Evaluation of thermal comfort and building form attributes in different semi-outdoor environments in a high-density tropical setting

In highly dense tropical cities, a semi-outdoor space (SOS) is frequently used as a social space within tall building forms where people can interact and connect. Thermal comfort in SOSs within tall buildings, however, may vary depending on the type and form attributes that define it. This study classifies 63 SOSs in four tall buildings of Singapore into five types based on literature review: perimeter buffers, sky terraces, horizontal breezeways, breezeway atria and vertical breezeways. Findings suggest that the five SOS types perform differently in terms of thermal comfort (based on PMV*), environmental parameters (air temperature, mean radiant temperature, relative humidity, and air velocity), and building form attributes (height-to-depth ratio, open space ratio, and green plot ratio). Of these five, vertical breezeways and horizontal breezeways are the most thermally comfortable for all activities during a typically warm hour. It is postulated that higher thermal comfort levels in these SOS types are linked to form attributes that enhance air velocity. This study examines the pros and cons of each SOS type in terms of thermal comfort in their role as communal spaces in tall buildings situated within a highly dense tropical city

Sizing Of Trousers and Shirts for Indian Army Personnel : An Anthropometric Application

The paper describes how anthropometric data obtained on 4400 Indian Army personnel was utilized in evolving size rolls for the trousers and shirts. A bivariate frequency distribution of abdominal circumference and abdominal height indicated that the data could be grouped into 14 sizes and such grouping could provide good fitting trousers to 92.52 percent of the troops. For shirts, the bivariate frequency distribution of chest circumference and arm length grouped army personnel again into 14 sizes. Such grouping encompassed 84.22 percent of the personnel studied. An extra large size has been provided for those not covered by these 14 size. In this study, 95 army officers’ clothing measurements essential for their good fitting trousers and shirts were taken along with the relevant body measurements. A stepwise linear regression analysis was also carried out to predict clothing measurements from body measurements. These regression equations were used to work out the dimensions of the trousers and shirts for different sizes from the classified anthropometric data

Passive cooling design strategies as adaptation measures for lowering the indoor overheating risk in tropical climates

Year-round high temperatures and humidity in the Tropics, coupled with poor design decisions and climate change, can cause indoor environments to overheat, affecting health and increasing energy demand and carbon emissions. Passive cooling could help lower the indoor overheating risk. Given the gap in the relative influence of passive cooling design strategies on lowering the indoor overheating risk in tropical locations, this study investigated their impact in two warm tropical cities (i.e., Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula), considering both current and future climate scenarios, with a total of 3840 thermal simulations performed. Indoor overheating risk in apartment-type dwellings was assessed using two metrics (i.e., hours of exceedance and the indoor overheating degree), and considering fixed and adaptive thermal comfort limits. Simulation results show that the overheating risk can be significantly lowered in these tropical contexts using solely passive cooling strategies as heat adaptation measures. Multivariate regression models demonstrate that natural ventilation, wall absorptance, the solar heat gain coefficient, and semi-outdoor spaces have the greatest impact in lowering the risk in vertical social housing projects. This study emphasizes the importance of passive cooling and overheating protection design strategies in tropical building codes and building design while considering current and future risk

Regression of Body Density on Skinfold Thicknesses in High Altitude Natives: Decline in the Predictive Efficiency on De-Acclimatisation to Low Altitude

Body density, stature, body weight and skinfold thickness at 11 sites were experimentally measured on two groups of high altitude natives (HAN) of Ladakh. Group 1, consisting of 38 similar volunteers was studied after 4-week stay at an altitude of 3658 m and Group 2, consisting of 38 similar volunteers was studied after 4-week stay at Delhi (altitude, 200m). Although, there was a strong relationship between skinfolds, other anthropometric measurements and body density (R=0.898) at high altitude (HA), this relationship was significantly reduced at Delhi (R=0.642). Appropriate regression equations predicting body density from skinfold thicknesses, stature and body weight are given for HAN at both the locations. It is concluded that hyperhydration of the lean body and the adipose tissue may be responsible for the weakening of the multiple Rs on de-acclimatisation to low altitude

Sustained Immune Tolerance Induction in Enzyme Replacement Therapy-Treated CRIM-Negative Patients with Infantile Pompe Disease

