Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Climate quality evaluation'

Interest on Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) increased more and more in the last years. This attention is evidenced by the fact that nowadays maintaining a certain level of comfort in the building, as it is prescribed by the standards, means to deal with a rising energy demand. For this reason increasing attention needs to be spent in the envelope and systems building design, as well in the building robustness at the occupants actions. Further than the design phase it becomes necessary to shift the focus on to the building management and maintenance too. To this aim energy and environmental long term monitoring are introduced in the building life cycle, with the objective to optimize the building-plant system and to look for a good balance between different levels of comfort and energy consumption. Main objective of the research is the critical analysis of the indoor environment quality assessment existing methods, within the evaluation of the energy consumptions required to maintain specific comfort levels, and suggesting new methods of analysis and representation of data from monitorings or simulations. In order to reach high level of IEQ, the study also focuses on the performance evaluation of energy saving by radiant systems, through tests in thermostatic room or in situ. Research is therefore conceived in three deepening phases. The first phase is based on the indoor environment quality assessment through the use of categories. Comfort, and particularly thermal comfort, is regulated by the standards ISO 7730/2005, EN 15251/2007, and ASHRAE 55/2004. Methods for data elaboration and representation suggested by the standards (specifically by EN 15251) are in this work compared and discussed, investigating, also through the use of a case study, the effective utility of these instruments, of their applications and limitations. Maintaining specific comfort categories in a building often comport to spend energy. Energy demand can be varied depending on the envelope characteristics and quality, and from the systems controls and the outdoor climate conditions. With the aim to demonstrate what enounced, the second phase of the study is explained through an office room energy simulation, conducted with the aim to assess the heating and cooling energy demand variation with the thermal and air quality variation, as well as for different climate zones. Buildings energy simulation is however only one of the tools that can be used for this kind of analysis. Direct monitoring of the energy consumptions is in fact another method that is becoming more and more important. Energy monitoring plans, with IEQ monitoring plans, give a detailed overview about levels of comfort and related costs in a building, moreover investigating on the correct or wrong systems operation and controls. The correlation between the two measurements conducted simultaneously allows to give, as output of the analysis, a complete building energy and environment evaluation. In addition to the data processing, the study also addresses the results representation, through the analysis of energy and environmental data from one year of monitoring in an office building. As mentioned above, the connecting element between ICQ in a room and the related energy consumptions, beyond the building thermo physical properties, is the installed plants system. In recent years many studies in literature about comfort in buildings treated the topic of low energy radiant systems to reach the indoor environmental quality objective. Among the many typologies of radiant systems, this work faces with two kinds of them, very different one from each other, and both object of analysis and experimentation: the first is represented by vertical electric radiant plates for heating, and the second is about TABS (Thermal Active Building System) for cooling. In both cases energy and environmental measurements were carried out. In the first case the experiments took place in test rooms, in the second case they were performed in situ (office room). Differences between the two analysis and strategies adopted for the measurements during the operational time of the building using TABS are shown. Results of the work are shown and widely explained in internationals journals and international conference papers.

Human impacts on the Chesapeake Bay through increased nutrient run-off as a result of land-use change, urbanization, and industrialization, have resulted in a degradation of water quality over the last half-century. These direct impacts, compounded with human-induced climate changes such as warming, rising sea-level, and changes in precipitation, have elevated the conversation surrounding the future of water quality in the Bay. The overall goal of this dissertation project is to use a combination of models and data to better understand and quantify the impact of changes in nutrient loads and climate on water quality in the Chesapeake Bay. This research achieves that goal in three parts. First, a set of eight water quality models is used to establish a model mean and assess model skill. All models were found to exhibit similar skill in resolving dissolved oxygen concentrations as well as a number of dissolved oxygen-influencing variables (temperature, salinity, stratification, chlorophyll and nitrate) and the model mean exhibited the highest individual skill. The location of stratification within the water column was found to be a limiting factor in the models’ ability to adequately simulate habitat compression resulting from low-oxygen conditions. Second, two of the previous models underwent the regulatory Chesapeake Bay pollution diet mandated by the Environmental Protection Agency. Both models exhibited a similar relative improvement in dissolved oxygen concentrations as a result of the reduction of nutrients stipulated in the pollution diet. A Confidence Index was developed to identify the locations of the Bay where the models are in agreement and disagreement regarding the impacts of the pollution diet. The models were least certain in the deep part of the upper main stem of the Bay and the uncertainty primarily stemmed from the post-processing methodology. Finally, by projecting the impacts of climate change in 2050 on the Bay, the potential success of the pollution diet in light of future projections for air temperature, sea level, and precipitation was examined. While a changing climate will reduce the ability of the nutrient reduction to improve oxygen concentrations, that effect is trumped by the improvements in dissolved oxygen stemming from the pollution diet itself. However, climate change still has the potential to cause the current level of nutrient reduction to be inadequate. This is primarily due to the fact that low-oxygen conditions are predicted to start one week earlier, on average, in the future, with the primary changes resulting from the increase in temperature. Overall, this research lends an increased degree of confidence in the water quality modeling of the potential impact of the Chesapeake Bay pollution diet. This research also establishes the efficacy of utilizing a multiple model approach to examining projected changes in water quality while establishing that the pollution diet trumps the impact from climate change. This work will lead directly to advances in scientific understanding of the response of water quality, ecosystem health, and ecological resilience to the impacts of nutrient reduction and climate change.

