Healthcare building sustainability assessment tool - Sustainable effective design criteria in the Portuguese context

Tools and methods to improve current practices and quality in the healthcare building sector are necessary to support decision-making at different building life cycle phases. Furthermore, Healthcare Building Sustainability Assessment (HBSA) Methods are based on criteria organised into different levels, such as categories and indicators. These criteria highlight aspects of significant importance when designing and operating a sustainable healthcare building. To bring more objectivity to the sustainability assessments, the standardisation bodies (CEN and ISO) proposed core indicators that should be used in the evaluation of the environmental, societal and economic performances of buildings. Nevertheless, relying on state of the art analysis, it is possible to conclude that there are aspects of major importance for the operation of healthcare buildings that are not considered in the HBSA methods. Thus, the aim of this paper is to discuss the context of sustainability assessment methods in the field of healthcare buildings and to present a proposal for the incorporation of Sustainable-Effective Design (SED) criteria in a new HBSA method. The used research method is innovative since in the development of the list of sustainability criteria it considers the opinion of main healthcare buildings' stakeholders, the existing healthcare assessment methods and the ISO and CEN standardisation works in the field of the methods to assess the sustainability of construction works. As a result, the proposed method is composed of fifty-two sustainability indicators that cover the different dimensions of the sustainability concept to support decision making during the design of a new or retrofitted healthcare building in urban areas.The authors acknowledge the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology and POPH/FSE for its financial support for this study (Reference SFRH/BD/77959/2011). A special thank you is also addressed to Donald Ellis for proofreading the English text.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Evaluation of design recommendations for the development of wheelchair rugby sports-wear

Currently, wheelchair rugby athletes face the challenges of playing the sport without specifically designed sports-wear kit. A few designs and recommendations have already been proposed by researchers but none have made it to market yet. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a set of design recommendations for the development of wheelchair rugby sports-wear. This was done so that the products to be created are developed in collaboration with their potential users, responding to their particular needs and requirements. The evaluation was done through an online survey, where the athletes were presented with a visual representation of the design recommendations. The results indicate that the people questioned agree with the majority of the proposed designs and would be happy to have these improvements made to their current sports-wear. The most criticised recommendations were for the gloves, as they are the most important part of the kit, so it is important that they are adequate and allow for a good performance

Vulvar Tuberculosis-A Rare Manifestation of the Disease

Tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. According to data from the World Health Organization, this disease remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Although it most commonly affects the lungs, tuberculosis can compromise any organ. The present study reports a rare case of vulvar tuberculosis in a postmenopausal woman with a history of asymptomatic pulmonary and pleural tuberculosis, with no prior documented contact with the bacillus. Diagnosis was based on vulvar lesion biopsies, with histological findings suggestive of infection and isolation of M. tuberculosis by microbiological culture and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) essays. The lesions reverted to normal after tuberculostatic therapy.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Estado actual de la técnica y cuestiones perdurables en la recogida de datos antropométricos

The study of human body size and shape has been a topic of research for a very long time. In the past, anthropometry used traditional measuring techniques to record the dimensions of the human body and reported variance in body dimensions as a function of mean and standard deviation. Nowadays, the study of human body dimensions can be carried out more efficiently using three-dimensional body scanners, which can provide large amounts of anthropometric data more quickly than traditional techniques can. This paper presents a description of the broad range of issues related to the collection of anthropometric data using three-dimensional body scanners, including the different types of technologies available and their implications, the standard scanning process needed for effective data collection, and the possible sources of measurement errors that might affect the reliability and validity of the data collected.El estudio del tamaño y la forma del cuerpo humano ha sido un tema de investigación durante un tiempo muy largo. En el pasado, la antropometría utilizó técnicas de medición tradicionales para registrar las dimensiones del cuerpo humano y reportó la variación en las dimensiones del cuerpo en función de la media y la desviación estándar. Hoy en día, el estudio de las dimensiones del cuerpo humano se puede llevar a cabo utilizando maneras más eficientes, como los escáneres tridimensionales del cuerpo, que pueden proporcionar grandes cantidades de datos antropométricos más rápidamente que las técnicas tradicionales. En este trabajo se presenta una descripción de la amplia gama de temas relacionados con la recogida de datos antropométricos utilizando escáneres tridimensionales del cuerpo, incluyendo los diferentes tipos de tecnologías disponibles y sus implicaciones, el proceso de digitalización estándar necesario para la captura efectiva de datos, y las posibles fuentes de los errores de medición que podrán afectar la fiabilidad y validez de los datos recogidos.This work is financed by FEDER funds through the Competitive Factors Operational Program (COMPETE) POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007043 and POCI-01-0145FEDER-007136 and by national funds through FCT – the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, under the projects UID/CEC/00319/2013 and UID/CTM/00264 respectively

