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U ovom diplomskom radu analizirat će se podatci prikupljeni mrežom senzora koji su postavljeni unutar rudnika koristeći programski jezik Python. Na temelju podataka prikazani su dijagrami i histogrami koji će pokazati uspješnost rada novog ventilatora koji je ugrađen radi smanjivanje vlage unutar rudnika. Analizom podataka koji su učitani u Python i potom uz korištenje programskog koda i algoritama dobiveni su rezultati kretanja rosišta, temperature i relativne vlage kroz vrijeme. Dobivena su ukupna vremena kad je ventilator radio tlačno, depresijski i kad je bio ugašen. Pokazano je da je ventilator opravdan u rudniku jer postoji nepovoljno vrijeme gdje bi moglo doći do kondenzacije vlage ako se ne upali ventilator. Koristeći unutranje senzore pokazalo se da nikad nije došlo do kondenzacije vlage unutar rudnika. Prikazana su kretanja apsolutne vlage kad ventilator radi i kad je ugašen. Analizom je prikazano da apsolutna vlaga pada dok ventilator radi, a raste kad je ugašen. Također u različitim periodima godine postoje i slučajevi gdje apsolutna vlažnost pada na senzorima bliže ulazu zračne struje a poraste na senzorima bliže izlazu zračne struje., This thesis will analyze data collected by a network of sensors placed inside the mine using the Python programming language. Based on the data, diagrams and histograms are presented that will show the success of the new fan installed to reduce moisture inside the mine. By analyzing the data that was loaded into python and then with the use of program code and algorithms, the results of the movement of the dew point, temperature and relative humidity over time were obtained. The total times when the ventilator was working in push mode, in pull mode and when it was turned off were obtained. It has been shown that the fan is justified in the mine because there is unfavorable weather where moisture condensation could occur if the fan is not turned on. Using internal sensors, it was shown that moisture condensation never occurred inside the mine. The movements of absolute humidity are shown when the fan is running and when it is turned off. The analysis showed that the absolute humidity falls while the fan is running, and rises when it is turned off. Also, in different periods of the year, there are cases where the absolute humidity drops on the sensors closer to the entrance of the air stream and rises on the sensors closer to the exit of the air stream.

Animals breeding in nest-boxes experience nesting environments in which they did not originally evolve. Despite the central importance of nesting microclimate for offspring fitness, little is known about the thermal properties of human-provided nest sites compared to natural ones. In particular, comparisons with offspring in the nest are lacking. Here, we compare microclimate (temperature and absolute humidity) from the onset of breeding, thus starting with nest-site choice and ending with the post-fledging stage, quantified in natural cavities and nest-boxes used by several species of hollow-nesting birds in a temperate deciduous forest. We confirm that across all nesting stages, nest-boxes were thermally unstable when compared to natural cavities, with higher temperature maximums, larger amplitudes and worse insulation from maximum ambient temperatures relative to natural cavities. Surprisingly, as average humidity of natural cavities was previously shown to be higher than in nest-boxes, in the presence of actively thermoregulating young, nest-boxes were more humid than natural cavities. When offspring were in the nest, internal microclimatic shifts were mitigated three times more effectively in natural cavities than in nest-boxes (in terms of mean daily differences from ambient temperature). Artificial cavity microclimate is likely to amplify the adverse effects of projected temperature increases by compromising thermoregulation of developing animals. We stress that conservation efforts should focus on the protection of areas offering natural breeding-hollows to reduce the potential impacts of climate change on breeding animals.

Precipitation is a critical factor affecting regional water cycles, water ecology, and socioeconomic development. Monthly precipitation, water vapor pressure, and temperature datasets from 613 meteorological stations across China were used to analyze the spatiotemporal evolution of urban rain island effects at the national scale during periods of slow (1960–1969) and accelerated (2010–2019) urbanization. The combined effects of artificial water dissipation and heat islands on urban precipitation were a key focus of this study. The results showed that rain island effects (0–31.6 mm/month) were primarily distributed along the southeast coast (dominated by the heat island effect) and northwest inland region (dominated by artificial water dissipation). During winter, the relative contribution of artificial water dissipation was higher in urban areas, and the rain island effect was more apparent than in the summer. Comparisons of precipitation prior to and following large-scale urbanization showed that precipitation and rain island intensity along the southeast coast and northwest inland region increased by 0–28 and 0–28.6 mm/month, respectively. These findings indicate that artificial water dissipation is an important water vapor source for urban precipitation, particularly during winter months.