The definition of food security provided by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) includes the quality of agricultural products as a principal pillar, intended as the production of nutritious food to allow people to meet dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life. In a world that is undergoing major physical, social, and economic transitions, the achievement of global food security is undermined by the projected increase of human population to 9 billion people by 2050. Nowadays, even if the current total food production would be capable to provide humankind with enough calories, the latest FAO statistics estimate that hundreds of millions of people live in hunger or lack a suitable supply of food. This is why the world governments are acting to meet the need of higher quality diets as a main objective. The challenge to improve the quality and the nutritional value of crop productions is also threatened by the climate change issue, with agriculture representing the most vulnerable economic sector due to the deep influence of weather conditions on the performances of cropping system. The only viable solution to gain information on the future trends of the qualitative aspect of crop production and to provide farmers and stakeholders in agriculture with effective adaptation strategies is the use of process based simulation models, which are capable to reproduce the responses of biophysical systems to changing boundary conditions. This doctorate gives answers to these research questions, by developing a reference methodological framework to assess the quality of rice (Oryza sativa L.) –the first staple food crop in the world – in current and future climatic conditions. The first chapter presents a software library of models to simulate the dynamics of the main aspects of rice grain quality as a function of agro-meteorological conditions. This research product is released as a framework independent component, fostering extension with new models and reuse by third parties intended as collaborations between research entities. In the second chapter the performances of the rice quality models in reproducing observed field data of milling quality and functional properties of grains are tested in a multi-site and multi-year evaluation, prior to be used to assess climate change impacts. The third chapter deals with the development of a forecasting system targeting the simulation of qualitative and quantitative rice productions in Northern Italy, the main European producing area. This pilot study is realized by coupling the WARM rice model with rice quality models, taking the head rice yield, i.e., the percentage of entire grains as a case study. The fourth chapter presents the complete workflow to assess the climate change impacts on crop productivity in the Lombardy plain via the application of process based models at a fine spatial resolution. An exploratory analysis of the impacts of climate change on giant reed crop is performed to illustrate the potentialities of the methodology. This work led the basis to the last chapter, where a comprehensive evaluation of the impacts of climate change on rice milling quality and technological suitability is performed in Europe. The main sources of uncertainties in climate change projections were taken into account, i.e., General Circulation Models and emission scenarios, to give an ensemble of future weather scenarios as input data to the models. The implementation of remote sensing to detect rice sowing dates and the assimilation of local farmers management led to a tight adherence between simulated and real system. The main perspective of this work is the application of the methodological framework developed here in top producing rice countries, in order to allow moving a step forward the mere focus on the quantitative trends of crop production in a changing climate.

Comparative analyses of district-run public schools and charter schools are limited to performance outcomes. There is a dearth of research on how the school-types vary on factors consequential to performance such as school climate. Public-private distinctions, such as in organizational autonomy, value orientations, funding structures, and management practices, could result in school climate dissimilarities between district-run public schools and charter schools. The aim of this dissertation is to assess the influence organizational factors have on school climate and determine if school-type affects school climate. Student and staff school climate survey data from the Miami-Dade school district were utilized for this dissertation. Structural equation modeling was employed to test theoretical models of students’ and staffs’ perceptions of school climate using data from 2001-2002 through 2015-2016 academic years. Within-between effects panel regression was utilized to test the effect of school-type on school climate constructs over time using data from 2005-2006 through 2015-2016 academic years. The structural equation results demonstrate that milieu, ecology, culture, and organizational structure influence students’ and staffs’ perceptions of their schools’ climates. Ecology has the strongest association with students’ perceptions of school climate. Job satisfaction, a part of milieu and culture, has the strongest association with staffs’ perceptions of school climate. The results indicate that the theoretical models of school climate employed by this study are sound. The within-between effects panel regression results demonstrate that characteristics inherent to school-type have a plausible influence on students’ perceptions of school climate, but not for staff. Charter school students rated their school climates more favorably than traditional public schools, but when other factors are controlled, traditional public schools and magnet schools had more favorable ratings. Public-sector values, collective bargaining, and school district oversight may be beneficial to schools’ climates. This dissertation underscores the impact management and funding structures have on school climate. The author recommends that the school climate concept and evaluations of schools’ organizational practices be incorporated into school improvement policies. The milieu, culture, ecology, and organizational structures of schools should be reviewed when assessing school quality.

Increasing and maintaining customer loyalty has been shown to enhance service firm profitability. This research focuses on the antecedents of customer loyalty in a large national North American banking organisation, in particular the relationship between employee loyalty and customer loyalty, and further within the organisation, the antecedents of the employee loyalty-customer loyalty relationship. Thus the current research investigates the chain of events from managerial actions to customer loyalty with the aim of identifying relevant managerial practices and their influences within the organisation that lead to customer loyalty. The research provides tangible evidence supporting the importance of providing organisational resources to increase employee loyalty as a means of increasing customer loyalty in service organisations. To achieve this goal, the study suggests that a comprehensive set of managerial practices will enhance an organisation's service climate, foster positive employee attitudes and behaviours in relation to service provision, that impact on employee loyalty, service quality, and ultimately customer loyalty. These practices include support provided by senior leadership, the provision of resources that facilitate effective work practices, a positive management orientation on customers, and the use of employee evaluation and remuneration based on service-oriented behaviours and attitudes. By instituting these managerial practices, management can increase employee perceptions of self-efficacy, employees' beliefs in the abilities to perform well in their jobs, increase employee satisfaction, which in turn drive employee loyalty. These managerial practices also enhance the favourable nature of the organisation's service climate so that customer perceptions of service quality are likely to be more positive. Overall the study provides evidence to support the existence of a chain of events from managerial actions to employee and customer loyalty intentions. Evidence also exists to support the relationship between employee loyalty and customer loyalty, so that higher levels of loyalty within service a service organisation can potentially lead to higher levels of customer loyalty. The implications of the research are that management within service organisations can impact customer loyalty by focussing directly on service delivery issues and by providing a favourable service climate. Managers can also influence employee beliefs about their abilities to do their jobs and the level of satisfaction employees have within those organisational roles. The study also suggests that a service organisation's service climate is an important mechanism by which management can communicate to both employees and customers that a customer orientation is a primary managerial imperative. Finally, the study provides valuable insight into the processes by which employees perceive managerial orientation and support, and how those perceptions influence customer perceptions of service quality and impact on their loyalty intentions towards service organisations.

