| 1. |
- Angelova, Radostina A., et al.
(author)
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The response rate in postal epidemiological studies in the context of national cultural behaviour
- 2012
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In: 10th International Conference on Healthy Buildings 2012. - 9781627480758 ; , s. 1429-1434
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The purpose of this study was to analyse the effect of national cultural differences on the response rate, obtained in questionnaire based epidemiological studies on allergy and asthma, performed in Sweden (DBH) and Bulgaria (ALLHOME). The two studies used one and the same methodology, but the obtained response rate was different: 78.8% in DBH and 34.5% in ALLHOME. The differences in the obtained response rate and the reasons for these differences were analyzed on the basis of the Hofstede's cultural dimensions' indexes, which clearly show the distinction in the national cultural behaviour of people in Sweden and Bulgaria. It was found that national culture could strongly influence the response behaviour of people in epidemiological studies and Hofstede's indexes can be useful tool when designing and performing epidemiological studies, and in particular - questionnaire surveys.
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| 2. |
- Arghand, Taha, 1982, et al.
(author)
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Individually controlled localized chilled beam in conjunction with chilled ceiling: Part 1 – Physical environment
- 2016
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In: 14th International Conference on Indoor Air Quality and Climate, Indoor Air 2016.
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This study investigates the indoor environment generated by localized chilled beam coupled with chilled ceiling (LCBCC) and compares it with the environment generated by mixing ventilation coupled with chilled ceiling (CCMV). The experiments were performed in a mock-up of single office (4.1 m × 4.0 m × 3.1 m, L× W× H). Thermal manikin was used to simulate room occupant. The LCBCC was placed above the workstation to improve the environment locally. Combinations of indoor temperature of 26 °C and 28 °C and ventilation airflow rate of 10 and 13 l/s were studied. The total heat load in the room was 60 W/m2 (including simulation of solar radiation and miscellaneous heat loads). The results showed that uniform thermal conditions (differences smaller than 1 °K) were generated in the occupied zone with the studied system configurations. The LCBCC diminished the effect of the buoyancy flow from the simulated window and this resulted in more acceptable thermal conditions at the workstation.
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| 3. |
- Arghand, Taha, 1982, et al.
(author)
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Individually controlled localized chilled beam in conjunction with chilled ceiling: Part 2 – Human response
- 2016
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In: 14th International Conference on Indoor Air Quality and Climate, Indoor Air 2016.
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The response of 24 subjects to the local environment established by localized chilled beam combined with chilled ceiling (LCBCC) was studied and compared with response to the environment generated by mixing ventilation combined with chilled ceiling (CCMV) at two temperature conditions of 26 °C and 28 °C. The supply airflow rate from the LCBCC was controlled by the subjects within the range of 10 to 13 L/s. In the case of CCMV subjects did not have control over the flow rate. The results showed that occupants’ overall and local thermal sensation acceptability improved at the workstation by using the LCBCC system compared to CCMV. The subjects felt less warm with the LCBCC and their thermal sensation was close to neutral. Most of the subjects achieved acceptable air movement at the workstation by the provided individual control of the flow rate from the LCBCC. Need for air movement was reported in the case of CCMV.
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| 4. |
- Arghand, Taha, 1982, et al.
(author)
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Individually controlled localized chilled beam with background radiant cooling system: Human subject testing
- 2022
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In: Building and Environment. - : Elsevier BV. - 0360-1323. ; 218
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This study examines the responses of twenty-four subjects to an individually-controlled localized chilled beam (LCB) and compares it to a mixing ventilation (MV) as the reference system. Both LCB and MV also used ceiling cooling (CC) panels for background cooling (forming LCBCC and MVCC systems). The LCB directed the supply air towards the subjects to create a micro-environment around them. Four experimental conditions were established using a combination of two room temperatures (26 °C and 28 °C) and two primary ventilation rates (10 l/s and 13 l/s). During the 90 min-long experiments, the subjects were asked to assess their perceived air quality, thermal sensation, comfort, air movement acceptability and acceptability of the work environment. The results indicated that the LCBCC was superior to the MVCC with significantly higher acceptability of the work environment, perceived air quality and thermal sensation. Perceived air quality and thermal sensation were rated near the “clearly acceptable” level for both room temperatures when LCBCC was used. Moreover, thermal sensation votes were close to the “neutral” level for room temperatures as high as 26 °C and 28 °C. The micro-environment established by the LCB was found to be resilient to changes in room temperature. With the MVCC, the thermal environment was rated as “slightly warm”. No major potential risk of draught among the subjects was reported when using the LCBCC. The findings of this study contribute to the development of high-temperature cooling systems in general, and localized ventilation systems in particular.
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| 5. |
- Li, Angui, et al.
(author)
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Ventilation and environmental control of underground spaces : a short review
- 2019
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In: E3S Web of Conferences. - : EDP Sciences.
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- More and more underground spaces were used in 21st century because of rapid urbanization, traffic problems, etc. Underground city, metro, tunnel, mine, industrial and agriculture engineering, civil air defence engineering need large underground spaces. Underground spaces with different thermal, ventilation and lighting environments may cause comfort, health and safety problems. Concrete problems include excessive humidity, heat transfer specialty, excessive CO caused by blockage in long distance traffic tunnels, difficulty in smoke exhaust and evacuation during fire, harmful microorganism, radioactivity pollutants, psychological problems, and so forth. Air quality control technologies for underground spaces, including ventilation technology, dehumidification technology, natural energy utilization technology, smoke extraction technology and ventilation resistance reduction technology, will be reviewed. Ventilation for smoke-proof/evacuation and ventilation will also be reviewed.