Objective: To investigate the epidemiological characteristics of human infection with corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Moscow, Lima, Kuwait, and Singapore to analyze the effects of climate factors on the incidence of COVID-19. Methods: Collect the daily incidence of COVID-19 and related climate data in four areas, construct a negative binomial regression model, and analyze the correlation between the incidence of COVID-19 and meteorological factors. Results: AH was the climate factor affecting the incidence of COVID-19 in Moscow, Lima, and Singapore; Ta and RH were the climate factors affecting the incidence of COVID-19 in Kuwait. Conclusions: The incidence of COVID-19 in four areas were all associated with the humidity, and climate factors should be taken into consideration when epidemic prevention measures are taken, and environment humidification may be a feasible approach to decrease COVID-19 virus transmission.

The impact of grass fires on environment and grass ecosystems is mainly negative. The fire hazard of herbaceous plants causes the occurrence and spread of fires in herbaceous ecosystems. Various indicators, in particular the humidity of the combustible material, the self- ignition temperature, etc., can estimate it. These indicators depend on the type of plants and the natural conditions that determine the properties of the combustible materials. The goal of the research is to determine the fire hazard indicators of five the most widespread herbaceous plants in Ukrainian ecosystems (Festuca arundinacea, Festuca pratensis, Elymus repens, Phleum pretense and Trifolium arvense) and to substantiate these indicators due to results of thermogravimetric analysis and values of absolute humidity and self-ignition temperature. Within 5 days, the absolute humidity of the samples as well as the self-ignition temperature were determined by weight method and using the ОТР testing device. Complex thermal analysis of samples was also perform using a Q-1500D derivatograph. The results of the research show that absolute humidity and self- ignition temperature of certain types of plants specify differences in their fire-fighting properties. According to the results of complex thermal analysis for each plant species, three stages occur at different temperatures: evaporation of free and bound water, self-ignition of samples and combustion of carbonized residue. The maximum exothermic effect for each plant was characterized by different value of temperature, as well as ash residue, which impedes the combustion process.

BACKGROUND: High-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) is increasingly used for the management of respiratory failure. Settings include [Formula: see text] , total gas flow, and temperature target. Resulting absolute humidity (AH) at the nasal cannula may affect clinical tolerance, and optimal settings with respect to hygrometry remain poorly documented. METHODS: A bench study was designed to assess AH delivered by 4 HFNC devices (Optiflow, Airvo 2, Precision Flow, and Hydrate) according to flow, ambient temperature, and other available settings. Clinical tolerance of different levels of hygrometry (20, 30, and 40 mg H(2)O/L) was evaluated in 15 healthy volunteers. RESULTS: With [Formula: see text] set at 1.0, normal ambient temperature, and settings made accordingly to the manufacturers’ recommendations, mean ± SD AH was 42.2 ± 3.1, 39.5 ± 1.8, 35.7 ± 2.0, and 32.9 ± 2.7 mg H(2)O/L for the Airvo 2, Optiflow, Hydrate, and Precision Flow, respectively, (P < .001). AH dropped from −3.5 to −10.7 mg H(2)O/L (P

