemann ◽  
Melissa Pike ◽  
Maggie J Watson
Keyword(s):  
Relative Humidity ◽  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Building Material ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Real Life ◽  
The Body ◽  
Individual Bird ◽  
Bird Droppings ◽  
Pigeon Droppings ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Pigeon droppings are implicated in spoiling and decay of buildings. Several studies have examined the effects and chemistry of accumulations of pigeon droppings under highly localised pigeon roosts. Scant information exists on the impact caused by individual pigeon droppings at perch sites, even though these constitute the majority of bird use in urban areas. This study experimentally examined the processes that affect masonry immediately after pigeon excreta have been voided from the body and what effects discrete, fresh pigeon droppings have on different kinds of sandstone. The experiments demonstrated the susceptibility of freshly deposited excreta to environmental conditions (relative humidity and precipitation). In real-life situations, with pigeon excreta deposited on window ledges, cornices and parapets, the majority of damage would occur within the first two weeks of deposition. After that, the majority of individual droppings would have either dissolved or desiccated to such a degree that they would have rolled off. Much of the observed staining is superficial. While individual bird droppings make a building look dirty, even for months at a time, the effect on the building material is not substantial unless other factors come into play such as colonisation of the excreta by mould or leaching of salts from the excreta.

scholarly journals 60 years of UK visibility measurements: impact of meteorology and atmospheric pollutants on visibility

2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 2085-2101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ajit Singh ◽  
William J. Bloss ◽  
Francis D. Pope
Keyword(s):  
Relative Humidity ◽  
Aerosol Particle ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Land Use Changes ◽  
Gas Absorption ◽  
Atmospheric Pollutants ◽  
Light Extinction ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Aerosol Hygroscopicity

Abstract. Reduced visibility is an indicator of poor air quality. Moreover, degradation in visibility can be hazardous to human safety; for example, low visibility can lead to road, rail, sea and air accidents. In this paper, we explore the combined influence of atmospheric aerosol particle and gas characteristics, and meteorology, on long-term visibility. We use visibility data from eight meteorological stations, situated in the UK, which have been running since the 1950s. The site locations include urban, rural and marine environments. Most stations show a long-term trend of increasing visibility, which is indicative of reductions in air pollution, especially in urban areas. Additionally, the visibility at all sites shows a very clear dependence on relative humidity, indicating the importance of aerosol hygroscopicity on the ability of aerosol particles to scatter radiation. The dependence of visibility on other meteorological parameters, such as wind speed and wind direction, is also investigated. Most stations show long-term increases in temperature which can be ascribed to climate change, land-use changes (e.g. urban heat island effects) or a combination of both; the observed effect is greatest in urban areas. The impact of this temperature change upon local relative humidity is discussed. To explain the long-term visibility trends and their dependence on meteorological conditions, the measured data were fitted to a newly developed light-extinction model to generate predictions of historic aerosol and gas scattering and absorbing properties. In general, an excellent fit was achieved between measured and modelled visibility for all eight sites. The model incorporates parameterizations of aerosol hygroscopicity, particle concentration, particle scattering, and particle and gas absorption. This new model should be applicable and is easily transferrable to other data sets worldwide. Hence, historical visibility data can be used to assess trends in aerosol particle properties. This approach may help constrain global model simulations which attempt to generate aerosol fields for time periods when observational data are scarce or non-existent. Both the measured visibility and the modelled aerosol properties reported in this paper highlight the success of the UK's Clean Air Act, which was passed in 1956, in cleaning the atmosphere of visibility-reducing pollutants.

scholarly journals Sunburn Protection by Sunscreen Sprays at Beach

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hao Ou-Yang ◽  
Richard Bradley Rzendzian
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Healthy Subjects ◽  
Human Subjects ◽  
Real Life ◽  
The Body ◽  
Single Center ◽  
Human Behaviors ◽  
Actual Usage ◽  
Neck Area ◽  
The Face

Background: The efficacy of sunscreen is evaluated by SPF values, which are quantitatively determined in laboratories on the backs of human subjects according to a standardized procedure. However, SPF cannot be directly translated to sunburn protection under real-life situations because actual efficacy depends on various factors related to human behaviors and environmental conditions. This study clinically evaluated the efficacy of two sunscreen sprays (SPF 30 and SPF 70) under natural sunlight exposure on healthy subjects at the beach. Methods: Twenty subjects were divided into two cells for the two sunscreen sprays (SPF 70 and SPF 30) in a single-center, actual usage test. The primary endpoint of the study was sunburn protection on the dorsal arms and the secondary endpoint was protection on the face and neck. Subjects stayed at the beach for 4 h after application of the sunscreens with normal beach activities. Subjects’ behavior at the beach, the amounts of sunscreen applied and reapplied, and environmental conditions were all recorded. Results: There was no significant sunburn for a majority of the subjects in either cell. However, neither sunscreen completely blocked the sunburn, especially for the face/neck area. We found that the SPF 70 sunscreen was more effective than the SPF 30 sunscreen. Conclusion: Modern sunscreen sprays, applied liberally, are effective in providing sunburn protection for the body in a beach setting.

