Experimental data and simulations of performance and thermal comfort in a patient room equipped with radiant ceiling panels

Hospitals require the highest energy demands in non-residential buildings. They provide healthcare 24/7/365 and, at the same time, they ensure indoor air quality, thermal comfort and sterility. However, several studies reveal that high indoor temperatures and low relative humidity (RH) are often perceived in patient rooms during the heating season, suggesting an important energy saving potential. Against this background, radiant ceiling panel (RCP) systems result to be one of the most appropriate solutions as they allow to achieve significant energy savings while providing the highest level of thermal and acoustic comfort, as well as of infection control. In the present study the microclimatic survey of a patient room at Maggiore Hospital in Bologna, Italy, equipped with an air conditioning system integrated with RCP, has reported occupant thermal discomfort. Experimental data were used to calibrate a building model and dynamic building energy simulations were carried out to analyse indoor air temperature, relative humidity, predicted mean vote (PMV) and predicted percentage of dissatisfied (PPD) indexes under different inlet air temperatures, to identify the best design conditions for energy efficiency and thermal comfort improvement. It was found that the highest advantages can be obtained when neutral air is supplied

A Probiotic-Based Sanitation System for the Reduction of Healthcare Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistances: A Budget Impact Analysis

Healthcare Associated Infections (HAIs) and antibiotic resistance have high social and economic burdens. Healthcare environments play an important role in the transmission of HAIs. The Probiotic Cleaning Hygiene System (PCHS) showed to decrease hospital surface pathogens up to 90% vs. conventional chemical cleaning (CCC). This study compares PCHS to CCC as to reduction of HAIs and their severity, related antibiotic resistances, and costs. Incidence rates of HAIs/antibiotic resistances were estimated from a multicenter pre-post (6 months CCC + 6 months PCHS) intervention study after applying propensity score matching technique. A budget impact analysis compared the current scenario of use of CCC with future scenarios considering increasing utilization of PCHS, from 5% to 50% in the next five years, from the hospital perspective in Italy. The cumulative incidence of HAI was 4.6% and 2.4% (p <0.0001) for CCC (N=4,160) and PCHS (N=4,160) (OR = 0.47, CI 95% 0.37-0.60), with severe HAIs of 1.57% vs 1% and antibiotic resistances of 1.13% vs 0.53%, respectively. Increased use of PCHS over CCC in Italian internal medicine/geriatrics and neurology departments in the next 5 years is expected to avert at least about 31,000 HAIs and 8,500 antibiotic resistances, and save at least 14 million Euros, of which 11.6 for the treatment of resistant HAIs. Innovative, environmentally sustainable sanitation systems, like PCHS, might substantially reduce antibiotic resistance and increase protection of health worldwide

Simulazioni numeriche di fenomeni termofluidodinamici

In un precedente lavoro, e` stato affrontato, mediante l'utilizzo di codici numerici, il problema della definizione del campo di moto e di temperatura indotto da una lama d'aria; analizzando lo stesso problema, viene ora effettuato il confronto fra la soluzione numerica di una procedura, che per tempi, costi e livello di approfondimento dei suoi fondamenti teorici e` ottenibile da un progettista, ed una pi\uf9 accurata, che necessita pero` di risorse di calcolo oggi non facilmente accessibili

When a probiotic-based sanitizing method may halve healthcare-associated infections and reduce associated costs

No abstract availabl

Temperature and Velocity Distributions in a Church with Floor Heating in Various Seasons

Experiences carried out within a large church in Bologna, Italy, equipped with a floor radiant panels heating plant are presented. High velocity air flows are detected, not compatible with thermal comfort. Experimental data form the basis for understanding and controlling thermal instabilities in tall halls

Potential Use of a Combined Bacteriophage–Probiotic Sanitation System to Control Microbial Contamination and AMR in Healthcare Settings: A Pre-Post Intervention Study

