Hostel Rooms Research Articles

Evaluation of thermal environmental conditions and thermal perception at naturally ventilated hostels of undergraduate students in composite climate

Field study of thermal comfort was conducted in six naturally ventilated hostel buildings of composite climate considering Class-II protocol of field measurement during summer 2011. Total 429 survey samples of same age group (average 19.6 years) were collected including objective and subjective measurements. Statistical analysis of student's responses and measured thermal environment variables was performed to determine existing indoor environmental conditions and priority of using behavioural controls. Thermal comfort indices were also calculated and compared to the student's perceptions.Neutral temperature was found to be 30.15 °C through regression analysis, with an average clothing of 0.41 Clo (min. 0.19 Clo, max 0.82 Clo). Results have shown a wide bandwidth of neutral temperatures (25.9–33.8 °C) for the hostel buildings which is higher than national/international standards of thermal comfort. Acceptable air velocity and relative humidity were found to be 0.51 m/s and 36%, respectively. Analysis has shown that about 51% students felt ‘overall thermal comfortable’ at the existing environmental conditions in the hostel rooms and only 38% occupants were comfortable based on room air temperature. Students from single, double and triple occupancy rooms were found thermally satisfied at neutral temperature of 30.4 °C, 30.1 °C and 29.8 °C, respectively and their thermal preferences were different.

Study materials lead to suspicion of an unnatural death—A case report

The knowledge of human skeletal structure is a minimum requirement for all students who are practicing medicine. The skeletal makeup is used as a study material to acquire the knowledge of human anatomy. Skeletal study materials are obtained from the authorized markets by medical and paramedical students and teachers.The study materials are either kept at home or in their hostel rooms. After their basic medical study, they either keep safe these articles for their future reference or pass to their subordinate medical associates. The main problem arises if these skeletal structures are not disposed properly, after their study which may lead the Investigating officer to various medicolegal queries on recovery of these skeleton parts. Here is an interesting case, where the human bones were recovered by the municipality workers scattered in the garbage pit, which lead the investigating officer to register a case of unnatural death and begin with series of medicolegal query.

A Case Study of the Climate Factor on Thermal Comfort for Hostel Occupants in Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Penang, Malaysia

This paper investigates the environmental thermal comfort in hostel accommodations in USM Penang, Malaysia. Hostel occupants’ physical and psychological wellbeing depend very much on the thermal comfort performance of their environment. Thermal comfort is very much affected by climate factors such as air temperature, globe temperature, radiant temperature and air velocity. Nine hostels in USM Penang, Malaysia were selected for a field study to predict the thermal comfort level of the student occupants. Altogether a total of nine hundred and twenty-four respondents from the sample hostels participated in a questionnaire survey on their thermal environment perception and level of indoor comfort. Air temperature, air velocity, relative humidity and radiant temperature were monitored, observed and measured daily for a week from 8am to 12 midnight. ISO software (comfort calculator ISO 7730) was used to calculate climatic data, clothing, activities of respondents and the value of the PMV and PPD in order to obtain the vote for the quality of thermal comfort in the hostel room. The aim of this research was to investigate the thermal comfort level of the hostel occupant from the analysis of logistic regression and regression line. The results showed that there were significant differences (P < 0.05) between all parameters inside and outside the hostels in addition to the thermal comfort level for male and female occupants. This study predicted that climate affects thermal comfort in hostels located in a warm humid climate zone and also determined the actual thermal comfort in the hostel rooms. This study should be useful for optimizing the thermal comfort level in Malaysia.

Evidence base prioritisation of indoor comfort perceptions in Malaysian typical multi-storey hostels

This study focuses on assessing the effects of the indoor climate in typical multi-storey hostels in Malaysia on student occupants through objective, subjective and evidence based prioritisation measurements. The objective measurements consisted of operative temperature; daylight ratio; luminance and indoor noise level. The subjective measurements were sampled from the student occupants' thermal, visual, acoustics and overall indoor comfort votes. The prioritisation measurement using Multiple Linear Regression and Friedman Tests assessed the relationship between physical indoor thermal, visual and acoustics conditions and students' overall indoor comfort perception vote. Findings suggest that subjective sensor ratings were significantly more reliable than objective measurements at predicting overall indoor comfort. Moreover, students living in hostel rooms with projected balconies voted that they were more satisfied with their indoor condition than the ones living in rooms without projected balconies. The results of this study also provide evidence that student occupants were more concerned with their rooms' thermal condition then followed by acoustics and finally visual conditions.

Fixing Futures: Educated Unemployment through a North Indian Lens

In April and May 1996, while conducting doctoral research, I spent a month living in Meerut College, western Uttar Pradesh (UP). In September 2004 a new project brought me back to Meerut, and I was nervous about my return to the college. Would I get on with the new batch of students? What of the age gap that had opened up between my informants and I? Do I mention my previous visit? These concerns quickly evaporated when I entered the college. Many of the students I had met in 1996 were still living in the same hostel rooms. Between 1996 and 2004 I had completed my Ph.D., married, and obtained an academic job. During the same period, many of my informants, now in their mid-thirties, had, it seemed, stood still. Unable to obtain salaried employment, one of these students asked me: “What can we do but study and wait?”

Skeleton used for anatomical study brought for medico-legal autopsy

Knowledge of human anatomy is essential for all those practising medicine. The human skeleton is invariably used to study the anatomy of body structures. For this, many human skeletons are obtained from the market by students and teachers and are kept at home or in hostel rooms. However, after use the skeleton has to be disposed off properly. In the present case, a human skeleton used for study purposes was thrown away in garbage and someone informed the police about presence of skeletal remains in the garbage. The case was registered by the police and the skeletal remains were brought for medico-legal autopsy.