Search results

WHAT a wonderful lady is Dr. Lillian Gilbreth. Whatever her age it can be discounted since years have little or no effect on one so youthful in spirit.

Agricultural workers represent an important part of the population exposed to high heat-related health and productivity risks. This study aims to estimate the heat-related productivity loss (PL) for moderate work activities in sun and shady areas and evaluating the economic cost locally in an Italian farm and generally in the whole province of Florence. Benefits deriving by working in the shade or work-time shifting were provided. Comparisons between PL estimated in Mediterranean (Florence, Italy) and subtropical (Guangzhou, China) areas were also carried out.

Meteorological data were collected during summers 2017–2018 through a station installed in a farm in the province of Florence and by two World Meteorological Organization (WMO)‐certified meteorological stations located at the Florence and Guangzhou airports. These data were used to calculate the wet-bulb globe temperature and to estimate the hourly PL and the economic cost during the typical working time (from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.) and by advancing of 1 h and 2 h the working time. Significant differences were calculated through nonparametric tests.

The hourly PL and the related economic cost significantly decreased (p < 0.05) by working in the shade and by work-time shifting. Higher PL values were observed in Guangzhou than in Florence. The decrease of PL observed by work-time shifting was greater in Florence than in Guangzhou.

Useful information to plan suitable heat-related prevention strategies to counteract the effects of heat in the workplace are provided. These findings are essential to quantify the beneficial effects due to the implementation of specific heat-related adaptation measures to counter the impending effects of climate change.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the seasonal performance, occupants’ comfort and cold stress in cross-laminated timber school buildings located in the USA (Northeast region).

The Fall survey was done from October–November 2017. In the Winter, it was considered from December 2017–February 2018. The study measured environmental parameters in the chosen spaces. The research applied the wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) model to determine the indexes in various seasons.

In the Fall, the average inside temperature was 21.2°C, the average RH was 50.7 per cent, and the mean dew-point was 9.3°C. The mean inside temperature was 20.5°C in the Winter while the mean RH was 23.9 per cent and the average dew-point was −1.9°C. The overall mean inside temperatures in both seasons were within the ASHRAE comfort temperature limits for cold seasons. During the surveys, higher average values of temperature, RH and dew-point were measured in the offices than the other spaces.

The research showed people might be subject to lower temperatures in the hall than the other spaces. Some design parameters and occupation hours may contribute to the lower temperatures reported in the hall than the different spaces.

The study proposes the WBGT of 16.0°C and 13.7°C as the stress indexes in the Fall and Winter seasons correspondingly. Last, the research suggests a WBGT of 14.9°C as the overall mean stress index within the spaces considered in this study.

The purpose of this paper is to study the combined effects of moisture and radiation on thermal protective performance of protective clothing exposed to low level radiation.

Using a sweating manikin, the effect of radiation and moisture on heat and moisture transfer was initially analyzed under the dry manikin with sweating rate of 100 g/(m2h) exposed to 2.5 kW/m2, and then studied at 200 and 300 g/(m2h) exposed to 2 and 3 kW/m2, respectively. Finally, the combined effects of thermal radiation and moisture were predicted by fitting the relationships among heat loss and wet skin surface temperature, with the sweating rate and radiation intensity.

The results show that the heat loss and the wet skin surface temperature are affected by the combined effects of moisture and radiation, with two distinctly different trends. Heat loss from the manikin is increasing with the sweating rate, and decreasing with thermal radiation intensity. However, the wet skin surface temperature has an opposite situation.

Two filling equations are given to present the relationships among heat loss and wet skin surface temperature, with the sweating rate and radiation intensity. With these two equations, the heat loss and the wet skin surface temperature when exposed to radiation can be predicted by only measuring the mean radiant and ambient temperatures and controlling the sweating rate.

According to the survey and measurement on rural housing in the Northeast severe cold regions of China, this paper analyzed the existing situation and problems of current rural housing in terms of integral development, functional layout, envelop structure, interior thermal environment, heating system and energy utilization etc.. Based on the climatic features of severe cold regions, as well as rural financial and technical conditions, living and production mode, residential construction characteristics and existing resource status etc., the feasible approaches of achieving building energy saving has been proposed, thus acting as a guidance for new rural housing design in severe cold regions.

Black turtle bean has nutritional potentials in the human diet and could provide a significant amount of food in developing countries. Low consumption of black beans has been attributed partly to the hard-to-cook phenomenon which requires a long time of cooking. Germination improves nutritional, functional, bioactive compounds, reduces anti-nutrients and cooking time. Germinated black turtle bean can contribute to efforts geared towards the production of functional foods and the fight against protein malnutrition. This study aims to investigate the changes in the nutritional, antioxidants and functional properties of black turtle bean due to different epigeal germination times to increase its utilization in food systems.

