scholarly journals Microclimatic and Ventilation Conditions in Existing Healthcare Facilities. A Study in the Waiting Room-Testing Centre of a Florentine Historic Hospital

2021 ◽  
Vol 65 (2-4) ◽  
pp. 317-323
Author(s):  
Carla Balocco ◽  
Gerardo Lorenzo Petrone
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Plant Management ◽  
Regulation System ◽  
Waiting Room ◽  
Healthcare Facilities ◽  
Outdoor Environments ◽  
Indoor And Outdoor Environments ◽  
Ventilation Conditions

The pandemic COVID-19 era we are experiencing has changed our way of seeing, thinking and designing indoor and outdoor environments and, above all, plant systems and building-plant management. Energy environmental sustainability is a common fundamental target for buildings and plant systems, but health protection and prevention are the priority issues for the basis of any retrofitting and refurbishment operation. This question becomes even more complex if the building is historic and used for hospital or for healthcare facilities. In this research we propose a methodological approach based on the combination of physical-real and “virtual”, i.e. measured and simulated information. The proposed method can be a useful tool for setting up continuous monitoring systems for microclimatic and ventilation conditions, user influx/presence and behaviour, real operation (on demand) of the plants and control/regulation system adjustment. Results show the importance of drawing up useful guidelines for training health workers and people/patient subjects, aiming at conscious interaction for health and wellbeing protection, but also better indoor environment management. This is particularly important for healthcare environments such as the one studied.

Impacts of Different Winter Storage Conditions on the Physiology of Diutinus Honey Bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brandon K Hopkins ◽  
Priyadarshini Chakrabarti ◽  
Hannah M Lucas ◽  
Ramesh R Sagili ◽  
Walter S Sheppard
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bees ◽  
The United States ◽  
Storage Conditions ◽  
Colony Losses ◽  
Bee Colony ◽  
Causative Factors ◽  
Outdoor Environments ◽  
Indoor And Outdoor Environments ◽  
Physiological Markers ◽  
Honey Bee Colony Losses

Abstract Global decline in insect pollinators, especially bees, have resulted in extensive research into understanding the various causative factors and formulating mitigative strategies. For commercial beekeepers in the United States, overwintering honey bee colony losses are significant, requiring tactics to overwinter bees in conditions designed to minimize such losses. This is especially important as overwintered honey bees are responsible for colony expansion each spring, and overwintered bees must survive in sufficient numbers to nurse the spring brood and forage until the new ‘replacement’ workers become fully functional. In this study, we examined the physiology of overwintered (diutinus) bees following various overwintering storage conditions. Important physiological markers, i.e., head proteins and abdominal lipid contents were higher in honey bees that overwintered in controlled indoor storage facilities, compared with bees held outdoors through the winter months. Our findings provide new insights into the physiology of honey bees overwintered in indoor and outdoor environments and have implications for improved beekeeping management.

scholarly journals A Hybrid Framework for Mitigating Heading Drift for a Wearable Pedestrian Navigation System through Adaptive Fusion of Inertial and Magnetic Measurements

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 1902
Author(s):  
Liqiang Zhang ◽  
Yu Liu ◽  
Jinglin Sun
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Measurements ◽  
Inertial Sensor ◽  
Angular Rate ◽  
Human Motion ◽  
Navigation Systems ◽  
Pedestrian Navigation ◽  
Hybrid Framework ◽  
Outdoor Environments ◽  
Adaptive Fusion ◽  
Indoor And Outdoor Environments

Pedestrian navigation systems could serve as a good supplement for other navigation methods or for extending navigation into areas where other navigation systems are invalid. Due to the accumulation of inertial sensing errors, foot-mounted inertial-sensor-based pedestrian navigation systems (PNSs) suffer from drift, especially heading drift. To mitigate heading drift, considering the complexity of human motion and the environment, we introduce a novel hybrid framework that integrates a foot-state classifier that triggers the zero-velocity update (ZUPT) algorithm, zero-angular-rate update (ZARU) algorithm, and a state lock, a magnetic disturbance detector, a human-motion-classifier-aided adaptive fusion module (AFM) that outputs an adaptive heading error measurement by fusing heuristic and magnetic algorithms rather than simply switching them, and an error-state Kalman filter (ESKF) that estimates the optimal systematic error. The validation datasets include a Vicon loop dataset that spans 324.3 m in a single room for approximately 300 s and challenging walking datasets that cover large indoor and outdoor environments with a total distance of 12.98 km. A total of five different frameworks with different heading drift correction methods, including the proposed framework, were validated on these datasets, which demonstrated that our proposed ZUPT–ZARU–AFM–ESKF-aided PNS outperforms other frameworks and clearly mitigates heading drift.