Increasing and maintaining customer loyalty has been shown to enhance service firm profitability. This research focuses on the antecedents of customer loyalty in a large national North American banking organisation, in particular the relationship between employee loyalty and customer loyalty, and further within the organisation, the antecedents of the employee loyalty-customer loyalty relationship. Thus the current research investigates the chain of events from managerial actions to customer loyalty with the aim of identifying relevant managerial practices and their influences within the organisation that lead to customer loyalty. The research provides tangible evidence supporting the importance of providing organisational resources to increase employee loyalty as a means of increasing customer loyalty in service organisations. To achieve this goal, the study suggests that a comprehensive set of managerial practices will enhance an organisation's service climate, foster positive employee attitudes and behaviours in relation to service provision, that impact on employee loyalty, service quality, and ultimately customer loyalty. These practices include support provided by senior leadership, the provision of resources that facilitate effective work practices, a positive management orientation on customers, and the use of employee evaluation and remuneration based on service-oriented behaviours and attitudes. By instituting these managerial practices, management can increase employee perceptions of self-efficacy, employees' beliefs in the abilities to perform well in their jobs, increase employee satisfaction, which in turn drive employee loyalty. These managerial practices also enhance the favourable nature of the organisation's service climate so that customer perceptions of service quality are likely to be more positive. Overall the study provides evidence to support the existence of a chain of events from managerial actions to employee and customer loyalty intentions. Evidence also exists to support the relationship between employee loyalty and customer loyalty, so that higher levels of loyalty within service a service organisation can potentially lead to higher levels of customer loyalty. The implications of the research are that management within service organisations can impact customer loyalty by focussing directly on service delivery issues and by providing a favourable service climate. Managers can also influence employee beliefs about their abilities to do their jobs and the level of satisfaction employees have within those organisational roles. The study also suggests that a service organisation's service climate is an important mechanism by which management can communicate to both employees and customers that a customer orientation is a primary managerial imperative. Finally, the study provides valuable insight into the processes by which employees perceive managerial orientation and support, and how those perceptions influence customer perceptions of service quality and impact on their loyalty intentions towards service organisations.

I analyzed and compared impacts from global climate change (GCC) and land use change to Deer Creek (United States) a temperate reservoir and Aguamilpa (Mexico), a tropical reservoir by using calibrated CE-QUAL-W2 (W2) water quality and hydrodynamic models based on field data over an extended time period. I evaluated and compared the sensitivity to predicted GCC and land use changes. I individually evaluated changes to air temperature (TAIR), inflow rates (Q), and nutrient loads (PO4-P and NO3-NO2-N) followed by analysis of worst case scenarios. I developed analysis methods using indexes to represent the total reservoir change calculated using the total parameter mass (i.e., algae, dissolved oxygen, total dissolved solids) normalized by the reservoir volume to eliminate apparent mass changes due to volume changes. These indexes have units of average concentrations, but are better thought of as a global reservoir index or normalized concentration. These indexes allow analysis of the total reservoir and not just specific zones. Total normalized algal concentrations were impacted more by changes in nutrient inflows (land use) in both reservoirs than to changes in TAIR and Q. For Deer Creek, PO4-P changes significantly increased normalized algal concentrations in the reservoir and in dam releases when PO4-P inflow was increased by 50%. Aguamilpa was more sensitive to NO3-NO2-N changes, exhibiting significant increases in normalized algal concentration for the +50% NO3-NO2-N simulation. Both reservoirs showed small changes to normalized algal concentration for the +3ºC TAIR simulation with the largest changes occurring during warm seasons. However, Deer Creek exhibited decreased total algal levels when TAIR was increased by 3ºC while Aguamilpa showed increased total algal levels with the 3ºC increase in TAIR. These contrasting trends, a decrease in Deer Creek and an increase in Aguamilpa, were produced by algae succession processes. Changes in Q affected normalized algal concentration in both reservoirs in different ways. In Aguamilpa, total algal levels increased under dry conditions while Deer Creek showed little general change associated with flow changes. Worst case scenario simulations, which included changing more than one parameter, showed that GCC changes can cause large impacts if they occur simultaneously with high nutrient loadings. These results begin to show how GCC could impact reservoirs and how these impacts compare to potential impacts from land use change. The results show that both temperate and tropical reservoirs are impacted by GCC but are more sensitive to nutrients. The methods, plots, and tools developed in this study can assist water managers in evaluating and studying GCC and land use changes effects in reservoirs worldwide.

