Fresh Air Research Articles

Let’s Get Walking: Establishing Workplace Walking Groups in a regional Public Health Department

Abstract Maintaining staff health and wellbeing (HWB) is an ongoing priority for the Department of Public Health HSE Dublin and Midlands (PHD). This is particularly important in the context of an ongoing programme of reform for Public Health in Ireland. To support this priority, in November 2023 a pilot Workplace Walking Groups initiative was established to increase workplace physical activity and build team relationships. The initiative was designed following staff feedback on team HWB initiatives in September 2023. The Model for Improvement (which includes the Plan-Do-Study-Act cycle) was used to take a structured quality improvement approach to the development and evaluation of the 4-week pilot, led by the PHD HWB Committee. Staff joined across 3 sites. Lunchtime walks were arranged for 1-2 days per week. WhatsApp groups and email supported group communication. Quantitative data on registration and attendance were collected via Microsoft Excel. A virtual focus group was arranged to gather participant feedback, which was analysed into themes. Group registration (n = 10, n = 9, n = 5) and weekly attendance varied by site (n = 10, n = 9, n = 5). Key benefits noted by participants included physical activity, building relationships with colleagues, and getting fresh air. The main barrier was the impact of work schedules on attendance. There was broad support for re-establishment of Workplace Walking Groups for 2024. This pilot Workplace Walking Groups initiative achieved its dual aim of increasing physical activity and social connection among staff. Learning from this pilot informed the launch of a 3-month Walking Groups term for Spring 2024. The initiative is now established practice and is a component of the Department’s blended working policy, being a feature of on-site working days. Key messages • Our successful pilot Workplace Walking Groups project has translated into a sustainable health and well-being initiative for staff, during a time of ongoing reform across Public Health in Ireland. • A structured approach to designing and implementing staff health promotion initiatives is crucial to support the cycle of learning and improvement, and to sustain change over time.

Comparison of Nature Tourism in Two Hungarian Forest-Dominated Areas—Results of Visitor Surveys

Recreation and nature-based tourism targeting forests are important cultural services provided by forests, and are also considered non-productive social functions of forests. Many factors influence the demand for forest recreation and tourism that are worth exploring for each forest area. The main aim of our study was to compare the results of visitor surveys related to two mountainous forested areas (Börzsöny and Cserhát) that are both located near to the capital city of Budapest but have different characteristics regarding the forests, accessibility, and the level of tourism infrastructure and services. The questionnaires focused on the characteristics of the visits, perceptions of visitors regarding the values of the areas, and the development needs besides the characteristics of the respondents. In addition to basic statistics, Chi2 and Fisher’s exact tests were used to detect the differences between the two sites. Despite the different characteristics of the study areas, the main results were quite similar at both sites. Most respondents came from Budapest or within a 60 km distance of the sites by car with family and friends, mainly for hiking and nature walks, and spent less than a day in the areas. The state of forests was perceived as good in both areas. Landscape and fresh air were the most attracting factors for visiting both sites. There was a demand for more guided tours, and regarding tourism infrastructure development needs, benches and toilets ranked high at both sites. However, there were also some slight differences between the sites. For example, Börzsöny was visited more frequently, and railway and bicycle were more often used to access this site. Pleasant climate, easy access and fresh air were more important reasons to visit Börzsöny, and it was more associated with wilderness. In Cserhát, low prices and cultural values seemed more important reasons to visit; Hollókő as a world heritage site was highlighted, and more nature-related and other tourism development needs were mentioned regarding this site. These differences were probably due to the different characteristics of the forests (more mosaic forests in Cserhát), the level of the public transportation network, tourist infrastructure and services (higher in Börzsöny), and cultural heritage (more important in Cserhát). Based on our results, Cserhát needs more development in tourism infrastructure and services, while in Börzsöny, the development of a visitor management plan would be useful to harmonize the different uses of the forest.