scholarly journals Examining local perspectives on the influence of climate change on the health of Hamer pastoralists and their livestock in Ethiopia

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel Lumborg ◽  
Samuel Tefera ◽  
Barry Munslow ◽  
Siobhan M. Mor
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Water Scarcity ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
Local Health ◽  
Framework Analysis ◽  
Healthcare Facilities ◽  
Grazing Lands

AbstractThis study explores the perceived influence of climate change on the health of Hamer pastoralists and their livestock in south-western Ethiopia. A combination of focus group discussions and key informant interviews were conducted with Hamer communities as well as local health workers, animal health workers and non-governmental organisation (NGO) staff. Thematic framework analysis was used to analyse the data. Reductions in rangeland, erratic rainfall, recurrent droughts and loss of seasonality were perceived to be the biggest climate challenges influencing the health and livelihoods of the Hamer. Communities were travelling greater distances to access sufficient grazing lands, and this was leading to livestock deaths and increases in ethnic violence. Reductions in suitable rangeland were also precipitating disease outbreaks in animals due to increased mixing of different herds. Negative health impacts in the community stemmed indirectly from decreases in livestock production, uncertain crop harvests and increased water scarcity. The remoteness of grazing lands has resulted in decreased availability of animal milk, contributing to malnutrition in vulnerable groups, including children. Water scarcity in the region has led to utilisation of unsafe water sources resulting in diarrhoeal illnesses. Further, seasonal shifts in climate-sensitive diseases such as malaria were also acknowledged. Poorly resourced healthcare facilities with limited accessibility combined with an absence of health education has amplified the community’s vulnerability to health challenges. The resilience and ambition for livelihood diversification amongst the Hamer was evident. The introduction of camels, increase in permanent settlements and new commercial ideas were transforming their livelihood strategies. However, the Hamer lack a voice to express their perspectives, challenges and ambitions. There needs to be collaborative dynamic dialogue between pastoral communities and the policy-makers to drive sustainable development in the area without compromising the values, traditions and knowledge of the pastoralists.

scholarly journals Health Effects and Exposure Assessment to Bioaerosols in Indoor and Outdoor Environments

Atmosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 359
Author(s):  
Ewa Brągoszewska
Keyword(s):  
Exposure Assessment ◽  
Health Effects ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Outdoor Environments ◽  
Indoor And Outdoor Environments ◽  
Indoor And Outdoor

The Atmosphere Special Issue entitled “Health Effects and Exposure Assessment to Bioaerosols in Indoor and Outdoor Environments” comprises five original papers [...]

scholarly journals Community health worker models in South Africa: a qualitative study on policy implementation of the 2018/19 revised framework

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua P Murphy ◽  
Aneesa Moolla ◽  
Sharon Kgowedi ◽  
Constance Mongwenyana ◽  
Sithabile Mngadi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Policy Implementation ◽  
Community Health ◽  
Resource Constraints ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Programme Implementation ◽  
Healthcare Facilities

Abstract South Africa has a long history of community health workers (CHWs). It has been a journey that has required balancing constrained resources and competing priorities. CHWs form a bridge between communities and healthcare service provision within health facilities and act as the cornerstone of South Africa’s Ward-Based Primary Healthcare Outreach Teams. This study aimed to document the CHW policy implementation landscape across six provinces in South Africa and explore the reasons for local adaptation of CHW models and to identify potential barriers and facilitators to implementation of the revised framework to help guide and inform future planning. We conducted a qualitative study among a sample of Department of Health Managers at the National, Provincial and District level, healthcare providers, implementing partners [including non-governmental organizations (NGOs) who worked with CHWs] and CHWs themselves. Data were collected between April 2018 and December 2018. We conducted 65 in-depth interviews (IDIs) with healthcare providers, managers and experts familiar with CHW work and nine focus group discussions (FGDs) with 101 CHWs. We present (i) current models of CHW policy implementation across South Africa, (ii) facilitators, (iii) barriers to CHW programme implementation and (iv) respondents’ recommendations on how the CHW programme can be improved. We chronicled the differences in NGO involvement, the common facilitators of purpose and passion in the CHWs’ work and the multitude of barriers and resource limitations CHWs must work under. We found that models of implementation vary greatly and that adaptability is an important aspect of successful implementation under resource constraints. Our findings largely aligned to existing research but included an evaluation of districts/provinces that had not previously been explored together. CHWs continue to promote health and link their communities to healthcare facilities, in spite of lack of permanent employment, limited resources, such as uniforms, and low wages.

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