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| 6. |
- Morawska, Lidia, et al.
(author)
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COVID-19 and airborne transmission : science rejected, lives lost : can society do better?
- 2023
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In: Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1537-6591. ; 76:10, s. 1854-1859
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This is an account that should be heard of an important struggle: the struggle of a large group of experts who came together at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic to warn the world about the risk of airborne transmission and the consequences of ignoring it. We alerted the World Health Organization (WHO) about the potential significance of the airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and the urgent need to control it, but our concerns were dismissed. Here we describe how this happened and the consequences. We hope that by reporting this story, we can raise awareness of the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and the need to be open to new evidence, and to prevent it from happening again. Acknowledgement of an issue and the emergence of new evidence related to it, is the first necessary step towards finding effective mitigation solutions.
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| 7. |
- Morawska, Lidia, et al.
(author)
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How can airborne transmission of COVID-19 indoors be minimised?
- 2020
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In: Environment International. - : Elsevier BV. - 1873-6750 .- 0160-4120. ; 142
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- During the rapid rise in COVID-19 illnesses and deaths globally, and notwithstanding recommended precautions, questions are voiced about routes of transmission for this pandemic disease. Inhaling small airborne droplets is probable as a third route of infection, in addition to more widely recognized transmission via larger respiratory droplets and direct contact with infected people or contaminated surfaces. While uncertainties remain regarding the relative contributions of the different transmission pathways, we argue that existing evidence is sufficiently strong to warrant engineering controls targeting airborne transmission as part of an overall strategy to limit infection risk indoors. Appropriate building engineering controls include sufficient and effective ventilation, possibly enhanced by particle filtration and air disinfection, avoiding air recirculation and avoiding overcrowding. Often, such measures can be easily implemented and without much cost, but if only they are recognised as significant in contributing to infection control goals. We believe that the use of engineering controls in public buildings, including hospitals, shops, offices, schools, kindergartens, libraries, restaurants, cruise ships, elevators, conference rooms or public transport, in parallel with effective application of other controls (including isolation and quarantine, social distancing and hand hygiene), would be an additional important measure globally to reduce the likelihood of transmission and thereby protect healthcare workers, patients and the general public.
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| 8. |
- Morawska, Lidia, et al.
(author)
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Mandating indoor air quality for public buildings : if some countries lead by example, standards may increasingly become normalized
- 2024
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In: Science. - 0036-8075. ; 383:6690, s. 1418-1420
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- People living in urban and industrialized societies, which are expanding globally, spend more than 90% of their time in the indoor environment, breathing indoor air (IA). Despite decades of research and advocacy, most countries do not have legislated indoor air quality (IAQ) performance standards for public spaces that address concentration levels of IA pollutants. Few building codes address operation, maintenance, and retrofitting, and most do not focus on airborne disease transmission. But the COVID-19 pandemic has made all levels of society, from community members to decision-makers, realize the importance of IAQ for human health, wellbeing, productivity, and learning. We propose that IAQ standards be mandatory for public spaces. Although enforcement of IAQ performance standards in homes is not possible, homes must be designed and equipped so that they could meet the standards.For the past two decades, scientists have called for national IAQ standards and laws to be established (2), but so far, little action has been taken. The approach to IA contrasts sharply with outdoor air, for which quality is regulated and monitored and compliance with regulations is enforced. The World Health Organization (WHO) Global Air Quality Guidelines (AQG) published in 2021 provide recommendations for concentration levels of six pollutants and their averaging times (PM2.5, PM10, NO2, SO2, CO, and O3) and apply to both outdoor air and IA (3).In cases for which IAQ standard and guideline values were established by national or association working groups, the outcomes were inconsistent; often the criteria for the same parameter differed by orders of magnitude. The reasons cited for limited progress include different criteria in the selection of the critical study, in the starting point, and in the derivation procedure; the complex political, social, and legislative situation regarding IAQ; the lack of an open, systematic, and harmonized approach; and that establishing an IAQ standard is always the result of a compromise between scientific knowledge and political will. Because of the heterogenous landscape of approaches needed, such barriers remain intact despite the considerable IAQ research and evidence base developed over the past decades.
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| 9. |
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| 10. |
- Sadrizadeh, Sasan, et al.
(author)
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A systematic review of operating room ventilation
- 2021
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In: Journal of Building Engineering. - : Elsevier BV. - 2352-7102. ; 40, s. 102693-
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Ventilation systems are the primary way of eliminating airborne pathogenic particles in an operating room (OR). However, such systems can be complex due to factors such as different surgical instruments, diverse room sizes, various staff counts, types of clothing used, different surgical types and duration, medications, and patient conditions. OR ventilation should provide a thermally comfortable environment for the surgical staff team members while preventing the patient from suffering from any extreme hypothermia. Many technical, logistical, and ethical implications need to be considered in the early stage of designing a ventilation system for an OR. Years of research and a significant number of publications have highlighted the controversy and disagreement among infection specialists, design engineers, and ventilation experts in this context. This review article aims to provide a good understanding of OR ventilation systems in the context of air quality and infection control from existing research and provide multidimensional insights for appropriate design and operation of the OR. To this end, we have conducted a systematic review of the literature, covering 253 articles in this context. Systematic review and meta-analyses were used to map the evidence and identify research gaps in the existing clinical, practical, and engineering knowledge. The present study is categorized into six research focuses: ventilation system, thermal comfort, staff work practice and obstacles, door operation and passage, air cleaning technology, emission rate, and clothing systems. In the conclusion, we summarize the key limitations of the existing studies and insights for future research direction.
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