A breath of fresh air: a pilot flipped classroom approach to airway management skills training

ObjectivesWhile flipped classroom instruction has repeatedly shown efficacy in undergraduate medical education, evidence for its utility in procedural domains remains sparse. This holds particular significance for surgical subspecialties such as otolaryngology, which have limited time in undergraduate medical curricula. We designed a novel airway management skills simulation course with a flipped classroom approach and evaluated its efficacy in a pilot study.MethodsA simulation course was designed to provide instruction in seven airway management skills: bag valve mask ventilation, laryngoscopy, intubation, cricothyroidotomy, tracheotomy, and tracheostomy care. Publicly available YouTube videos were selected as pre-learning materials. Participating students completed surveys before the pre-learning assignment and after completion of the simulation center workshop.ResultsSixteen students participated in the workshop, and data was collected from 14 participants. Learners reported significant improvements in knowledge regarding all covered skills except tracheotomy; mean self-rated knowledge improved from 2.9 to 5.8 (p < 0.001) on a scale from 0 to 10. Significant increases in self-reported confidence in performing all seven skills were also observed, with an overall increase from 1.1 to 5.7 (p < 0.001). Students also rated all elements of the workshop highly, including a prevailing belief that the pre-learning materials markedly enhanced their learning.ConclusionOur novel framework for skills-based education using a flipped classroom approach demonstrated remarkable efficacy in improving learner knowledge and self-reported confidence regarding airway management skills. This educational design, including the use of high-quality, publicly available pre-learning videos, has significant implications for undergraduate medical education in surgical subspecialties.

Research on intelligent control of fresh air introduction based on electric vehicle air conditioning system

The high power consumption of air conditioning systems is an important reason for the significant reduction in EVs (electric vehicles) range. Reducing its energy consumption has become an urgent industry problem to be solved. In order to reduce the energy consumption of the air conditioning system, this paper proposes an intelligent control strategy for the proportion of fresh air in the cabin of EVs, taking into account the impact of factors such as the number of passengers in the cabin, ambient temperature, and humidity on demand for fresh air, and analyzes the energy-saving effect of the intelligent control strategy through simulation. The analysis found that the minimum fresh air demand in the passenger compartment is greatly affected by the number of passengers in the cabin. The developed intelligent control strategy can significantly reduce the energy consumption of air conditioning systems. The energy-saving effect in northern China is significantly better than in southern China. The actual driving range of refrigeration and heating modes can be improved by 50 and 126 km, respectively.

Heterogeneity of Inflammatory Processes and Pathways Driving Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Pathology

Two symposia occurred during the European Respiratory Society (ERS) Congress 2024, highlighting the heterogeneity in chronic inflammatory pathways that underlie chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) pathophysiology. In 'A Breath of Fresh Air: A Greater Understanding of COPD With Type 2 Inflammation', Henrik Watz (Chair), German Center for Lung Research, Grosshansdorf, Germany, provided an overview of both the pathophysiology and the burden of disease of COPD. He discussed how exacerbations, which may be increased in those with evidence of Type 2 inflammation, contribute to the cycle of worsening COPD. Mona Bafadhel, King’s College London, UK, provided an examination of the mechanisms and biomarkers of Type 2 inflammation in COPD. Finally, Alberto Papi, University of Ferrara, Italy, summarised the latest research on biological treatments targeting Type 2 inflammation in COPD. The second symposium, 'Targeting interleukin-33 (IL-33) in COPD: Exploring New Frontiers for COPD Management', discussed inflammation in COPD, focusing on the central role of IL-33 as a mediator for both Type 2 and Type 1/Type 3 inflammation. Klaus Rabe (Chair), LungenClinic, Grosshansdorf, Germany, reviewed the structure and function of IL-33 and its initial processes that lead to downstream immune responses. Stephanie Christenson, University of California, San Francisco, USA, explored how genetic and environmental factors contribute to IL-33 activity in COPD pathology. Next, Paola Rogliani, University of Rome ‘Tor Vergata’, Italy, presented an examination of IL-33 inflammatory processes and evidence from COPD animal models illustrating the role of IL-33 in airway inflammation and lung function decline. Klaus Rabe concluded with an examination of IL-33 as a target for new COPD treatment approaches.

