The prevalence of surface contaminants,such as potentially harmful bacteria,within building environments in the State of Kuwait is not known.To the authors’knowledge,this article is the first of such a report.A total...The prevalence of surface contaminants,such as potentially harmful bacteria,within building environments in the State of Kuwait is not known.To the authors’knowledge,this article is the first of such a report.A total of 342 stool samples were collected from 46 secondary schools to evaluate indoor occurrences of E.coli bacteria within selected lavatory surfaces.After microbiological testing,the results for the spread of the E.coli bacteria were categorized by total count,sampling location dependency,contamination level comparison between genders,and lavatory fixtures(i.e.seat and squat toilets).The results revealed that 7 schools have a bacterial contamination problem,there is cross-contamination between surfaces in the lavatory stalls,the boys’lavatories were less sanitary than the girls’,and that the squat-style toilets are more contaminated than the seat-style.The results suggest that there is significant risk of spread of bacterial infection among students via contaminated hands and surfaces in the lavatory area in some schools.Thus,this study emphasizes the need to improve environmental hygiene and enhanced sanitation in these schools.In addition,conclusions can be drawn as to the effectiveness of the janitorial staff employed by the schools and the efficacy of the cleaning regime used in the lavatories.Furthermore,based on the findings,there are architectural design consequences as squat-style toilets might be excluded in lavatories designed for schools to be constructed in the future.展开更多
Of the 700,000 people in the United States who experience a new or recurrent stroke each year,more than 500,000 survive(American Stroke Association,2007)[1]. Occupational therapy practitioners are critical rehabilitat...Of the 700,000 people in the United States who experience a new or recurrent stroke each year,more than 500,000 survive(American Stroke Association,2007)[1]. Occupational therapy practitioners are critical rehabilitation professionals for stroke survivors.展开更多
鉴于科技的进步和实验经验,ISO/TC 209出台ISO14644-1:2015《按粒子浓度划出空气洁净度等级》Classification of air cleanliness by particle concentration比ISO14644-1:1999《空气洁净度等级》Classification of air cleanliness技...鉴于科技的进步和实验经验,ISO/TC 209出台ISO14644-1:2015《按粒子浓度划出空气洁净度等级》Classification of air cleanliness by particle concentration比ISO14644-1:1999《空气洁净度等级》Classification of air cleanliness技术概念更清晰,使用更方便;实事求是,更赋灵活性:分级表中,所有浓度值都是累积,包括所有大于等于关注粒径(Considered particle size)的粒子的最大允许浓度值(Maximun allowable concentration siae),浓度限值。区域粒子浓度太高,浓度限值不适用;或者由于低浓度时采样和统计方法的局限性区域分级不适用。按统计学技术概念,决定检测洁净度最少采样点数N_(L);N_(L)值与洁净度无直接关联。作为标准应用的补充,超净环境检测需关注超高过滤器滤材最易穿透粒径MPPS,Most penetrating particle size。展开更多
Following the 1934 Wal Wal incident which was used as a pretext for the second Italo-Ethiopian war, Italy had used prohibited chemical weapons in different battles. Among the chemical warfare agents Italy had used mus...Following the 1934 Wal Wal incident which was used as a pretext for the second Italo-Ethiopian war, Italy had used prohibited chemical weapons in different battles. Among the chemical warfare agents Italy had used mustard gas, the most deadly poison gas and chemical available, against Ethiopian fighters. Nevertheless, the five year Italian rule over Ethiopia was not a peaceful experience of colonial rule. They were continuously harassed by Ethiopian patriots and had to live entrenched in their isolated fortifications. Sadly, Italy had committed several crimes against humanity. In this case, Ametsegna Washa, some call it “the cave of Zeret” was one of the forgotten massacres which happened in 1939, where up to more than 5,500 Ethiopians were gassed and machine-gunned. This paper, therefore, attempted to describe and analyze the forgotten massacres of the inhabitant of Menz, Merhabete, and South Wollo provinces in Ametsegna Washa (The cave of Zeret) by Fascist Italy in 1939. In doing so, the study employed qualitative research in which empirical data were collected from primary and secondary data. Primary data were gathered through qualitative field research observation, key informant interview with direct victims and their descendants, elders and experts at Menz keya gebreal woreda tourism office. Secondary data were gathered from books, published and unpublished journals, and historical records of the patriot. In view of that, the study employed qualitative method of data analysis in particular descriptive narration. The findings of the study shows that through the approval of Badoglio to use chemical weapons, the fascist soldiers had thrown several barrel with a mustard gas through the mouth of the cave then they attacked the mouth of the cave with artillery and machine-gun fire, and as a result more than 5,500 peoples have lost their live while those escaped from the massacre had faced a number of problems. The survival of the catastrophic massacre had faced physical injury which includes blindness, skin related problem, respiratory problem and as a result they had lived their remaining age with misery. This study, therefore, calls for the need of further investigation in the area. Along this, the place is not well-protected and, therefore, the government as well as the other concerning bodies should give serious attention in preserving and memorizing the historical cave.展开更多