BACKGROUND: Cross-reactive immunological material-negative (CRIM-negative) infantile Pompe disease (IPD) patients develop an immune response against enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) with alglucosidase alfa that nullifies ERT efficacy. Prophylactic immune tolerance induction (ITI) with rituximab, methotrexate, and IVIG successfully prevents development of deleterious rhGAA IgG antibodies; however, safety, likelihood of success, and long-term efficacy of ITI in a larger cohort remain unknown. METHODS: Clinical data were analyzed for 19 CRIM-negative IPD patients who received ITI with rituximab, methotrexate, and IVIG in the ERT-naive setting (ERT+ITI) and compared to a historical cohort of 10 CRIM-negative IPD patients on ERT monotherapy. RESULTS: ITI was safely tolerated, although infections were reported in 4 patients. Fourteen (74%) ERT+ITI patients were alive, with a median age of 44.2 months at their final assessment. The eldest survivor was 103.9 months old, with 100.2 months of follow-up after initiation of ERT+ITI. Death (n = 5) occurred at a median age of 29.2 months and was unrelated to the administration of ITI. Fifteen patients either did not seroconvert (n = 8) or maintained low titers (n = 7; defined as titers of /=51,200 at or beyond 6 months on ERT). Left ventricular mass index (LVMI) decreased from a median of 248.5 g/m2 at baseline to 76.8 g/m2 at a median time from ERT+ITI initiation to 59 weeks. ERT+ITI significantly improved overall survival (P = 0.001), eliminated/reduced antibodies at values o

Facial-muscle weakness, speech disorders and dysphagia are common in patients with classic infantile Pompe disease treated with enzyme therapy

Classic infantile Pompe disease is an inherited generalized glycogen storage disorder caused by deficiency of lysosomal acid α-glucosidase. If left untreated, patients die before one year of age. Although enzyme-replacement therapy (ERT) has significantly prolonged lifespan, it has also revealed new aspects of the disease. For up to 11 years, we investigated the frequency and consequences of facial-muscle weakness, speech disorders and dysphagia in long-term survivors. Sequential photographs were used to determine the timing and severity of facial-muscle weakness. Using standardized articulation tests and fibreoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing, we investigated speech and swallowing function in a subset of patients. This study included 11 patients with classic infantile Pompe disease. Median age at the start of ERT was 2.4 months (range 0.1-8.3 months), and median age at the end of the study was 4.3 years (range 7.7 months −12.2 years). All patients developed facial-muscle weakness before the age of 15 months. Speech was studied in four patients. Articulation was disordered, with hypernasal resonance and reduced speech intelligibility in all four. Swallowing function was studied in six patients, the most important findings being ineffective swallowing with residues of food (5/6), penetration or aspiration (3/6), and reduced pharyngeal and/or laryngeal sensibility (2/6). We conclude that facial-muscle weakness, speech disorders and dysphagia are common in long-term survivors receiving ERT for classic infantile Pompe disease. To improve speech and reduce the risk for aspiration, early treatment by a speech therapist and regular swallowing assessments are recommended

Fiber Type Conversion by PGC-1α Activates Lysosomal and Autophagosomal Biogenesis in Both Unaffected and Pompe Skeletal Muscle

PGC-1α is a transcriptional co-activator that plays a central role in the regulation of energy metabolism. Our interest in this protein was driven by its ability to promote muscle remodeling. Conversion from fast glycolytic to slow oxidative fibers seemed a promising therapeutic approach in Pompe disease, a severe myopathy caused by deficiency of the lysosomal enzyme acid alpha-glucosidase (GAA) which is responsible for the degradation of glycogen. The recently approved enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) has only a partial effect in skeletal muscle. In our Pompe mouse model (KO), the poor muscle response is seen in fast but not in slow muscle and is associated with massive accumulation of autophagic debris and ineffective autophagy. In an attempt to turn the therapy-resistant fibers into fibers amenable to therapy, we made transgenic KO mice expressing PGC-1α in muscle (tgKO). The successful switch from fast to slow fibers prevented the formation of autophagic buildup in the converted fibers, but PGC-1α failed to improve the clearance of glycogen by ERT. This outcome is likely explained by an unexpected dramatic increase in muscle glycogen load to levels much closer to those observed in patients, in particular infants, with the disease. We have also found a remarkable rise in the number of lysosomes and autophagosomes in the tgKO compared to the KO. These data point to the role of PGC-1α in muscle glucose metabolism and its possible role as a master regulator for organelle biogenesis - not only for mitochondria but also for lysosomes and autophagosomes. These findings may have implications for therapy of lysosomal diseases and other disorders with altered autophagy