Household endotoxin reduction in the Louisa Environmental Intervention Project for rural childhood asthma

Endotoxin exacerbates asthma. We designed the Louisa Environmental Intervention Project (LEIP) and assessed its effectiveness in reducing household endotoxin and improving asthma symptoms in rural Iowa children. Asthmatic school children (N = 104 from 89 homes) of Louisa and Keokuk counties in Iowa (aged 5-14 years) were recruited and block-randomized to receive extensive (education + professional cleaning) or educational interventions. Environmental sampling collection and respiratory survey administration were done at baseline and during three follow-up visits. Mixed-model analyses were used to assess the effect of the intervention on endotoxin levels and asthma symptoms in the main analysis and of endotoxin reduction on asthma symptoms in exploratory analysis. In the extensive intervention group, dust endotoxin load was significantly reduced in post-intervention visits. The extensive compared with the educational intervention was associated with significantly decreased dust endotoxin load in farm homes and less frequent nighttime asthma symptoms. In exploratory analysis, dust endotoxin load reduction from baseline was associated with lower total asthma symptoms score (Odds ratio: 0.52, 95% confidence interval: 0.29-0.92). In conclusion, the LEIP intervention reduced household dust endotoxin and improved asthma symptoms. However, endotoxin reductions were not sustained post-intervention by residents.     

利用碳封存技术开发我国深层煤层气资源的思考

碳封存技术是在美国政府大力倡导下,联合加拿大、澳大利亚、挪威、日本等国家,以捕获碳并安全存储的方式来取代直接向大气中排放CO2的一种新技术。我国的煤层气资源非常丰富,煤层气资源量约为116.8×1012m3,埋深2 000~4 000 m范围的煤层气资源量约为50×1012m3,这部分埋藏较深的资源由于开发成本较高,虽然在短期内很难加以利用,但碳封存技术的出现为开发和利用深部煤层气资源提供了可能的技术条件。CO2的吸附能力是CH4的4倍以上,如果把CO2通过钻井注入到深部煤层中,由于其吸附能力的差异,CH4会被优先置换出来,利用该技术一方面实现封存CO2的目的,同时还能够开发深部CH4。这种置换技术在我国很多含煤盆地具有广阔的应用前景。     

住宅设计的分析与研究

总结了住宅设计的发展,概括了住宅各个功能区的特点。通过设计的实例说明了各不同功能区的设计,成果可供进一步的研究参考。     

略论中国传统合院住宅形式的固化与沿用

合院式住宅是中国人沿用了二千多年的典型形制，除了其能满足采光、通风的要求和建造相对简化外，中国传统社会早期的中霤祭祀和以五行为基本元素的统括万物的宇宙模式对于中国式合院住宅的固化与沿用，也起了不可忽视的作用。     

住宅设计的误区

文章列举了目前住宅设计中存在的问题,反映了当前设计领域的一些现象,阐述了建筑师应当辨证地看待这一现象,对其有一个正确的认识,担负起历史责任.     

Daily impact of climate on the pattern of urban family life : Indigenous courtyard houses of Baghdad regions of the hot-dry climates Part I: Daily shifts or daily movements in summer

During the day, there are considerable variations in the climatic factors prevailing in these regions. This is especially so during the 24-hour daily cycle of the long, hot and dry summer (mid-May to midOctober). Such climatic conditions have had a considerable impact on the daily living pattern of family life in the same season, particularly in the urban areas. During the same 24-hour cycle, they have compelled the inhabitants to shift their living activities both vertically in section and horizontally in plan; they do this in pursuit of more acceptable, if not, desirable internal thermal environmental ambience.     

太钢4号高炉喷煤站应用MFD—Ⅲ型布袋除尘器的实践

太钢４号高炉喷煤站从１９９０年起采用ＭＦＤ－Ⅲ型脉动反吹式布袋除尘器。这种除尘器采用脉动式反吹清灰设施，合理布置布袋间距，布袋支撑骨架及选用针呢材质的布袋，过滤面积大，反吹清灰效果好，设备运行平稳，除尘效率高达９９．８％，排放浓度小于１０ｍｇ／ｍ＾３，故障率低。     

关中窄院民居

对陕西省关中地区传统窄院民居的形成,平面与空间的构成特点,外观形态以及地方材料的合理运用等进行了归纳,分析和研究。     

The traditional Yemeni window and natural lighting

The traditional Yemeni window is considered to be one of the most important elements that characterize the yemeni architecture. The beauty of the traditional Yemeni window comes from its four main components which combined the functions of view, lighting, ventilation, protection, and privacy. These functions can be controlled by the occupants according to their social and environmental needs. The four main components are the lower part (Taqah), the fanlight (Qamariyah), the wooden external overhang (Konnah), and the small vent (Shaquos). Since fanlights provide natural lighting during day-time, the area of the lower part can be reduced and its exterior shutters can be closed without the need for artificial lighting. The internal natural lighting that is provided by the upper and lower parts of the window was investigated to see its quality. In this investigation, there were two main goals. The first is the contribution and quality of the internal light provided by the Qamariyah when shutters are closed. The second is the effect of the internal simple white cloth curtains, in the lower part, in the internal light quality. Visual measurements were taken in a typical room of a traditional house of the Old City of Sana'a, Yemen. From the findings, it was found that the fanlights (Qamariyat) provide low and soft homogeneous internal lighting which was as low as 22 lux average. However, the occupants have the ability to increase level of lighting to as high as 600 or 700 lux. This can be done simply by deciding which shutter to open and how many of them to be opened. In this paper, the methodology and findings will be presented and discussed.     

Does the use of Solar Home Systems (SHS) contribute to climate protection?

The paper addresses planners and decision-makers in the field of international development cooperation and also institutions concerned with the impacts of project- and technology promotion. The primary aim of the dissemination of Solar Home Systems (SHS) in off grid areas in developing countries is to improve the living conditions of the population in a cost–effective manner. A large-scale dissemination is essential both for significant contributions to development and for climate effectiveness. However, the contribution of SHS to climate protection is disputed. This analysis presents the most important parameters affecting the contribution of SHS to climate protection and quantifies the influence of those parameters. The case considered presupposes the commercial dissemination of SHS. Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are affected by the marketing decisions of the supplier of SHS. With regard to the impact on GHG emissions, a comparison is made between traditional lighting with petroleum lamps and the use of dry cell batteries to operate small devices (baseline case) on the one hand and SHSs on the other. The comparison shows GHG savings of around 9 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent GHG emissions within a 20-year period of use of one single 50 Wp SHS compared with the baseline case. The result is robust with respect to variations in GHG-affecting variables. Petroleum consumption and dry cell batteries dominate GHG emissions balances to such an extent that scarcely any importance can be attached to GHG emissions from the transportation and manufacture of SHS. Therefore, it is permissible to use simplified GHG inventories which ignore the GHG emissions arising from the transportation and manufacture of SHS. Therefore the conclusion is, if SHS are commercially disseminated and used cost efficiently to substitute kerosene and dry cell batteries they reduce GHG emissions effectively. In that case SHS can make a significant contribution to climate protection by the dissemination of large numbers.