The African health crisis feared at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic has not materialized, and there is interest globally in understanding possible peculiarities in COVID-19 outbreak dynamics in the tropics and sub-tropics that have led to a much milder African outbreak than initial projections. Towards this, Susceptible-Infected-Recovered-Dead compartmental models were fitted to COVID-19 data from all Nigerian states in this study, from which four parameters were estimated per state. A density-based clustering method was used to identify states with similar outbreak dynamics, and the stage of the outbreak determined per state. Subsequently, outbreak dynamics were correlated with absolute humidity, temperature, population density and distance to the international passenger travel gateways in the country. The models revealed that while the outbreak is still increasing nationally, outbreaks in at least 12 states have peaked. A total of at least 519,672 confirmed cases were predicted by January 2021, with a worst case scenario of at least 14,785,457. Weak positive correlations were found between COVID-19 spread and absolute humidity (Pearson’s Coefficient = 0.136, p 0.05) and temperature (Pearson’s Coefficient = 0.021, p 0.05). While many studies have established links between temperature and humidity and COVID-19 spread, the correlation has most usually been negative where it exists. The findings in this study of possible positive correlation is in line with a number of previous studies showing such unexpected correlations in the tropics or subtropics. This highlights even more the importance of additional studies on COVID-19 dynamics in Africa.

We modelled the impact of selected meteorological factors on the daily number of new cases of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) at the Hospital District of Helsinki and Uusimaa in southern Finland from August 2020 until May 2021. We applied a DLNM (distributed lag non-linear model) with and without various environmental and non-environmental confounding factors. The relationship between the daily mean temperature or absolute humidity and COVID-19 morbidity shows a non-linear dependency, with increased incidence of COVID-19 at low temperatures between 0 to −10 °C or at low absolute humidity (AH) values below 6 g/m3. However, the outcomes need to be interpreted with caution, because the associations found may be valid only for the study period in 2020–2021. Longer study periods are needed to investigate whether severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has a seasonal pattern similar such as influenza and other viral respiratory infections. The influence of other non-environmental factors such as various mitigation measures are important to consider in future studies. Knowledge about associations between meteorological factors and COVID-19 can be useful information for policy makers and the education and health sector to predict and prepare for epidemic waves in the coming winters.

Background For the reason that many studies have been inconclusive on the effect of humidity on respiratory disease, we examined the association between absolute humidity and respiratory disease mortality and quantified the mortality burden due to non-optimal absolute humidity in Guangzhou, China. Methods Daily respiratory disease mortality including total 42,440 deaths from 1 February 2013 to 31 December 2018 and meteorological data of the same period in Guangzhou City were collected. The distributed lag non-linear model was used to determine the optimal absolute humidity of death and discuss their non-linear lagged effects. Attributable fraction and population attributable mortality were calculated based on the optimal absolute humidity, defined as the minimum mortality absolute humidity. Results The association between absolute humidity and total respiratory disease mortality showed an M-shaped non-linear curve. In total, 21.57% (95% CI 14.20 ~ 27.75%) of respiratory disease mortality (9154 deaths) was attributable to non-optimum absolute humidity. The attributable fractions due to high absolute humidity were 13.49% (95% CI 9.56 ~ 16.98%), while mortality burden of low absolute humidity were 8.08% (95% CI 0.89 ~ 13.93%), respectively. Extreme dry and moist absolute humidity accounted for total respiratory disease mortality fraction of 0.87% (95% CI − 0.09 ~ 1.58%) and 0.91% (95% CI 0.25 ~ 1.39%), respectively. There was no significant gender and age difference in the burden of attributable risk due to absolute humidity. Conclusions Our study showed that both high and low absolute humidity are responsible for considerable respiratory disease mortality burden, the component attributed to the high absolute humidity effect is greater. Our results may have important implications for the development of public health measures to reduce respiratory disease mortality.

In this study, we analyzed the spread and decay durations of the COVID-19 pandemic in several cities of China, England, Germany, and Japan, where the first wave has undergone decay. Differences in medical and health insurance systems, as well as in regional policies incommoded the comparison of the spread and decay in different cities and countries. The spread and decay durations in the cities of the four studied countries were reordered and calculated based on an asymmetric bell-shaped model. We acquired the values of the ambient temperature, absolute humidity, and population density to perform multivariable analysis. We found a significant correlation (p