Seasonal dynamics of indicators of mineral metabolism in horses in the conditions of the Leningrad region

The article analyzes the seasonal dynamics of mineral metabolism indicators in adult horses kept in private stables in the Leningrad region. As a result of the research, knowledge of the concentration and dependence of indicators on the seasonality of the year was obtained. It is important to remember that macro- and microelements are not synthesized in the body, they come from food, water, and air. The degree of their assimilation depends on the state of the respiratory and digestive organs. The most difficult period for animals is winter, when there is a decrease in the resistance of the body as a whole due to poor climatic conditions and minimizing physical activity in the fresh air. All these are predisposing factors for the imbalance of indicators at the level of the whole organism.It is established that in the autumn-winter period there is a decrease in indicators relative to the average annual digital values. Thus, there is a linear relationship between the concentration of calcium and phosphorus in blood serum – the minimum values are observed in winter and are 2.53±0.27 mmol/l and 1.76± 0.11 mmol/l, respectively. And the maximum values are typical for the autumn period and are 3.63±0.29 mmol/l for calcium and 2.33±0.12 mmol/l for phosphorus. Similar dynamics is observed in other indicators of the body's mineral metabolism. Thus, for trace elements such as copper, iron, protein-bound iodine, the minimum values were noted in the spring period. This can be explained by a decrease in the mineral components of the feed itself, as a result of long-term storage, resulting in changes in the chemical composition of vegetable feed with fat oxidation. Microelementoses and osteodystrophic processes are observed in animals. The autumn period is characterized by the highest concentrations of minerals in the blood serum of horses, on average by 8-12% compared with the average annual figures, This is explained by the fact that it was in the summer period that the greatest benefit was obtained from juicy plant substances of feed and proper exercise.This knowledge is necessary to understand the processes occurring in the body of horses at different times of the year and the possibility of correcting mineral supplements based on the data obtained

Performance of Windcatchers in Improving Indoor Air Quality, Thermal Comfort, and Energy Efficiency: A Review

The growing concerns over climate change and energy scarcity have highlighted the need for building energy conservation. Windcatchers, renowned for their effective ventilation capabilities, have emerged as a pivotal solution for saving energy and improving indoor thermal comfort. Serving as rooftop installations, windcatchers harness high-altitude airflow to provide fresh indoor air while expelling stale air. This comprehensive review encompasses over 96 studies published between 2000 and 2024, examining the performance of various types of windcatchers. The review reviews previous articles and concludes that using different types of wind catchers in hot and arid areas can increase indoor air velocity by about 10–50%, reduce building energy consumption by about 20–50%, and increase thermal comfort duration by about 25–50%. The article combines the perspectives of multiple disciplines such as architecture, environmental engineering, and sustainable design, providing a new perspective for the study of windcatchers. The article not only summarizes the design and performance of existing wind catchers, but also provides 13 suggestions for the design of wind capture towers, while also identifying areas for future research, such as combining wind capture machines with other passive cooling technologies and evaluating their performance under different climate and urban conditions.

Philanthropy of Pesantren Towards Socio-Economic Welfare (Study At Markaz Bayt Al-Musaadah Social Institution, Mambaus Sholihin Gresik Islamic Boarding School)

Cases of misuse of social funds have slowed down welfare programs for the poor and dhuafa'. The establishment of Markaz Bayt Al-Musa'adah under Pesantren Mambaus Sholihin provides a breath of fresh air, with pesantren now required not only to produce a generation that understands religion, but also as a pillar of Islamic sharia economics. This research uses a qualitative method with a case study approach to explore the economic empowerment and management of philanthropic funds by Markaz Bayt Al-Musa'adah of Pesantren Mambaus Sholihin Gresik. This method involves in-depth data collection and various sources of information as well as participation in the field. The results show that Markaz Bayt Al-Musa'adah has implemented community economic empowerment through skills training programs and assistance to underprivileged students. The management of social funds is carried out transparently and accountably based on the principles of Islamic philanthropy, with managers working without taking profits, solely for the sake of Allah and the intention of khidmah to the caregiver.