scholarly journals 60 years of UK visibility measurements: impact of meteorology and atmospheric pollutants on visibility

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ajit Singh ◽  
William J. Bloss ◽  
Francis D. Pope
Keyword(s):  
Relative Humidity ◽  
Aerosol Particle ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Land Use Changes ◽  
Gas Absorption ◽  
Atmospheric Pollutants ◽  
Light Extinction ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Aerosol Hygroscopicity

Abstract. Reduced visibility is an indicator of poor air quality. Moreover, degradation in visibility can be hazardous to human safety; for example, low visibility can lead to road, rail, sea and air accidents. In this paper, we explore the combined influence of atmospheric aerosol particle and gas characteristics, and meteorology, on long-term visibility. We use visibility data from eight meteorological stations, situated in the UK, which have been running since the 1950s. The site locations include urban, rural and marine environments. Most stations show a long term trend of increasing visibility which is indicative of reductions in air pollution, especially in urban areas. Additionally, the visibility at all sites show a very clear dependence on relative humidity indicating the importance of aerosol hygroscopicity on the ability of aerosol particles to scatter radiation. The dependence of visibility on other meteorological parameters, such as wind speed and wind direction is also investigated. Most stations show long term increases in temperature which can be ascribed to either climate change, land-use changes (e.g. urban heat island effects) or a combination of both; the observed effect is greatest in urban areas. The impact of this temperature change upon local relative humidity is discussed. To explain the long term visibility trends and their dependence on meteorological conditions, the measured data were fitted to a newly developed light extinction model to generate predictions of historic aerosol and gas scattering and absorbing properties. In general, an excellent fit was achieved between measured and modelled visibility for all 8 sites. The model incorporates parameterizations of aerosol hygroscopicity, particle concentration, particle scattering, and particle and gas absorption. This new model should be applicable and is easily transferrable to other data sets worldwide. Hence, historical visibility data can be used to assess trends in aerosol particle properties. This approach may help constrain global model simulations which attempt to generate aerosol fields for time periods when observational data are scarce or non-existent. Both the measured visibility and the modelled aerosol properties reported in this paper highlight the success of the UK’s Clean Air Act, which was passed in 1956, in cleaning the atmosphere of visibility reducing pollutants.

The Impact of the Environment on Quality of Life and Mediating Effects of Sleep and Stress

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine Chang ◽  
Frances K. Y. Wong ◽  
K. L. Chan ◽  
Fiona Y. Wong ◽  
H.C. Ho ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Living Environment ◽  
Health Practices ◽  
Service Utilisation ◽  
Mediating Effects ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Purpose Environment is an independent factor affecting quality of life. Studies suggest that health practices consider having an impact on quality of life. The purpose of the present paper was to examine the association between environmental conditions and quality of life, and how individual health practices affected this association. Methods Participants aged 20 or above were recruited from 11 tertiary planning units in the centre of Kowloon. These tertiary planning units were selected as they represent the overall living environment in Hong Kong, with older poorer urban areas alongside relatively affluent districts. A mediation analysis was implemented using multiple linear regressions to examine the effects of environmental conditions on quality of life. The predictor variables included sociodemographic and environmental conditions, health practices and health service utilisation. Results Of the eligible 607 participants, 390 females and 217 males with a mean age of 47.4 were included for analysis. Physical, psychological and environmental factors were conducive and connected to quality of life. After adjusting for fruit and vegetable intake, gender, education level and chronic illness, perceived stress and sleep quality had significant mediating effects. Conclusion Environment is an important factor that affects the overall well-being of individuals. The interaction of environmental quality with individual variables, specifically stress and sleep is extremely important when assessing its impact on the quality of life. The findings of this study support the importance of individual stress and sleep in mediating the relationship between the environment and quality of life.