This study aims to analyze the correlation between environmental factors and confirmed cases of COVID-19 pandemic in Victoria, Mexico. The analysis is performed at the micro-level, filtering only confirmed cases of COVID-19 that are located near air quality monitoring stations, within an approximate coverage of 2.5 km, in order to identify a possible specific association between PM2.5, PM10, carbon monoxide (CO), relative humidity, temperature, absolute humidity, and total confirmed cases of COVID-19. The results evidenced that the cases of COVID-19 were very strongly associated with CO concentration. Our results also suggested that particulate matter pollution (PM2.5 and PM10) exposure have a significant correlation for confirmed cases of COVID-19. Furthermore, we studied the changes in air quality during the COVID-19 outbreak by comparing the average concentration of the four weeks before lockdown (February 16 to March 14, 2020) and the following twelve weeks during the partial lockdown (March 15 to June 06, 2020), revealing a very significant decrease of pollutants., Highlights • The first study on the effects of environmental and meteorological factors on COVID-19 cases in Mexico. • A decrease of more than 44% was found in the concentration levels of PM2.5, PM10 and CO during the lockdown period. • A strong positive correlation between confirmed COVID-19 cases with carbon monoxide. • PM2.5 and PM10 show a positive association with confirmed cases of COVID-19. • Temperature is negatively correlated to the spread of COVID-19.

Environmental factors are well known to affect spatio-temporal patterns of infectious disease outbreaks, but whether the recent rapid spread of COVID-19 across the globe is related to local environmental conditions is highly debated. We assessed the impact of environmental factors (temperature, humidity and air pollution) on the global patterns of COVID-19 early outbreak dynamics during January-May 2020, controlling for several key socio-economic factors and airport connections. We showed that during the earliest phase of the global outbreak (January-March), COVID-19 growth rates were non-linearly related to climate, with fastest spread in regions with a mean temperature of ca. 5°C, and in the most polluted regions. However, environmental effects faded almost completely when considering later outbreaks, in keeping with the progressive enforcement of containment actions. Accordingly, COVID-19 growth rates consistently decreased with stringent containment actions during both early and late outbreaks. Our findings indicate that environmental drivers may have played a role in explaining the early variation among regions in disease spread. With limited policy interventions, seasonal patterns of disease spread might emerge, with temperate regions of both hemispheres being most at risk of severe outbreaks during colder months. Nevertheless, containment measures play a much stronger role and overwhelm impacts of environmental variation, highlighting the key role for policy interventions in curbing COVID-19 diffusion within a given region. If the disease will become seasonal in the next years, information on environmental drivers of COVID-19 can be integrated with epidemiological models to inform forecasting of future outbreak risks and improve management plans., Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image, Highlights • The role of environmental conditions on COVID-19 transmission is controversial • In earliest outbreaks, COVID-19 growth rate was related to climate and PM2.5 • Early growth rates were faster in cold, dry climates and in polluted regions • Environmental effects faded almost completely when considering later outbreaks • Containment measures overwhelm impacts of environmental variation on COVID-19

The transmission of coronaviruses can be affected by several factors, including the climate. Due to the rapid spread of COVID-19 and the urgent need for rapid responses to contain the pandemic, it is essential to understand the role that weather conditions on the transmission of SARS-CoV-2. We evaluate the influence of meteorological factors on the incidence of COVID-19 during the first wave of the epidemic in Catalonia. We conducted a geographical analysis at the county level to evaluate the association between mean temperature, absolute humidity, solar radiation, and the cumulative incidence of COVID-19. Next, we used a time-series design to assess the short-term effects of meteorological factors on the daily incidence of COVID-19. We found a geographical association between meteorological factors and the cumulative incidence of COVID-19, from the end of March to June 2020, and a lesser extent in the short-term on the daily incidence during the first wave of the epidemic in Spain. Our findings suggest that warm and wet climates may reduce the incidence of COVID-19 in Catalonia. However, policy makers must interpret with caution any COVID-19 risk predictions based on climate information alone., MS appreciates the funding from SUPERA COVID19 Fund, from SAUN (Santander Universidades), CRUE and CSIC; as well as from Pfizer Global Medical Grants. The funding sources did not participate in the design or conduct of the study, the collection, management, analysis, or interpretation of the data, or the preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript.