Master of Science
Department of Grain Science and Industry
Carlos Campabadal Teran
The use of grain aeration as a tool to minimize post-harvest losses requires lower ambient temperature (≤ 20°C) and relative humidity (≤ 70%) conditions than what is usually available during the summer season in temperate climates and throughout the year in some tropical climate regions. Warm and moist conditions contribute to pest problems and increase dependence on chemical control for pest reduction as part of grain management strategies. The grain chilling technology is a non-chemical alternative to cool grain stored under high risk climatic conditions. For this research project, the grain chilling technology was tested in a 1,350-ton low moisture content wheat silo during the 2015 and 2016 summer harvests in Kansas. The grain temperature was lowered from a maximum of 39°C to a minimum of 17°C in less than 250 hours. The results showed that chilled grain maintained at temperatures under 20°C reduced the development rate of insect pests compared to grain stored at temperatures over 25°C and cooled with ambient aeration. However, the cost of grain chilling was calculated to be between 0.26 and 0.32 $/t higher than using ambient aeration. Through computer simulation it was possible to evaluate the performance of the grain chiller against four different ambient aeration strategies for paddy rice stored under the tropical climatic conditions of the North Pacific coast of Costa Rica. After six months of storage, the minimum grain temperature achieved through ambient aeration was 30.8°C using an aeration strategy based on a grain-ambient temperature differential greater than 10°C. Grain chilling lowered the average grain temperature from 35°C to below 15°C in 117 hours and the maximum average temperature it registered after six months of storage was 15.5°C. The economic evaluation of the simulated ambient aeration and chilling strategy determined that the operational costs of grain chilling were between 2 and 4 $/t lower than ambient aeration plus fumigation. However, the initial cost of the grain chiller made the net present cost (NPC) of the chilling strategy between 0.22 and 0.85 $/t higher than the cost of ambient aeration plus fumigation over a 10-year analysis. Several potential financial options were analyzed to make the grain chiller more economically feasible for a rice miller in Costa Rica. It was concluded that the grain chilling technology can reduce grain temperatures below 20°C in a relatively short period of time, which helps control insect populations and maintain grain quality during summer storage in temperate climates and in tropical climates. Utilizing grain chilling reduced operational costs between 78% and 88% when compared to using chemical control of pests. Additionally, it was determined that an initial cost of $74,700 for the grain chiller would require a 16% discount or at least 10,641 t to be chilled annually to make this technology viable for the Costa Rican rice milling industry. Leasing the grain chiller (ten equal payments of $10,926) or adding a premium sell price of 1 $/t to chilled rice would make this technology feasible compared to the traditional grain management strategies utilized in Costa Rica.

This thesis is an investigation into improving natural ventilation in low rise hospital wards in Northern Nigeria. The climate of this region is semi-arid, during the dry season, sub-Saharan fine dust (Harmattan dust) is blown into the region from the North East and during the wet season, Mosquitos are prevalent. The energy infrastructure in the whole of Nigeria is under resourced; hence ventilation strategies’ based on mechanical extraction are not possible. Five wards within low rise hospital buildings were studied; these were purpose designed hospital buildings, not converted buildings. Questionnaire surveys of health care workers in the hospitals was conducted and revealed dissatisfaction with the buildings’ ventilation and Indoor Air Quality. The questionnaires were then followed up by Tracer Gas measurements and during the period of measurement there was only one occasion when a ward achieved an air change rate of 6-ach-1, the ASHREA Standard requirement for hospital buildings. To investigate methods of improving natural ventilation in these wards, a CFD model was developed of a representative ward, the model was validated against the Tracer Gas measurements; with an acceptable agreement of ≤ 15%. Using the CFD model, achievable ventilation strategies within the context of the location, were investigated, and a combination of cross ventilation utilizing windows on the windward and leeward sides of the ward together with a roof ventilator on the leeward side proved the most successful. All openings were screened to prevent the entry of mosquitos. This best case was further investigated with the wind direction at an oblique angle to the ward side. The oblique angle of wind attack reduced the air change rates but improved air circulation/mixing within the ward. With the exception when the wind direction was parallel to the ward side. To reduce the ingress of Harmattan Dust, was problematic given the energy restrictions, a low energy solution of introducing screened plenums on both the windward and leeward sides of the building proved successful. Larger dust particles were detained within the windward plenum and the smaller dust particles were exhausted into the leeward plenum. With the mosquito screens located on the large surface area of the plenum, the window screens were removed resulting in higher air change rates. Thus, it is recommended that, openings should be provided on the windward and leeward walls and on the roof toward the leeward side for efficient ventilation and airflow circulation at the occupancy level. The longer sides of the wards should be oriented toward the North-South to capture the North-East trade winds and South-West monsoon winds with oblique angle of attack. Plenums should be incorporated to the windward and leeward facades and Insect screen should be installed on the plenums instead of the wards’ openings to increase ventilation rates while excluding mosquitoes and decreasing dust particle concentration in the hospital wards. Openings should be at the middle of the windward and leeward walls and on the roof toward the leeward to avoid airflow short-circuiting. It is recommended to use insect screen with the porosity of 0.2 and when the outdoor local wind speed is ≤ 1.26 m/s (2 m/s: airport value), the ventilation should be supplemented with fan.