A Data Mining-Based Method to Disclose Usage Behavior Patterns of Fresh Air Systems in Beijing Dwellings during the Heating Season

As the popularity of fresh air systems (FAS) in residential buildings increases, exploring the behavioral characteristics of their use can help to provide a comprehensive understanding of the potential for demand flexibility in residential buildings. However, few studies in the past have focused on the personalized usage behavior of FAS. To fill this gap, this study proposes a method based on data mining techniques to reveal the behavioral patterns of FAS usage and the motivations behind them, including motivational patterns, operation duration patterns, and human–machine interaction patterns, for 13 households in Beijing. The simultaneously obtained behavioral patterns, in turn, form the basis of association rules, which can classify FAS usage behavior into two typical residential user profiles containing user behavioral characteristics. This study can not only provide more accurate assumptions and inputs for behavioral stochastic models but also provide data support for the development and optimization of demand response strategies.

Improving indoor air quality and cooling efficiency: Indirect dew-point evaporative cooling in South China summers

The escalating impact of global warming and the increase in respiratory illnesses have heightened the demand for fresh air systems. However, the substantial power consumption and environmental harm associated with traditional air conditioning systems conflict with current international aspirations for carbon neutrality. To address these issues, a high-performance and compact counterflow indirect dew-point evaporative cooler have developed. This innovative design eliminates the U-turn of the working air seen in conventional M-cycle coolers, resulting in reduced pressure drop and enhanced energy efficiency. This study evaluates the performance of the newly developed dew-point cooler and explores its potential use in providing cool and fresh air for indoor spaces during the sub-tropical summer season in Zhenjiang city, Jiangsu province, China. The results indicate that despite the relatively low fan efficiency (ranging from 5% to 36%), a high cooling coefficient of performance (COP) between 5.2 and 9.3 was achieved. The cooler has demonstrated its effectiveness in improving both thermal comfort and air quality indoors. In Zhenjiang, the cooler can function as a standalone cooling device in June. However, during the hotter months of July and August, it is more suitable as an efficient pre-cooling device when used in conjunction with a conventional air conditioner. The developed cooler exhibited highly stable performance over a three-month test period, consistently maintaining effective cooling and fresh air supply. This study confirms the potential of the counterflow indirect dew-point evaporative cooler as a sustainable and efficient solution for improving indoor air ventilation and thermal comfort.

“We need to open our doors and windows and breathe the fresh air of the ocean”: Hountondji on Suffocation and the Need to Liberate the Philosophical Mind

“We need to open our doors and windows and breathe the fresh air of the ocean”: Hountondji on Suffocation and the Need to Liberate the Philosophical Mind

A Breath of Fresh Air: A Comprehensive Review of a Handheld Metabolic Device

A Breath of Fresh Air: A Comprehensive Review of a Handheld Metabolic Device

Respiratory Isolation for Tuberculosis: A Historical Perspective.

Although tuberculosis is an ancient disease, recognition of its airborne route of transmission, with implications for respiratory isolation, is only relatively recent. Since the time of Hippocrates, the dogma among health practitioners was that the disease was hereditary or that it could be contracted by inhaling "miasma", or corrupted air. Consequently, isolation of patients was not routine practice, and, in fact, patients with scrofula (morbus regius, or "king's evil) sought to be cured by the "royal touch" throughout the middle ages. The sanatorium, which emerged in the mid-19th century, initially served as a place of healing, where patients could receive the appropriate diet, rest therapy, graduated exercise, and abundant fresh air. Major scientific breakthroughs, including Robert Koch's 1882 discovery of the tubercle bacillus as the disease's etiological agent and early 20th century experimental evidence that the organism could be transmitted via expectorated droplet nuclei, helped to reinforce the important public health role of sanatoria and tuberculosis hospitals in preventing disease transmission through isolation. The advent of highly efficacious and oral antitubercular regimens in the mid-20th century and the concurrent declining incidence of the disease contributed to the closure of tuberculosis sanatoria and hospitals in the US and western Europe. Over the past several decades, tuberculosis treatment in the US has been conducted in the outpatient setting under the supervision of local public health departments. Patients receiving treatment are required to remain in respiratory isolation in the home until they are deemed noninfectious based on multiple sputum samples. This historical review demonstrates that despite changing medical knowledge, drug therapies, and social conditions over time, the role of isolation remains an important topic of debate in the treatment of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis.