The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by a novel coronavirus known as SARS-CoV-2 has caused tremendous suffering and huge economic losses. We hypothesized that extreme measures of partial-to-total shutdown might have influenced the quality of the global environment because of decreased emissions of atmospheric pollutants. We tested this hypothesis using satellite imagery, climatic datasets (temperature, and absolute humidity), and COVID-19 cases available in the public domain. While the majority of the cases were recorded from Western countries, where mortality rates were strongly positively correlated with age, the number of cases in tropical regions was relatively lower than European and North American regions, possibly attributed to faster human-to-human transmission. There was a substantial reduction in the level of nitrogen dioxide (NO2: 0.00002 mol m−2), a low reduction in CO (, Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image, Highlights • COVID-19 cases in the tropical regions were relatively lower than the European & American regions. • Observed a substantial reduction in NO2, low reduction in CO, and low to moderate reduction in AOD • High COVID-19 hazard (AH: 4 to 9 g m−3) in major of the globe during April–July 2020 • Northern Hemisphere may be more susceptible compared to tropical regions in May–July 2020. • Tropical regions may be comparatively more prone to outbreaks in October–November 2020.

This study analyzed the morbidity and mortality rates of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in different prefectures of Japan. Under the constraint that daily maximum confirmed deaths and daily maximum cases should exceed 4 and 10, respectively, 14 prefectures were included, and cofactors affecting the morbidity and mortality rates were evaluated. In particular, the number of confirmed deaths was assessed, excluding cases of nosocomial infections and nursing home patients. The correlations between the morbidity and mortality rates and population density were statistically significant (p-value &lt, 0.05). In addition, the percentage of elderly population was also found to be non-negligible. Among weather parameters, the maximum temperature and absolute humidity averaged over the duration were found to be in modest correlation with the morbidity and mortality rates. Lower morbidity and mortality rates were observed for higher temperature and absolute humidity. Multivariate linear regression considering these factors showed that the adjusted determination coefficient for the confirmed cases was 0.693 in terms of population density, elderly percentage, and maximum absolute humidity (p-value &lt, 0.01). These findings could be useful for intervention planning during future pandemics, including a potential second COVID-19 outbreak.

The impacts of the ambient absolute and relative humidity on the performance of a photovoltaic (PV) solar module are investigated in details here. Using the experimental data recorded during a year as inputs, the artificial neural network is employed to develop models to predict voltage and current based on the effective parameters, including ambient temperature and relative humidity, as well as the wind velocity and irradiance, and having developed and validated the models, a comprehensive parametric study is conducted. The parametric study is performed to find the impacts of absolute and relative humidity on the voltage, current, power, and efficiency, as the main characteristics of a solar module. A mono and a poly crystalline solar modules with the same capacity and almost the same dimensions are considered and compared together. The results show that all the characteristics have a downward trend when absolute and relative humidity increase. Moreover, both the behavior and changes for the absolute humidity are found the same as the relative humidity. In addition, the lowest level of dependency is observed for voltage the of monocrystalline module. It has 12.2% decrease in the relative humidity range of 10–50%. By contrast, both generated power and efficiency of the polycrystalline module change 46.3% in the same range and have the highest sensitivity level. Moreover, in general, the poly crystalline type is found more sensitive to the relative humidity than the mono type.

