Impacts of light direction and window properties on students’ perceptual evaluations in design studios

This study aimed to determine how light direction, window proximity and window dimensions could affect students' perceptual evaluations in design studios. The design studios of the Nuh Naci Yazgan University in Kayseri were selected as the research setting. The ‘semantic differential scale’ composed of 10 adjective pairs was used for determining subjects’ perceptual evaluations of design studios having two different window dimensions. According to the results obtained, when making drawings, right-handed students who received light from a window on the left side were determined to perceive the physical environmental factors of design studios more positively compared to students who received light from a window on the right side. In addition, students sitting near a window in design studios were observed to generally perceive the physical environmental factors more positively than those sitting in the middle close to the window, in the middle away from the window and inside. Furthermore, students who sat in an area with floor to ceiling window were determined to perceive the place more positively compared to those who sat in an area with parapet to ceiling window. These results generally confirmed that light direction, window proximity and window dimensions in design studios are effective on students’ perceptual evaluations.

Influence of Physical Environmental Factors on The Rising Insecurity in Northwestern Nigeria

Northern part of Nigeria has witnessed a widespread security challenges in recent years, in most cases armed conflicts. Boko Haram's insurgency in the Northeast, herdsmen militancy in North-central, while in the Northwest, banditry has become the major security concern. Millions of people have been displaced, some were dead as a result. There are efforts by concerned entities, less attention was given to physical environmental. Environmental psychology has shown that the physical environment is responsible for behavior or crime; therefore, this study identifies the environmental factors that are influencing the increase of insecurity activities in the Northwestern states of Nigeria. Data was collected using focus group discussions, observations, interviews and review of related existing literature. System theory was used to show the interdependence of the factors by identifying and categorizing them into internal and external factors (artificial and natural). The internal factors include; Urbanization and Poor Environmental Design/Planning, Territorial encroachment, Urban poverty among others. While the external factors are; Climate, Topography and Vegetation, Natural resources and etc. The study discusses their effects on increasing insecurity in the region and concluded that both internal and external factors have significant effects on the increasing banditry in Northwestern part of the country and need to be viewed as a system and be treated holistically. Finally made some recommendation on the way forward.

Perspectives on Social and Environmental Determinants of Oral Health

Most oral conditions have a multifactorial etiology; that is, they are modulated by biological, social, economic, cultural, and environmental factors. A consistent body of evidence has demonstrated the great burden of dental caries and periodontal disease in individuals from low socioeconomic strata. Oral health habits and access to care are influenced by the social determinants of health. Hence, the delivery of health promotion strategies at the population level has shown a great impact on reducing the prevalence of oral diseases. More recently, a growing discussion about the relationship between the environment, climate change, and oral health has been set in place. Certainly, outlining plans to address oral health inequities is not an easy task. It will demand political will, comprehensive funding of health services, and initiatives to reduce inequalities. This paper sought to give a perspective about the role of social and physical environmental factors on oral health conditions while discussing how the manuscripts published in this Special Issue could increase our knowledge of the topic.

Environmental services in home gardens of la Chontalpa, Tabasco, Mexico

Objective: To identify the environmental services provided by home gardens in nine communities of La Chontalpa region in Tabasco, Mexico. Design/methodology/approach: Having previously identified home gardens, a visit route to nine communities was drawn using cartographic and demographic information. Three home gardens per community were randomly selected. Interviews about the use of home gardens were conducted. Physical environmental factors were measured inside and outside the gardens and soil samples were taken to determine organic matter and carbon contents in the soil. According to their category, the environmental services provided by the home gardens in each community were identified and classified into four types: provisioning, supporting, cultural, and regulating services. Results: Thirteen environmental services were identified as being provided by home gardens. Provisioning and cultural services are present in all localities. The most frequent category is the provision of food, followed by the provision of raw materials and education. Supporting and regulating services were observed in most communities —except for climate regulation, since the environmental conditions only allow gardens to provide the said service in four of the evaluated communities. Limitations on study/implications: Knowledge about the benefits of building home gardens suggests that these agrosystems provide environmental services. Categorizing the environmental services provided by home gardens is therefore important. Findings/conclusions: Home gardens in La Chontalpa, Tabasco, do not only provide provisioning services, but also cultural, supporting, and —to a lesser extent— regulating services.

Effect of wall covering materials on the perception of cafe environments

Purpose This study aims to determine the effects of wall covering materials (wood, concrete and metal) used indoors on participants’ perceptual evaluations. The differences among participants’ perceptual evaluations regarding indoor physical environmental factors by occupation and gender were examined. Design/methodology/approach Cafes were selected as research environments. Virtual experimental spaces using three different wall covering materials were modelled and participants’ assessment of the physical environmental factors of these virtual spaces was measured through a detailed questionnaire. Findings Cafes using light-coloured wall covering materials were perceived more favourably than cafes using dark-coloured wall covering materials, and cafes with light-coloured wooden wall coverings were considered as a warmer material than cafes using concrete and metal. Participants who received design education (architect, interior architect) perceived physical environmental factors of cafes more negatively than those who did not receive design education (lawyer, economist, accountant, etc.). Male participants evaluated the physical environmental factors of cafes more positively than female participants for all adjective pairs. Except for two adjective pairs, no significant difference was found among the evaluations according to genders for the other adjective pairs. Originality/value This study revealed new results about customers’ choices of wall covering materials and offered designers new alternatives for materials that can be used in the design of cafes.

Environmental determinants of thyroid pathology

Ecological situation of many countries, including Ukraine, is characterized by progressive anthropogenic and technogenic pollution, which causes growth in thyroid pathology, the share of which is significant in the structure of endocrine diseases. The main causes of thyroid disorders include iodine deficiency in the environment, exposure to a number of widely used che­micals (thyrodisruptors), heavy metal ions. A variety of physical environmental factors are important. A significant increase in thyroid cancer is frequently associated with local or general exposure to ionizing radiation. Prolonged exposure to electromagnetic fields can lead to disorders in the gland's homeostasis. The functional capacity of the gland is also impaired by unsanitary living conditions, some bacteria and viruses, and improper nutrition. High sensitivity of the gland to external impacts and high social significance of thyroid pathology give grounds to consider the morphofunctional condition of the thyroid gland as a marker of ecological well-being of the environment.

The Influence of Physical Environmental Factors on Older Adults in Residential Care Facilities in Northeast China

Objectives: To evaluate the aspects of the objective physical environments of five residential care facilities (RCFs) for older adults and the residents’ subjective perceptions of these aspects. Background: The physical environment in RCFs impacts the health and comfort of the residents. However, the design standards for RCFs lack details which can result in insufficient living conditions. Methods: Through questionnaire surveys, older adults’ satisfaction on the degree of the light, acoustic, and thermal environment in the facilities was obtained. Indoor lighting condition was measured by an illuminance meter in lux, sound pressure level (SPL) with sound level meters in dBA, and temperature in °C with a temperature data logger, and an audiometer was used to test the hearing of the older adults. Results: A total of 480 questionnaires were obtained. Results show that (a) older adults need an appropriate light environment to avoid the negative impact of limited light, (b) poor acoustic environment could affect their mood and health, and (c) when the room temperature is within the range of 20–26 °C (68–78.8 °F), they feel most comfortable. When the appropriate temperature and humidity, balanced illumination, and SPL meet the needs of older adults, it can provide a more comfortable physical environment for them. Conclusion: Examining the interaction between the physical environmental factors that affect older adults in RCFs is important for the design of residential housing and provides more theoretical support for research on the influence of the physical environment on the quality of life of older adults.