Design method of multi-stage air treatment system with circulating air for high efficiency in year-round working conditions

Owing to the large temperature rise/drop during the fresh air treatment process, the multi-stage treatment systems for fresh air have good energy-saving effects. However, the energy-saving potential of multi-stage treatment systems for circulating air and the design of a multi-stage circulating air treatment (MCAT) system that operates efficiently under variable conditions throughout the year remain unclear. Therefore, this study proposed a multi-condition design method to ensure the annual energy-efficient operation of the circulating air system. Firstly, the appropriate number of air treatment stages (NUM) and heat transfer temperature difference between air and water (Δt) for each single condition are determined and an appropriate heat transfer area is obtained. Subsequently, an MCAT system suitable for multiple working conditions throughout the year is designed by searching for the common values of the appropriate heat transfer area per stage. Finally, three types of buildings and six cities located in different climate zones are selected to explore the adaptability of the appropriate Δt. The results show that (1) for each single working condition, the appropriate ranges of NUM and Δt are 1–2 and 2–6 °C respectively, which can keep the system energy consumption at a low level. (2) There is generally a common range for multiple heat transfer areas per stage designed under different working conditions, and an MCAT system designed based on this common range can achieve energy-efficient operation under multiple annual conditions. (3) In an office building in Beijing, compared to the traditional one-stage air treatment system, the maximum and the annual average energy-saving rates of the MACT system designed based on the multi-condition design method are 16.1 % and 6.3 %, respectively.

Thermal energy and thermo-economic analysis of PCM-TES for space heating based on low-temperature waste heat: An experimental and numerical study

Great potential for using low-temperature waste heat for energy savings has been revealed in recent years. In this study, a novel PCM-TES unit integrated into a fresh air system was proposed to effectively utilize low-temperature waste heat to address shortcomings of preheating outdoor air for space heating. An experimental setup was built to investigate the heat storage and release performance of proposed unit. Well-validated CFD simulations further parametrically studied PCM thermal characteristics to HTF’s velocity and temperature changes. Energy and thermo-economic analyses were employed to evaluate unit potentials across three Chinese cities with different climate zones. The results showed that charging process was completed in 142–253 min at water temperatures of 55–60 °C; discharging process efficiency increased by 36.10% as the air velocity increased from 2 to 4 m/s. EPI revealed that, theoretically, the system could handle up to 28.2% of the heating demand. Energy and economic analysis indicated the system’s significant potential in colder climates, with Harbin achieving average energy savings of 7.93% and 13.48% over Qingdao and Chongqing, respectively, and cost savings up to 67.65% and 229.61% compared to those cities. This study is expected to shed light on the utilization of low-temperature waste sources for indoor space heating.

Using geothermal energy in enhancing all-air HVAC system performance - Case study, thermal analysis and economic insights

The background is the same for addressing the twin challenges of attaining thermal comfort and concurrently reducing energy use and CO2 emissions. As a safeguard against worsening contamination, combining geothermal energy with an All-Air Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning system (HVAC) with 100 % fresh air intake is also crucial in the context of the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, this study suggests using geothermal energy as a backup source to run a typical All-Air centralized HVAC system. The resulting system is referred to as a combined system from now on, and its primary goals are to lower the amount of operating energy needed while being environmentally and financially sound. In this context, the creative way of combining the suggested geothermal duct with the All-Air HVAC system possesses various insights, as demonstrated by the thorough thermal analysis and related design. Strong conclusions were derived from a thorough case study focused on Lebanon: adding 100 % fresh air intake leads to an astounding yearly energy savings of 67 %, whereas configurations with 10 % and 30 % fresh air produced energy savings of 52 % and 36 %, respectively. In the study, a geothermal multi-duct system was also suggested and looked at. The research revealed that the 311-m length of the single geothermal duct connected to a pressure of 7000 Pa was reduced to 210 m and the pressure drop was lowered to 140 Pa when a geothermal multi-duct system was employed. Furthermore, as the computed payback period makes clear, the integrated system presents an appealing chance to drastically cut resource usage during energy consumption, lower CO2 emissions, and provide 100 % fresh air circulation.