Bioclimatic buildings strategies for the climate of Araras city, São Paulo - Brazil

The concept of bioclimatic architecture or passive solar architecture can be defined as an architecture that includes the climate as an important variable in the design process. Through the use of bioclimatic strategies the environment comfort can be obtained naturally for users of buildings, which depending on the climate, the construction techniques and the type of use. Considering these aspects, the main objective of this work is to identify bioclimatic strategies for buildings for the climate of Araras city, countryside of São Paulo State - Brazil, based on climatic characterization of the city and in the study of design guidelines indicated by the Brazilian Code NBR 15220-3, the Brazilian Bioclimatic Zoning. According to the code, the climate of Araras is inserted in Bioclimatic Zone 4. For this climate the main indicated strategies for winter are the use of solar passive heating and massive internal walls in buildings. For summer, the use of evaporative cooling and ventilation are indicated. Based on this information were established initial guidelines for thermal comfort and energy efficiency for projects of buildings in the climate of Araras-SP

Utilização de modelos de simulação hidráulica em planos de vigilância e de controlo da qualidade da água para consumo humano

Neste trabalho descreve-se a incorporação dum modelo de simulação hidráulica nos planos de vigilância e de controlo da qualidade da água para consumo humano. Um modelo de simulação do escoamento e da qualidade da água num sistema de abastecimento e de distribuição é uma ferramenta que pode ser usada para a definição de programas operacionais que garantam a continuidade do serviço e a qualidade da água junto dos utilizadores. Faz-se a aplicação dum modelo de simulação hidráulica e de qualidade à gestão dum sistema concreto de abastecimento de água composto por diversos órgãos. O primeiro objectivo é relativo à definição de esquemas de funcionamento de forma a manter o cloro residual acima do valor mínimo recomendável. Após análise dos resultados do modelo de simulação, as alturas dos interruptores de nível nos reservatórios podem ser ajustadas para que a água não fique muito tempo retida nas células e, subsequentemente, seja mantido sob controlo o cloro residual, ou seja a qualidade. Exemplifica-se, também, a utilização do modelo de simulação na gestão de situações de emergência e no controlo do caudal no sistema adutor principal para garantir o abastecimento aos diversos reservatórios. Este tipo de modelo pode ser usado como ferramenta de apoio à decisão na definição dos locais de implantação de postos de controlo da qualidade da água

Dinâmica de nutrientes e atributos químicos do perfil do solo em resposta à aplicação de calcário na cultura de guaranazeiro em formação no município de Maués, Estado do Amazonas.

Com os objetivos de avaliar os efeitos do calcário sobre a dinâmica de nutrientes e atributos químicos do perfil do solo de uma cultura de guaranazeiro em formação, foram utilizados quatro níveis de calcário. O trabalho foi conduzido na Fazenda Santa Helena, situada no município de Maués/AM sobre Latossolo Amarelo Distrófico

Community solar salt production in Goa, India

Traditional salt farming in Goa, India has been practised for the past 1,500 years by a few communities. Goa’s riverine estuaries, easy access to sea water and favourable climatic conditions makes salt production attractive during summer. Salt produced through this natural evaporation process also played an important role in the economy of Goa even during the Portuguese rule as salt was the chief export commodity. In the past there were 36 villages involved in salt production, which is now reduced to 9. Low income, lack of skilled labour, competition from industrially produced salt, losses incurred on the yearly damage of embankments are the major reasons responsible for the reduction in the number of salt pans. Salt pans (Mithagar or Mithache agor) form a part of the reclaimed waterlogged khazan lands, which are also utilised for aquaculture, pisciculture and agriculture. Salt pans in Goa experience three phases namely, the ceased phase during monsoon period of June to October, preparatory phase from December to January, and salt harvesting phase, from February to June. After the monsoons, the salt pans are prepared manually for salt production. During high tide, an influx of sea water occurs, which enters the reservoir pans through sluice gates. The sea water after 1–2 days on attaining a salinity of approximately 5ºBé, is released into the evaporator pans and kept till it attains a salinity of 23 - 25ºBé. The brine is then released to crystallizer pans, where the salt crystallises out 25 - 27ºBé and is then harvested. Salt pans form a unique ecosystem where succession of different organisms with varying environmental conditions occurs. Organisms ranging from bacteria, archaea to fungi, algae, etc., are known to colonise salt pans and may influence the quality of salt produced. The aim of this review is to describe salt farming in Goa’s history, importance of salt production as a community activity, traditional method of salt production and the biota associated with salt pans