La production du raisin à l’origine de vins AOC (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée) est soumise à des cahiers de charges imposant des exigences en termes de rendement, de qualité des produits et de pratiques. En plus de ces exigences, le viticulteur doit désormais faire évoluer ses itinéraires techniques viticoles pour en améliorer les performances environnementales. Or, définir des lignes directrices d’action pour une amélioration des pratiques viticoles en s'appuyant sur les évaluations environnementales et de qualité du raisin est complexe tant ces évaluations fournissent un nombre important d'indicateurs. L’objectif de la thèse est la construction d’une méthode d’évaluation prenant en compte en parallèle l’évaluation de la performance environnementale des itinéraires techniques viticoles avec la qualité du raisin et permettant d’aider le viticulteur et son conseiller à identifier les pratiques assurant le meilleur compromis entre « performance environnementale » et « qualité de production ». Cette méthode permet d’analyser un itinéraire technique viticole mais aussi de comparer ce dernier à d’autres. Cette méthode a été développée et testée à l’aide de cinq itinéraires techniques viticoles aux pratiques différenciées sur le cépage Chenin blanc en moyenne vallée de la Loire pendant deux années aux climats contrastés. Les travaux ont permis de (i) faire une adaptation du calcul d’Analyse du Cycle de Vie (ACV) spécifique au système de production viticole, (ii) montrer l’importance de la variabilité interannuelle dans les résultats d’évaluation environnementale par ACV. Les travaux ont aussi abouti à l’élaboration d’un modèle explicatif de la qualité du raisin à partir des pratiques viticoles et des facteurs pédoclimatiques permettant d’étudier l’incidence potentielle d’un changement de pratiques sur les critères d’évaluation de la qualité du raisin. La construction de la méthode multicritères CONTRA-QUALENVIC pour la viticulture, principale issue de ce travail, comporte (i) la construction de règles de décision et de fonctions mathématiques pour y répondre et (ii) des réunions d’experts pour caractériser les critères à agréger et les pondérer. La méthode CONTRA-QUALENVIC a été éprouvée en la comparant à d’autres méthodes. Pour conclure, la méthode CONTRA-QUALENVIC est une méthode pertinente pour l’aide à la décision dans le cadre d’une amélioration continue des pratiques viticoles vers un meilleur respect de l’environnement tout en préservant la qualité du raisin
Grape production from PDO wines (Protected Designation of Origin) is subjected to tender specifications, imposing requirements in terms of performance, as well as practices and products quality. In addition to these requirements, the winemaker must now make its viticultural technical management routes evolve, to improve its environmental performances. But, defining actions guidelines for the improvement of viticultural practices based on environmental assessments and grape qualityis very complex, since each one of these assessments provide a significant number of indicators. The aim of the thesis is to construct an evaluation method that takes into consideration both evaluating the environmental performance of viticultural technical management routes with grape quality and assisting the winemaker and advisor to identify practices to ensure the best compromise between "environmental performance" and " product quality". This method allows to analyze a technical management route as well as to compare it to others. This method was developed and tested on five technical management routes with differentiated practices, on the Chenin Blanc grape variety in the middle Loire Valley, for two years with contrasted climates.The study helped (i) analyzing the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) results specifically for viticulture, (ii) showing the importance of interannual variability in the results of environmental assessment by LCA. The work also led to the development of a model to explain the grapes quality linked with viticultural practices, and soil and climate factors, to study the potential impact of a practice change, on the grape quality evaluation. The CONTRA-QUALENVIC multi-criteria method construction for viticulture is the main outcome of this study, and includes (i) the construction of decision rules and mathematical functions to meet them, and (ii) experts’ meetings to characterize the criteria to aggregate and weight. The CONTRA-QUALENVIC method has been tested by comparing it to other methods.To conclude, the CONTRA-QUALENVIC method is an effective method for decision support as part of a continuous improvement of viticultural practices towards a better respect of the environment, while maintaining the grape quality