Ventilation and windows in The Netherlands

The Dutch Building decree gives rules for the ventilation and sound insulation of facades. In the standards a lot of possibilities are described to fulfil these requirements. In this paper the most frequently used methods are described. It also became clear that in the course of the last 40 years some methods for natural ventilation are not in use any more for newbuilt dwellings because of problems with insect-nuisance and housebreaking. Therefore special ventilation grids and muffles are in use to fulfil the requirements both for ventilation and sound insulation of facades. In that case open windows play no role in case of ventilation but only when people want to get fresh air in a short time by opening windows on both sides of the dwelling. In that case there are no requirements for sound insulation of facades. In this paper the fulfilling of the sound insulation of facades and ventilation are described .

Acoustic Natural Ventilation Openings - OVNA : How to get rid of the impossible choice between too much heat inside or too much noise !

Due to global warming, summer comfort in buildings is a prime issue, and so is indoor air quality. Natural ventilation is encouraged by "low-carbon" approaches to cool the buildings and reduce air-conditioning. However, remaining free constructible areas in dense cities are mainly noisy, and the inhabitants should not be forced to choose between too much heat inside or too much noise ! The first step is to anticipate buildings' façades " eligibility for natural ventilation through opened windows ", depending on their exposure to the forecoming noise sources. Since 2015 LASA has been carrying R&amp;D on " Acoustic Natural Ventilation Openings - OVNAs" which aims to bring great amounts of fresh air in the buildings, for cooling and ventilate them without allowing noise inside ! It implies to develop accurate exposure models for "noise peaks" which cause sleep or work disturbances, and anticipate the required noise reductions for each windows. On the basis of this work, and an ongoing PhD at LASA, we seized the opportunity to build two OVNA prototypes and to carry out listening sessions and acoustic/thermal measurements. Theses experiments have enabled LASA to confirm the OVNA's performances (sound attenuation, etc.) and improve the modelisation and assessing methods.

Study of Exhaust Gas Composition and Dilution Effects on Diesel Spray Ignition Characteristics

ABSTRACT Exhaust gas retained in a cylinder is unavoidable, affecting diesel spray ignition. However, its effects on diesel spray ignition characteristics are not completely clear so far, due to the coupled and complicated function of exhaust gas compositions and dilution effects. To reveal the effect mechanism, three-dimensional simulations and chemical kinetics calculations were performed. The results illustrate that with the rise of exhaust gas rate, the initial position of the flame moves downward due to the longer ignition delay. The introduction of exhaust gas compositions decreases both the low-temperature and high-temperature ignition delay while dilution on oxygen mass fraction primarily affects and prolongs the high-temperature ignition delay. Nitric oxide (NO) significantly decreases the ignition delay compared to other exhaust gas compositions, with the high-temperature ignition delay experiencing a substantial decrease of 33.33% under 500 ppm NO addition at the ambient temperature of 820K. With the NO addition in the fresh intake air, conversion reactions occur between NO and nitrogen dioxide, and the reactions of NO with hydroperoxyl (HO2) and nitrogen dioxide with hydrogen radical lead to the generation of hydroxyl radical throughout the low- and high-temperature ignition stages, which enhances system reactivity and contributes to a decrease of ignition delay. The decrease in the oxygen mass fraction significantly reduces the rate of production of HO2 and hydrogen peroxide, which results in a decrease in the rate of production of hydrogen peroxide decomposition and HO2 deoxidation into hydroxyl radicals, prolonging the high-temperature ignition. The revealed mechanism may be applicable to the diagnosis of exhaust gas residual fault phenomenon.

Two kinds of failure in joint action: On disrespect and directed duties

Abstract I identify two kinds of failure in joint action. First, we can fail to ‘do our part’, that is, fail to contribute to fulfilling the joint intention. Second, we can fail to respect our collaborators. Recognizing the distinct natures of both normative relations helps us overcome a key challenge to a reductionist theory of collective intentionality posed by Margaret Gilbert. According to this objection, we have obligations towards others even in immoral joint actions – a claim that was recently supported experimentally. Except for a handful of experimental papers, work on the normativity in joint intention has stagnated. I hope the distinction breathes fresh air into the theoretical and empirical debate.