Microbial contamination in the hospital environment is a major concern for public health, since it significantly contributes to the onset of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), which are further complicated by the alarming level of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) of HAI-associated pathogens. Chemical disinfection to control bioburden has a temporary effect and can favor the selection of resistant pathogens, as observed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, probiotic-based sanitation (probiotic cleaning hygiene system, PCHS) was reported to stably abate pathogens, AMR, and HAIs. PCHS action is not rapid nor specific, being based on competitive exclusion, but the addition of lytic bacteriophages that quickly and specifically kill selected bacteria was shown to improve PCHS effectiveness. This study aimed to investigate the effect of such combined probiotic–phage sanitation (PCHSφ) in two Italian hospitals, targeting staphylococcal contamination. The results showed that PCHSφ could provide a significantly higher removal of staphylococci, including resistant strains, compared with disinfectants (−76%, p < 0.05) and PCHS alone (−50%, p < 0.05). Extraordinary sporadic chlorine disinfection appeared compatible with PCHSφ, while frequent routine chlorine usage inactivated the probiotic/phage components, preventing PCHSφ action. The collected data highlight the potential of a biological sanitation for better control of the infectious risk in healthcare facilities, without worsening pollution and AMR concerns

Introduction of Probiotic-Based Sanitation in the Emergency Ward of a Children's Hospital During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) represents a major threat to public health, especially in the hospital environment, and the massive use of disinfectants to prevent COVID-19 transmission might intensify this risk, possibly leading to future AMR pandemics. However, the control of microbial contamination is crucial in hospitals, since hospital microbiomes can cause healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), which are particularly frequent and severe in pediatric wards due to children having high susceptibility. Aim: We have previously reported that probiotic-based sanitation (PCHS) could stably decrease pathogens and their AMR in the hospital environment, reduce associated HAIs in adult hospitals, and inactivate enveloped viruses. Here, we aimed to test the effect of PCHS in the emergency room (ER) of a children's hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Conventional chemical disinfection was replaced by PCHS for 2 months during routine ER sanitation; the level of environmental bioburden was characterized before and at 2, 4, and 9 weeks after the introduction of PCHS. Microbial contamination was monitored simultaneously by conventional culture-based CFU count and molecular assays, including 16S rRNA NGS for bacteriome characterization and microarrays for the assessment of the resistome of the contaminating population. The presence of SARS-CoV-2 was also monitored by PCR. Results and conclusions: PCHS usage was associated with a stable 80% decrease in surface pathogens compared to levels detected for chemical disinfection (P &lt; 0.01), accompanied by an up to 2 log decrease in resistance genes (Pc &lt; 0.01). The effects were reversed when reintroducing chemical disinfection, which counteracted the action of the PCHS. SARS-CoV-2 was not detectable in both the pre-PCHS and PCHS periods. As the control of microbial contamination is a major issue, especially during pandemic emergencies, collected data suggest that PCHS may be successfully used to control virus spread without simultaneous worsening of the AMR concern

A search for resonant production of ttˉt\bar{t} pairs in $4.8\ \rm{fb}^{-1}ofintegratedluminosityof of integrated luminosity of p\bar{p}collisionsat collisions at \sqrt{s}=1.96\ \rm{TeV}$

We search for resonant production of tt pairs in 4.8 fb^{-1} integrated luminosity of ppbar collision data at sqrt{s}=1.96 TeV in the lepton+jets decay channel, where one top quark decays leptonically and the other hadronically. A matrix element reconstruction technique is used; for each event a probability density function (pdf) of the ttbar candidate invariant mass is sampled. These pdfs are used to construct a likelihood function, whereby the cross section for resonant ttbar production is estimated, given a hypothetical resonance mass and width. The data indicate no evidence of resonant production of ttbar pairs. A benchmark model of leptophobic Z \rightarrow ttbar is excluded with m_{Z'} < 900 GeV at 95% confidence level.Comment: accepted for publication in Physical Review D Sep 21, 201