Quase um em cada dez pacientes é lesionado ao receber cuidados de saúde e, destes, muitos sofrem lesões incapacitantes ou morte todos os anos. Entendendo a importância e o impacto negativo das falhas na segurança do paciente em âmbito global e a influência que a cultura e o clima de segurança exercem sobre a adoção de ações e decisões mais seguras, este estudo teve por objetivo a analise da cultura de segurança do paciente em instituições hospitalares, por meio da mensuração do clima de segurança. Trata-se de pesquisa quantitativa, transversal, do tipo Survey, em que para a realização da coleta de dados foi aplicado o Questionário de Atitudes de Segurança, adaptação transcultural para o Brasil do Safety Attitudes Questionnaire (SAQ) - Short Form 2006. O estudo ocorreu em dois hospitais gerais do estado de São Paulo, localizados em diferentes regiões metropolitanas, sendo um público e o outro privado. Os profissionais Médicos, Enfermeiros, Técnicos e Auxiliares de Enfermagem, Fisioterapeutas, Farmacêuticos e Nutricionistas, que atuavam nestes hospitais há pelo menos 6 meses, com carga horária de trabalho semanal de no mínimo 20 horas, constituíram a população deste estudo. Foi realizado um estudo piloto com 25 profissionais em cada hospital e a prevalência resultante deste teste foi utilizada no cálculo do tamanho amostral com nível de significância de 5%, erro relativo de 10% e perda de 20%, resultando em um total de 235 participantes. Os profissionais escolhidos como parte da amostra foram sorteados empregando-se amostragem aleatória simples computadorizada. As variáveis de cada domínio da escala quando testadas pelo Teste Kolmogorov-Smirnov não apresentaram normalidade. Deste modo, foi aplicado o Teste Mann-Whitney para comparar os valores das pontuações entre os hospitais e entre as categorias profissionais. Com relação aos resultados houve índice de participação de 86,8% da amostra sorteada, prevalecendo os sujeitos com 5 a 20 anos de tempo na especialidade, do gênero feminino, e trabalhadores da enfermagem. Não houve diferenças significantes dentre as pontuações obtidas pelos dois hospitais. Os participantes do estudo apresentaram percepção negativa quanto ao clima de segurança do paciente, com domínios Reconhecimento do Estresse e Percepção da Gestão apresentando resultados negativos, tanto para a amostra como um todo quanto por hospital. Os domínios Clima de Trabalho em Equipe, Satisfação no Trabalho e Comportamento Seguro/Práticas Seguras resultaram em percepções positivas para todas as categorias profissionais. Já o domínio Percepção da Gestão do Hospital resultou em percepção negativa para todas estas. Os Médicos e os Técnicos e Auxiliares de Enfermagem apresentaram percepções negativas em mais domínios. Em contrapartida, os Enfermeiros foram os únicos a apresentar atitude de segurança do paciente positiva, com escore total do SAQ exibindo diferença significante quando comparado a todas as outras categorias, apresentando também percepção positiva em maior número de domínios. Concluiu-se que existe a necessidade de abordagem relacionada ao Reconhecimento do Estresse dos profissionais, além dos aspectos do Gerenciamento. As categorias profissionais diferiram entre si com relação às percepções sobre a atitude de segurança do paciente. Desta forma, o desenvolvimento da cultura de segurança deve englobar todas as categorias profissionais, uma vez que esta abrange toda a organização, destacando-se a necessidade de enfoque de ações com relação a categoria dos Médicos e dos Técnicos e Auxiliares de Enfermagem. Além disso, ficou evidente o papel de destaque e liderança dos profissionais Enfermeiros nos processos de melhoria da qualidade, e colocando-os em posição privilegiada para conduzir os esforços de melhoria contínua da qualidade nos serviços de saúde
Almost one in every ten patients is injured while receiving health care, many of these suffer disabling injuries or death each year. Understanding the importance and the negative impact of patient safety failures globally, and the influence that safety culture and climate have on the adoption of safer decisions and actions, this study aimed to analyze patient safety culture in hospitals through the measurement of safety climate. This study is a quantitative, cross- sectional Survey, in which data collection was conducted using the cultural adaptation to Brazil of the Safety Attitudes Questionnaire (SAQ) - Short Form 2006. The study took place in two general hospitals, one public and one private, located in different metropolitan areas in the state of São Paulo. Physicians, registered nurses, nursing technicians and assistants, physical therapists, pharmacists and nutritionists, who had been working in those hospitals for at least 6 months, for a minimum of 20 hours per week, constituted the study population. A pilot study was carried out with 25 professionals in each hospital and the prevalence resulted was used to calculate the sample size at 5% significance level, 10% relative error, and 20% loss, resulting in a total of 235 participants. Professionals chosen as part of the sample were drawn up using computerized simple random sampling. The Kolmogorov- Smirnov test showed that the variables were not normal. Thus, the Mann-Whitney test was used to compare the values of the scores between hospitals and between professional categories. Regarding the results, we noted a participation rate of 86.8% of the sample selected, prevailing subjects with 5-20 years of time in the specialty, female, and members of the nursing team. There were no significant differences among the scores obtained by the two hospitals. Study participants had a negative perception regarding patient safety climate, with the domains Stress Recognition and Perception of Management presenting negative results, both for the sample as a whole and by the hospital. The domains Teamwork Climate, Job Satisfaction and Safe Behavior/Safe Practices resulted in positive perceptions for all professional categories. Contrarily, the domain Perception of Hospital Management resulted in a negative perception for all of the categories. Nursing technicians and assistants, and physicians were the groups that presented negative perceptions in the most domains. Conversely, registered nurses were the only ones who presented positive patient safety climate, with the SAQ total score showing a significant difference when compared to all other categories, and presenting positive perception in more domains. We concluded that approaches regarding professionals\' Stress Recognition and Perception of Management are of great need. The results among professional categories differed with respect to the perceptions of patient safety attitude. Thus, the development of safety culture must include all professional categories, since it comprises the entire organization, emphasizing the need for specific actions with respect to the category of physicians and nursing technicians and assistants. Moreover, it was evident that the registered nurses can play an important role in leadership of quality improvement processes, placing these professionals in prime position to drive continuous quality improvement efforts in health services