Black turtle bean seeds (Phaseolus vulgaris) were cleaned, winnowed, washed, soaked for 16 h, drained and subjected to epigeal germinated at ambient temperature for 0, 24, 48, 72 and 96 h, respectively. The germinated seeds were dried, dehulled, milled and sieved. Proximate, antioxidant properties and activity, anti-nutrients, mineral (calcium, phosphorus, iron, sodium, manganese, copper, potassium, zinc and magnesium) and functional properties (water absorption capacity, oil absorption, bulk density, swelling index, water solubility index and gelling concentration) of the germinated black turtle bean (GTB) flour (0GTB, 24GTB, 48GTB, 72GTB and 96GTB) were determined using standard procedures.

The ash, protein, fat and fibre contents of the black turtle bean were significantly increased through germination. Germination resulted in changes in the antioxidant activity of the black turtle bean samples. The mineral content of the black bean samples was improved significantly by germination and as well altered the functional properties (p < 0.01). Oxalate and phytate were significantly reduced with increased germination time (p < 0.01). In total, 96 h germination (96GTB) had better antioxidant activity, mineral and proximate composition with lower anti-nutrients.

Germination for 96 h proved to be the optimum time for improved mineral content, increased protein, ash, fibre, antioxidant activity and property with reduced antinutrients. Germination represents an attractive, inexpensive means of improving the nutritional profile and enhancing the bio-functionality of the black turtle bean. The epigeal germinated turtle bean could find applied as a functional ingredient in food formulation.

Heat stress, having caused preventable and lamentable deaths, is hazardous to construction workers in the hot and humid summers of Hong Kong. The purpose of this paper is to develop a heat stress model, based on the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) index.

Field studies were conducted during the summer time in Hong Kong (July to September 2010). Based upon 281 sets of synchronized meteorological and physiological data collected from construction workers in four different construction sites between July and September 2010, physiological, work‐related, environmental and personal parameters were measured to construct and verify the heat stress model.

It is found that drinking habit, age and work duration are the top three significant predictors to determine construction workers' physiological responses. Other predictors include percentage of body fat, resting heart rate, air pollution index, WBGT, smoking habit, energy consumption, and respiratory exchange rate. The accuracy of the model is verified against data which have not been used in developing the model. The accuracy of the heat stress model is found to be statistically acceptable (Mean Absolute Percentage Error=5.6 percent, Theil's U inequality coefficients=0.003).

Based on these findings, appropriate work‐rest pattern can be designed to safeguard the well being of workers when working in a hot and humid environment.

The model reported in this paper provides a more scientific and reliable prediction of the reality which may benefit the industry to produce solid guidelines for working in hot weather.

The purpose of this paper is a study designed to utilize Vigna mungo L. (black gram) flour to improve the protein quality of wheat through supplementation. Wheat is utilized as a cereal crop all over the world, but its protein quality is inferior owing to the deficiency of amino acids like lysine.

Black gram seeds were roasted and germinated and then incorporated at 10, 15 and 20 per cent level in wheat flour. The composite flour was evaluated for its chemical composition, physiochemical properties and rheological characteristics, and cookies were developed from the composite flour.

Chemical composition of composite flour revealed significant results (p < 0.05). The level of crude protein increased from 9.69 to 11.79 per cent, while ash and crude fat content enhanced from 0.33 to 1.80 per cent and 1.13 to 2.40 per cent, respectively. There was a significant effect (p < 0.05) on the sedimentation value by the addition of black gram in wheat flour. Water absorption of composite flour was higher than control (52.21 per cent), as maximum value was observed in flour having 15 per cent germinated black gram flour (69.45 per cent). Dough development time also increased from 2.90 min to 4.80 min. The pasting properties revealed significant results for all the parameters. Cookies were developed from composite flour, and sensory evaluation has shown that addition of pulse flour at 15 per cent yields cookies with better hedonic response.

The black gram is a locally grown legume crop, but there is a lack of systematic approach for its chemical composition and product development. Scientists are in urge to explore such economical and assessable food ingredients to cope with the nutritional deficiencies prevailing in the developing societies. In this regard, black gram has been recognized as a rich source of nutrients, so it can be exploited to improve wheat protein quality.

Many countries the world over continue to grapple with issues of thermal discomfort both within and without – a condition that has arisen due to incessant urbanization, climate change, among others. The current study focussed on assessing the level of thermal stress both in and outdoors towards finding measures to reduce overheating in spaces within the Savannah climatic region of Ghana through a four-stage approach.

A four-stage approach has been used for the study; thus, a thermal comfort analysis based on physiologically equivalent temperature (PET), overheating assessment, a subjective thermal responses/evaluation of residents and a simulation effort to improve comfort.

There was an indication of “moderate cold stress to slight cold stress” on the coolest day (28th December). On the warmest day (12th April), however, the indoor environment had exceedance and severity of overheating of at least 56% and 38-degree hours. The acceptable comfort range and comfort temperatures of occupants of buildings in the study area have been determined to be 25.5–33 °C by the thermal sensation survey. Meanwhile, the simulation showed that a 200% increase in thermal mass, exterior wall insulation and roof extension and insulation has the potential to generate a reduction of 18% in overheated hours.

The paper unearths the flagrant disregard for thermal comfort in an attempt of “copying blindly” architecture from Southern Ghana by the affluent within the Savannah Region. Again, data provided prove that indeed human activities have worsened the plight of inhabitants through materials as well as construction methods.