Women entrepreneurship and sustainable development: select case studies from the sustainable energy sector

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ritika Mahajan ◽  
Kaushik Ranjan Bandyopadhyay
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Women Entrepreneurs ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Energy Sector ◽  
The Body ◽  
Women Entrepreneurship ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, it discusses the role of entrepreneurship, in general, and women entrepreneurship, in particular, in advancing the cause of sustainable development. Future research directions that emerge from the body of knowledge that the paper relied upon have been identified. Second, it presents unique cases of eight women-led enterprises in energy sector spread across three continents, namely, Asia, Africa and the USA; identifies the constraints and opportunities, analyses the business models and their impact on the quality of life pointers to demonstrate the role of women-led enterprises in sustainable development. Design/methodology/approach The paper combines a schematic review of literature at the interface of entrepreneurship and sustainable development coupled with select relevant case studies addressing the interface. The real-life case studies, which are consciously chosen and compiled from secondary data sources, complement and testify the insights drawn from the schematic literature review. The framework for analyzing the case studies is designed around multidimensional drivers and factors that steer the women-led enterprises. Findings The paper identified the need to look at entrepreneurship through the gendered lens not only for studying entrepreneurship as a discipline, in general, but also to gauge whether the inclusion of women as entrepreneurs is actually advancing the cause of sustainable development. Besides analyzing real-life case studies of accomplished women entrepreneurs to gauge their motivations and mindsets, the process of identification of pain points, identifying differentiating and innovative features, or studying the impact on society, economy and environment, the paper eventually created a schematic framework of key enablers, constraints and strategic response of women entrepreneurs. Originality/value Given the dearth of adequate theoretical and empirical contributions on the study of effectuation, mindsets and drivers of how women entrepreneurship steers the process of sustainable development, the paper is an endeavour in that direction.

Impact of temperature and relative humidity on the near infrared spectroscopy measurements of cotton fiber micronaire

2017 ◽  
Vol 88 (20) ◽  
pp. 2279-2291 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jimmy Zumba ◽  
James Rodgers ◽  
Matthew Indest
Keyword(s):  
Relative Humidity ◽  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Cotton Fiber ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Spectral Response ◽  
Wavelength Region ◽  
Predictive Capability ◽  
Textile Processing ◽  
Processing Efficiency ◽  
The Impact

A key cotton fiber property is micronaire. Micronaire can impact the fiber’s quality, textile processing efficiency, and fabric dye consistency. Fiber micronaire is normally measured in a laboratory under tight standard temperature and relative humidity (RH) environmental conditions (21 ± 1℃, 65 ± 2% RH). Near infrared (NIR) measurements have been performed both inside and outside of the laboratory, but measurements outside the laboratory have at times demonstrated reduced predictive capability, possibly due to the lack of standard environmental conditions. A program was implemented to determine the impact of non-standard conditions of temperature T and relative humidity RH on NIR micronaire results for bench-top and portable NIR instruments. Non-standard T and RH resulted in varying fiber moisture, which impacted the NIR spectral response. The NIR micronaire results were impacted by the non-standard conditioning for all instruments, with the lower wavelength region (∼910–1680 nm) portable instrument impacted the most. The impacts and deviations were greater at high temperature/RH compared to low temperature/RH conditioning. These results provide a rationale for the deviations observed previously in NIR micronaire results for outside the laboratory micronaire measurements with portable NIR units.

scholarly journals Towards a Comprehensive Understanding of Fertility: The Model of Dyadic Pathways

2019 ◽  
Vol 44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Uta Brehm ◽  
Norbert F. Schneider
Keyword(s):  
Theory Of Planned Behaviour ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Real Life ◽  
The Body ◽  
Theoretical Contribution ◽  
Future Fertility ◽  
Self Reports ◽  
Individual Self ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Relevant Factors

In this theoretical contribution, we propose a comprehensive and integrative heuristic model to explain fertility, the Model of Dyadic Pathways (MDP). We show how existing models such as the Theory of Planned Behaviour often do not withstand empirical challenges, especially not individual self-reports in qualitative studies. Furthermore, existing models vary in their premises and foci, resulting in a collection of models which do not necessarily align with or supplement one another. For these reasons, these heuristic models have been widely criticised and, in practice, pieced together according to the research question and tradition of the researcher. Against this backdrop, we establish the MDP to reconnect theory with reality and to unify a variety of approaches. The MDP is grounded on the dyad of partners as the prevalent basis of fertility. It integrates reasoned and unreasoned fertility behaviour, the impact of individual- and couple-level life course, soci(et)al conditions, and the body as an “actor”. The model explicitly accounts for the variety of different real-life pathways that lead to fertility. It thereby encourages researchers to, first, consider all potentially relevant factors and their mechanisms and, second, think of fertility and its measurement as a multilinear process. Based on the presented elements a comprehensive model of fertility must cover, we suggest ways to improve surveys accordingly. Furthermore, we elaborate on the contributions and challenges the MDP presents to future fertility research.