Despite significant efforts have been directed toward reducing waste generation and encouraging alternative waste management strategies, landfills still remain the main option for Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) disposal in many countries. Hence, landfills and related impacts on the surroundings are still current issues throughout the world. Actually, the major concerns are related to the potential emissions of leachate and landfill gas into the environment, that pose a threat to public health, surface and groundwater pollution, soil contamination and global warming effects. To ensure environmental protection and enhance landfill sustainability, modern sanitary landfills are equipped with several engineered systems with different functions. For instance, the installation of containment systems, such as bottom liner and multi-layers capping systems, is aimed at reducing leachate seepage and water infiltration into the landfill body as well as gas migration, while eventually mitigating methane emissions through the placement of active oxidation layers (biocovers). Leachate collection and removal systems are designed to minimize water head forming on the bottom section of the landfill and consequent seepages through the liner system. Finally, gas extraction and utilization systems, allow to recover energy from landfill gas while reducing explosion and fire risks associated with methane accumulation, even though much depends on gas collection efficiency achieved in the field (range: 60-90% Spokas et al., 2006; Huitric and Kong, 2006). Hence, impacts on the surrounding environment caused by the polluting substances released from the deposited waste through liquid and gas emissions can be potentially mitigated by a proper design of technical barriers and collection/extraction systems at the landfill site. Nevertheless, the long-term performance of containment systems to limit the landfill emissions is highly uncertain and is strongly dependent on site-specific conditions such as climate, vegetative covers, containment systems, leachate quality and applied stress. Furthermore, the design and operation of leachate collection and treatment systems, of landfill gas extraction and utilization projects, as well as the assessment of appropriate methane reduction strategies (biocovers), require reliable emission forecasts for the assessment of system feasibility and to ensure environmental compliance. To this end, landfill simulation models can represent an useful supporting tool for a better design of leachate/gas collection and treatment systems and can provide valuable information for the evaluation of best options for containment systems depending on their performances under the site-specific conditions. The capability in predicting future emissions levels at a landfill site can also be improved by combining simulation models with field observations at full-scale landfills and/or with experimental studies resembling landfill conditions. Indeed, this kind of data may allow to identify the main parameters and processes governing leachate and gas generation and can provide useful information for model refinement. In view of such need, the present research study was initially addressed to develop a new landfill screening model that, based on simplified mathematical and empirical equations, provides quantitative estimation of leachate and gas production over time, taking into account for site-specific conditions, waste properties and main landfill characteristics and processes. In order to evaluate the applicability of the developed model and the accuracy of emissions forecast, several simulations on four full-scale landfills, currently in operative management stage, were carried out. The results of these case studies showed a good correspondence of leachate estimations with monthly trend observed in the field and revealed that the reliability of model predictions is strongly influenced by the quality of input data. In particular, the initial waste moisture content and the waste compression index, which are usually data not available from a standard characterisation, were identified as the key unknown parameters affecting leachate production. Furthermore, the applicability of the model to closed landfills was evaluated by simulating different alternative capping systems and by comparing the results with those returned by the Hydrological Evaluation of Landfill Performance (HELP), which is the most worldwide used model for comparative analysis of composite liner systems. Despite the simplified approach of the developed model, simulated values of infiltration and leakage rates through the analysed cover systems were in line with those of HELP. However, it should be highlighted that the developed model provides an assessment of leachate and biogas production only from a quantitative point of view. The leachate and biogas composition was indeed not included in the forecast model, as strongly linked to the type of waste that makes the prediction in a screening phase poorly representative of what could be expected in the field. Hence, for a qualitative analysis of leachate and gas emissions over time, a laboratory methodology including different type of lab-scale tests was applied to a particular waste material. Specifically, the research was focused on mechanically biologically treated (MBT) wastes which, after the introduction of the European Landfill Directive 1999/31/EC (European Commission, 1999) that imposes member states to dispose of in landfills only wastes that have been preliminary subjected to treatment, are becoming the main flow waste landfilled in new Italian facilities. However, due to the relatively recent introduction of the MBT plants within the waste management system, very few data on leachate and gas emissions from MBT waste in landfills are available and, hence, the current knowledge mainly results from laboratory studies. Nevertheless, the assessment of the leaching characteristics of MBT materials and the evaluation of how the environmental conditions may affect the heavy metals mobility are still poorly investigated in literature. To gain deeper insight on the fundamental mechanisms governing the constituents release from MBT wastes, several leaching experiments were performed on MBT samples collected from an Italian MBT plant and the experimental results were modelled to obtain information on the long-term leachate emissions. Namely, a combination of experimental leaching tests were performed on fully-characterized MBT waste samples and the effect of different parameters, mainly pH and liquid to solid ratio (L/S,) on the compounds release was investigated by combining pH static-batch test, pH dependent tests and dynamic up-flow column percolation experiments. The obtained results showed that, even though MBT wastes were characterized by relatively high heavy metals content, only a limited amount was actually soluble and thus bioavailable. Furthermore, the information provided by the different tests highlighted the existence of a strong linear correlation between the release pattern of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and several metals (Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, V, Zn), suggesting that complexation to DOC is the leaching controlling mechanism of these elements. Thus, combining the results of batch and up-flow column percolation tests, partition coefficients between DOC and metals concentration were derived. These data, coupled with a simplified screening model for DOC release, allowed to get a very good prediction of metal release during the experiments and may provide useful indications for the evaluation of long-term emissions from this type of waste in a landfill disposal scenario. In order to complete the study on the MBT waste environmental behaviour, gas emissions from MBT waste were examined by performing different anaerobic tests. The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the potential gas generation capacity of wastes and to assess possible implications on gas generation resulting from the different environmental conditions expected in the field. To this end, anaerobic batch tests were performed at a wide range of water contents (26-43 %w/w up to 75 %w/w on wet weight) and temperatures (from 20-25 °C up to 55 °C) in order to simulate different landfill management options (dry tomb or bioreactor landfills). In nearly all test conditions, a quite long lag-phase was observed (several months) due to the inhibition effects resulting from high concentrations of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) and ammonia that highlighted a poor stability degree of the analysed material. Furthermore, experimental results showed that the initial waste water content is the key factor limiting the anaerobic biological process. Indeed, when the waste moisture was lower than 32 %w/w the methanogenic microbial activity was completely inhibited. Overall, the obtained results indicated that the operative conditions drastically affect the gas generation from MBT waste, in terms of both gas yield and generation rate. This suggests that particular caution should be paid when using the results of lab-scale tests for the evaluation of long-term behaviour expected in the field, where the boundary conditions change continuously and vary significantly depending on the climate, the landfill operative management strategies in place (e.g. leachate recirculation, waste disposal methods), the hydraulic characteristics of buried waste, the presence and type of temporary and final cover systems.