This paper develops asymptotic properties of singularly perturbed Markov chains with inclusion of absorbing states.It focuses on both unscaled and scaled occupation measures.Under mild conditions,a mean-square estimat...This paper develops asymptotic properties of singularly perturbed Markov chains with inclusion of absorbing states.It focuses on both unscaled and scaled occupation measures.Under mild conditions,a mean-square estimate is obtained.By averaging the fast components,we obtain an aggregated process.Although the aggregated process itself may be non-Markovian,its weak limit is a Markov chain with much smaller state space.Moreover,a suitably scaled sequence consisting of a component of scaled occupation measures and a component of the aggregated process is shown to converge to a pair of processes with a switching diffusion component.展开更多
Natural ventilation(NV)has been considered a simple and effective method of ventilation.However,the intro-duction of NV does not achieve better indoor air quality(IAQ)when the outdoor atmospheric environment is pollut...Natural ventilation(NV)has been considered a simple and effective method of ventilation.However,the intro-duction of NV does not achieve better indoor air quality(IAQ)when the outdoor atmospheric environment is polluted.Therefore,portable air cleaners(PACs)are increasing in use in recent years,but their effectiveness is highly dependent on the residents’habits.A typical residence in Xi’an,China was selected to examine the effects of the use of NV alone and the use of NV and PACs together on IAQ in the three occupant states,i.e.,unoc-cupied,sleeping and leisure.Parameters,such as temperature,relative humidity,CO_(2),and PM_(2.5)concentration were measured when changing the window opening and the position of the PAC.The results showed that in the unoccupied state,opening the inner door can promote a more uniform thermal and humid environment.In the sleeping state,the I/O ratio of the PM_(2.5)concentration was the lowest when the window opening of the bedroom was 1/2 or 3/4,with a mean value of 0.3.In the leisure state,only using NV,when the purification rate reaches 90%,the mean purification time of each window opening in the living room is 87.5 min.The mean purification time was reduced to 25 min when both NV and PAC were used.The on-site purification efficiencies were 91.0%and 94.5%,when the window opening was 1/2(i.e.,the PAC was placed in the center of the room)and 3/4(i.e.,the PAC was placed away from the outer window),respectively.展开更多
Climate change poses a particular threat to the world's unique built heritage-historic buildings,sites monuments,and museums.As preserving built heritage resources from climate change becomes a global priority,und...Climate change poses a particular threat to the world's unique built heritage-historic buildings,sites monuments,and museums.As preserving built heritage resources from climate change becomes a global priority,understanding the current inadequacies of legal frameworks designed to protect built heritage in coastal areas is essential.Only by identifying and examining these shortfalls can countries create resilient legal policies and tools that better protect coastal built heritage from the immediate and long-term effects of climate change.Building on previous comparative cultural heritage law scholarship,this article describes the legal frameworks that the United States,United Kingdom,and France use to protect their respective built heritage in coastal areas and identifies two critical challengesfacing eachcountry.展开更多
文摘The prevalence of surface contaminants,such as potentially harmful bacteria,within building environments in the State of Kuwait is not known.To the authors’knowledge,this article is the first of such a report.A total of 342 stool samples were collected from 46 secondary schools to evaluate indoor occurrences of E.coli bacteria within selected lavatory surfaces.After microbiological testing,the results for the spread of the E.coli bacteria were categorized by total count,sampling location dependency,contamination level comparison between genders,and lavatory fixtures(i.e.seat and squat toilets).The results revealed that 7 schools have a bacterial contamination problem,there is cross-contamination between surfaces in the lavatory stalls,the boys’lavatories were less sanitary than the girls’,and that the squat-style toilets are more contaminated than the seat-style.The results suggest that there is significant risk of spread of bacterial infection among students via contaminated hands and surfaces in the lavatory area in some schools.Thus,this study emphasizes the need to improve environmental hygiene and enhanced sanitation in these schools.In addition,conclusions can be drawn as to the effectiveness of the janitorial staff employed by the schools and the efficacy of the cleaning regime used in the lavatories.Furthermore,based on the findings,there are architectural design consequences as squat-style toilets might be excluded in lavatories designed for schools to be constructed in the future.
文摘Of the 700,000 people in the United States who experience a new or recurrent stroke each year,more than 500,000 survive(American Stroke Association,2007)[1]. Occupational therapy practitioners are critical rehabilitation professionals for stroke survivors.