Investigation into the feasibility of inductively coupled antenna for use in smart clothing

2014 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Minyoung Suh ◽  
Katherine E. Carroll ◽  
Edward Grant ◽  
William Oxenham
Keyword(s):  
Performance Metrics ◽  
Systems Approach ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Relative Displacement ◽  
The Body ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Inductively Coupled ◽  
Smart Clothing ◽  
Antenna Performance ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – This research investigated the feasibility of using an inductively coupled antenna as the basis of applying a systems approach to smart clothing. In order to simulate real-life situations, the impact of the distortions and relative displacement of different fabric layers (with affixed antennas) on the signal quality was assessed. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – A spiral antenna was printed on different fabric substrates. Obstructive conditions of the inductively coupled fabric layers were investigated to find out how much influence these conditions had on transmission performance. Reflected signals and transmitted signals were observed, while fabric antennas were subjected to displacement (distance and dislocation) or deformation (stretching and bending). The threshold of physical obstacles was estimated based on statistical analyses. Findings – The limits of physical conditions that enable proper wireless transmission were estimated up to ∼2 cm for both distance and dislocation, and ∼0.24 K for bending deformation. The antenna performance remained within an acceptable level of 20 percent transmission up to 10 percent fabric stretch. Based on well-established performance metrics used in clothing environment on the body, which employs 2-5 cm of ease, the results imply that the inductively coupled antennas may be suitable for use in smart clothing. Originality/value – This research demonstrates that the use of inductively coupled antennas on multiple clothing layers could offer the basis of a new “wireless” system approach to smart clothing. This would not only result in performance benefits, but would also significantly improve the aesthetics of smart clothing which should result in new markets for such products.

scholarly journals Effect of Extreme Climate on Topology of Railway Prestressed Concrete Sleepers

Climate ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dan Li ◽  
Sakdirat Kaewunruen
Keyword(s):  
Relative Humidity ◽  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Prestressed Concrete ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Time Dependent ◽  
Railway Infrastructure ◽  
Time Dependent Behaviour ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Dependent Behaviour

Railway networks are exposed to various environmental conditions. It is thus critical that infrastructure components can tolerate such effects by design. Railway sleepers are a critical safety component in ballasted track systems. Prestressed concrete is currently the most common material for railway sleepers due to its superior advantages in structural performance, low maintenance, sustainability, and construction. In practice, many prestressed concrete sleepers are installed in harsh environments that are subject to various changes in climate. Environmental conditions are, therefore, one of the most critical phenomena affecting the time-dependent behaviour of prestressed concrete sleepers. Hence, the impact of climate changes on the serviceability of railway infrastructure needs to be thoroughly investigated. Temperature and relative humidity are crucial aspects that have not been sufficiently studied so far with reference to prestressed concrete sleepers embedded in track systems. This study aims to investigate the effects of extreme climatic conditions on the performance and time-dependent behaviour of prestressed concrete sleepers using contemporary design approaches. The issue concerning the effects of climate uncertainties on creep and shrinkage is rigorously investigated on the basis of both environmental temperature and relative humidity. The outcome indicates that environmental conditions play a vital role in the time-dependent behaviour of prestressed concrete sleepers. The insights will be essential for assessing the long-term serviceability of prestressed concrete sleepers that have been installed in railway lines and are subjected to extreme environmental conditions.

scholarly journals A SUBJECTIVE EVALUATION OF THE THERMAL COMFORT OF CLOTHING EVALUATED IN COLD ENVIRONMENT

2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Damjana Celcar
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Ambient Temperature ◽  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Phase Change Materials ◽  
Thermal State ◽  
Subjective Evaluation ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Subjective Feeling ◽  
Business Clothing ◽  
The Impact

In this study, the thermal comfort of clothing was subjectively evaluated in cold environmental conditions. Different male business clothing systems, made of standard textiles (wool and wool-mixture), and materials that contain phase-change materials (PCMs), were developed. The research was performed with the help of test subjects in a computer controlled climatic chamber, in artificially created cold environmental conditions, at ambient temperatures of 10 °C, 5 °C and 0 °C, and with physical activity that is as reminiscent as possible of the real life situation of wearing clothes, such as sitting and walking on a treadmill. The impact of particular business clothing systems and varied cold environmental conditions on the wearer’s subjective feeling of thermal comfort was determined with a questionnaire and an assessment scale of thermal comfort defined by standard ISO 10551:2004. For this purpose, an analysis of the subjective evaluation of thermal comfort, the desired thermal state, the acceptability of the current situation and their personal tolerance of the environment, was made before, during and after each experiment. The results of the research show that subjective evaluations of thermal comfort directly depend on environmental conditions, as well as clothing systems. From this subjective evaluation it can be seen that in spite of lower mean skin temperatures the test subjects felt comfortable at an ambient temperature of 10 °C. It is also evident that the analysed clothing systems are not suitable for wearing below an ambient temperature of 0 °C, because the test subjects felt uncomfortable.

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