碩士
國立聯合大學
土木與防災工程學系碩士班
106
The major aims of this study are to investigate the effect of non- point source pollution and climate change on water quality in Houlung watershed. In this study, the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) and the Taiwan Water Resources Assessment Program to Climate Change (TaiWAP) were applied with rational crop fertilization scenarios, point source pollution data (domestic, animal, and factory discharge) to simulate water quality. Besides the Taiwan EPA water quality monitoring data, several field-sampled water quality data were employed for calibrating and validating the SWAT model. In order to evaluate the impacts of future climate change on water quality, four RCP scenarios (2.6, 4.5, 6.0 and 8.5) of IPCC Special Report on Emissions Scenarios (SRES) were employed with the MRI-CGCM2.3.2, a General Circulation Model (GCM). Multiple stations were used for model calibration and validation for monthly flow, total suspended sediment (TSS), nitrate nitrogen (NO3), ammonium nitrogen (NH4) and total phosphorus (TP) during 2001-2016. The results showed that the model performed well at most of the stations, in terms of R-square values ranging 0.67~0.85, 0.5~0.89, 0.29~0.84, for flow, TSS, and NO3, respectively. However, the model performed unstatisfactory for NH4 (R2=0.08~0.39) and TP (R2=0.004~0.41). Thus, the model can effectively reflect the current situation of catchments for the flow and sediment, but further improvement is needed for nutrient simulation. Compared with two point source scenarios (non-point and point source scenario, and only point source scenario), it was found that the only non-point source scenario resulted in greater nutrient losses in streams due to bacterial decomposition and production of the in-stream process. On the other hand, less nutrient losses were found in the streams for point-source scenarios. The main reason may be that in the model point source pollution is directly added into the stream, resulting in rapidly rising of nutrients which may limit the bacterial decomposition and production. In future climate conditions, rainfall will be more concentrated in the wet season, and the spatial distribution will be more seriously uneven. The most serious impact on nutrient production is RCP4.5, especially in the long term (2081-2100) the water yield and sand production in the upper watershed will increase significantly. Therefore, the results of this study would be useful as a reference by other units for watershed management and related decisions.

碩士
國立勤益科技大學
冷凍空調系
98
It is vital but sometimes challenging to provide suitable thermal comfort condition and appropriate indoor environment quality in hospital building because of widely varying conditions demanded for different types of occupants. The objective of this study is to present the field evaluation of thermal comfort and indoor environment quality for a hospital building in Taiwan by using questionnaires and field measurements as well. The results from 403 effective questionnaires from hospital staffs showed that 37.73% felt slightly hot under fully operation of HVAC system. 51.61% of staffs were unfavorable for the movement of air circulation. There existed the most unpleasant thermal sensation scale and poor indoor environment quality in the waiting area of outpatient service in second floor of the building. Field measurements including major thermal comfort parameters (temperature, humidity and air velocity) and indoor air quality parameters (CO2 and TVOC concentration) has been conducted extensively in the outpatient area. Suggestions have been proposed to improve the thermal comfort and indoor environment quality under the compromise of energy consumption. It is expected that a more robust investigation of environment-comfortable and energy-efficient HVAC system specific for hospital building under hot and humid climate.

The focus of the study was to investigate the role of Learning and Teaching Support Materials (LTSMs) in determining a school performance and quality education. For sampling purposes, a rural disadvantaged school was selected to reveal how such schools organise and implement their instructional programs devoid of LTSMs. A school library, school laboratory and computer technology were prioritised for their bearing on National Curriculum Statement (NCS) implementation. According to the study‘s findings, the prioritised LTSMs were found to be vital in modernising, appropriating and improving a school performance and the quality of education. The study argued that without relevant LTSMs, schools can neither hope nor manage to successfully implement outcomes based education. Hence, learners in those schools are still excluded from quality education.
Curriculum and Instructional Studies
M. Ed. (Curriculum Studies and Didactics)

Ziel der „Verkehrsökologischen Schriftenreihe“ ist es, die Forschungsergebnisse der Professur für Verkehrsökologie (TU Dresden) und ausgewählte studentische Arbeiten einer breiteren Öffentlichkeit zugänglich zu machen. Damit möchten wir einerseits die fachliche Diskussion zu Problemstellungen einer nachhaltigen Mobilitätsentwicklung und anderseits den offenen Zugang zu Wissen und Informationen unterstützen. Thematisch greift die Schriftenreihe dabei die folgenden Forschungsschwerpunkte der Professur auf: a) Nachhaltige Verkehrsentwicklung: Auswirkungen, Verfahren, Konsequenzen b) Klimaschutz, Energie und CO2 im Verkehr c) Luftreinhaltung & Lärm, Emissionsfaktoren und reale Fahrmuster d) Externe Kosten und Nutzen des Verkehrs, Kostenwahrheit und Internalisierung e) Rad- und Fußverkehr f) Umweltbildung, Monitoring und Evaluation g) Soziale Exklusion und Umweltgerechtigkeit im Verkehrsbereich