文摘鉴于科技的进步和实验经验,ISO/TC 209出台ISO14644-1:2015《按粒子浓度划出空气洁净度等级》Classification of air cleanliness by particle concentration比ISO14644-1:1999《空气洁净度等级》Classification of air cleanliness技术概念更清晰,使用更方便;实事求是,更赋灵活性:分级表中,所有浓度值都是累积,包括所有大于等于关注粒径(Considered particle size)的粒子的最大允许浓度值(Maximun allowable concentration siae),浓度限值。区域粒子浓度太高,浓度限值不适用;或者由于低浓度时采样和统计方法的局限性区域分级不适用。按统计学技术概念,决定检测洁净度最少采样点数N_(L);N_(L)值与洁净度无直接关联。作为标准应用的补充,超净环境检测需关注超高过滤器滤材最易穿透粒径MPPS,Most penetrating particle size。
文摘Following the 1934 Wal Wal incident which was used as a pretext for the second Italo-Ethiopian war, Italy had used prohibited chemical weapons in different battles. Among the chemical warfare agents Italy had used mustard gas, the most deadly poison gas and chemical available, against Ethiopian fighters. Nevertheless, the five year Italian rule over Ethiopia was not a peaceful experience of colonial rule. They were continuously harassed by Ethiopian patriots and had to live entrenched in their isolated fortifications. Sadly, Italy had committed several crimes against humanity. In this case, Ametsegna Washa, some call it “the cave of Zeret” was one of the forgotten massacres which happened in 1939, where up to more than 5,500 Ethiopians were gassed and machine-gunned. This paper, therefore, attempted to describe and analyze the forgotten massacres of the inhabitant of Menz, Merhabete, and South Wollo provinces in Ametsegna Washa (The cave of Zeret) by Fascist Italy in 1939. In doing so, the study employed qualitative research in which empirical data were collected from primary and secondary data. Primary data were gathered through qualitative field research observation, key informant interview with direct victims and their descendants, elders and experts at Menz keya gebreal woreda tourism office. Secondary data were gathered from books, published and unpublished journals, and historical records of the patriot. In view of that, the study employed qualitative method of data analysis in particular descriptive narration. The findings of the study shows that through the approval of Badoglio to use chemical weapons, the fascist soldiers had thrown several barrel with a mustard gas through the mouth of the cave then they attacked the mouth of the cave with artillery and machine-gun fire, and as a result more than 5,500 peoples have lost their live while those escaped from the massacre had faced a number of problems. The survival of the catastrophic massacre had faced physical injury which includes blindness, skin related problem, respiratory problem and as a result they had lived their remaining age with misery. This study, therefore, calls for the need of further investigation in the area. Along this, the place is not well-protected and, therefore, the government as well as the other concerning bodies should give serious attention in preserving and memorizing the historical cave.
文摘This paper develops asymptotic properties of singularly perturbed Markov chains with inclusion of absorbing states.It focuses on both unscaled and scaled occupation measures.Under mild conditions,a mean-square estimate is obtained.By averaging the fast components,we obtain an aggregated process.Although the aggregated process itself may be non-Markovian,its weak limit is a Markov chain with much smaller state space.Moreover,a suitably scaled sequence consisting of a component of scaled occupation measures and a component of the aggregated process is shown to converge to a pair of processes with a switching diffusion component.
基金This study was jointly funded by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(No.2016YFC0700500)the Opening Fund of Key Laboratory of Plateau Green Building and Ecological Community in Qinghai Province(No.KLKF-2020-005).
文摘Natural ventilation(NV)has been considered a simple and effective method of ventilation.However,the intro-duction of NV does not achieve better indoor air quality(IAQ)when the outdoor atmospheric environment is polluted.Therefore,portable air cleaners(PACs)are increasing in use in recent years,but their effectiveness is highly dependent on the residents’habits.A typical residence in Xi’an,China was selected to examine the effects of the use of NV alone and the use of NV and PACs together on IAQ in the three occupant states,i.e.,unoc-cupied,sleeping and leisure.Parameters,such as temperature,relative humidity,CO_(2),and PM_(2.5)concentration were measured when changing the window opening and the position of the PAC.The results showed that in the unoccupied state,opening the inner door can promote a more uniform thermal and humid environment.In the sleeping state,the I/O ratio of the PM_(2.5)concentration was the lowest when the window opening of the bedroom was 1/2 or 3/4,with a mean value of 0.3.In the leisure state,only using NV,when the purification rate reaches 90%,the mean purification time of each window opening in the living room is 87.5 min.The mean purification time was reduced to 25 min when both NV and PAC were used.The on-site purification efficiencies were 91.0%and 94.5%,when the window opening was 1/2(i.e.,the PAC was placed in the center of the room)and 3/4(i.e.,the PAC was placed away from the outer window),respectively.
文摘Climate change poses a particular threat to the world's unique built heritage-historic buildings,sites monuments,and museums.As preserving built heritage resources from climate change becomes a global priority,understanding the current inadequacies of legal frameworks designed to protect built heritage in coastal areas is essential.Only by identifying and examining these shortfalls can countries create resilient legal policies and tools that better protect coastal built heritage from the immediate and long-term effects of climate change.Building on previous comparative cultural heritage law scholarship,this article describes the legal frameworks that the United States,United Kingdom,and France use to protect their respective built heritage in coastal areas and identifies two critical challengesfacing eachcountry.