Delo obravnava zasnovo in izdelavo merilnika vlažnosti, ki bo sposoben določevanja relativnih vlažnosti okoli 100 % s prisotnimi vodnimi kapljicami. Merilnik deluje kontinuirano tako, da mešanico zraka in vodnih kapljic vzorči izokinetično. Prisilni vlek skozi merilnik zagotavlja ventilator. Princip delovanja merilnika temelji na dvigu temperature vzorčenega zraka, s tem mu znižamo relativno vlažnost. Izločanje in uparjanje kapljic zagotavljajo stene ciklona, ki so ogrevane. Tako imamo na izstopu le zrak z relativno vlažnostjo okoli 80 %, takšno relativno vlažnost lahko določimo s komercialno dostopnim merilnikom vlažnosti. V delu je opisana zasnova in sestava merilne proge za določitev tlačnega padca na ciklonu in določitev napajalne napetosti ventilatorja pri posameznih pretokih zraka. Pokazano je, kako različni parametri vplivajo na tlačni padec v ciklonu in njegovo učinkovitost. The thesis presents the design and production of a humidity meter capable of determining relative humidity around 100% with the presence of water droplets. The meter operates continuously with isokinetic sampling of a mixture of air and water droplets. Forced draft through the meter is produced by the fan. The mechanical principle is based on the rise of temperature of the sampled air which lowers the relative humidity. The release and evaporation of the water droplets occurs because of the heated walls of the cyclones. We thus have relative humidity around 80% in the outlet air. We determine this relative humidity with a commercially accessible humidity meter. The thesis describes the design and composition of the measurement setup which determines the pressure drop on the cyclone and determines the fan feed voltage for individual air flows. The way how different parameters affect the pressure drop in the cyclone and its effectiveness is also shown in the thesis.

This study examined the relationship between environmental factors and the occurrence of influenza in general. Since the seasonality of influenza A and B viruses is different in most temperate climates, we also examined each influenza virus separately. This study reports a negative association of both absolute humidity and temperature with influenza A and B viruses and tries to understand the controversial effect of RH on influenza A and B viruses. This study reports a nonlinear relation between influenza A and B viruses with temperature and influenza B virus with absolute and relative humidity. The nonlinear nature of these relations could explain the complexity and difference in seasonality between influenza A and B viruses, with the latter predominating later in the season. Separating community-based specimens from those obtained during outbreaks was also a novel approach in this research. These findings provide a further understanding of influenza virus transmission in temperate climates., The occurrence of influenza in different climates has been shown to be associated with multiple meteorological factors. The incidence of influenza has been reported to increase during rainy seasons in tropical climates and during the dry, cold months of winter in temperate climates. This study was designed to explore the role of absolute humidity (AH), relative humidity (RH), temperature, and wind speed (WS) on influenza activity in the Toronto, ON, Canada, area. Environmental data obtained from four meteorological stations in the Toronto area over the period from 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2015 were linked to patient influenza data obtained for the same locality and period. Data were analyzed using correlation, negative binomial regressions with linear predictors, and splines to capture the nonlinear relationship between exposure and outcomes. Our study found a negative association of both AH and temperature with influenza A and B virus infections. The effect of RH on influenza A and B viruses was controversial. Temperature fluctuation was associated with increased numbers of influenza B virus infections. Influenza virus was less likely to be detected from community patients than from patients tested as part of an institutional outbreak investigation. This could be more indicative of nosocomial transmission rather than climactic factors. The nonlinear nature of the relationship of influenza A virus with temperature and of influenza B virus with AH, RH, and temperature could explain the complexity and variation between influenza A and B virus infections. Predicting influenza activity is important for the timing of implementation of disease prevention and control measures as well as for resource allocation. IMPORTANCE This study examined the relationship between environmental factors and the occurrence of influenza in general. Since the seasonality of influenza A and B viruses is different in most temperate climates, we also examined each influenza virus separately. This study reports a negative association of both absolute humidity and temperature with influenza A and B viruses and tries to understand the controversial effect of RH on influenza A and B viruses. This study reports a nonlinear relation between influenza A and B viruses with temperature and influenza B virus with absolute and relative humidity. The nonlinear nature of these relations could explain the complexity and difference in seasonality between influenza A and B viruses, with the latter predominating later in the season. Separating community-based specimens from those obtained during outbreaks was also a novel approach in this research. These findings provide a further understanding of influenza virus transmission in temperate climates.

This study investigated the effects of weather conditions, air pollutants, and the air quality index (AQI) on daily cases of COVID-19 in the Bangkok Metropolitan Region (BMR). In this research, we collected data from January 1 to March 30, 2020 (90 days). This study used secondary data of meteorological and air pollutant parameters obtained from the Pollution Control Department of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment as well as daily confirmed COVID-19 case data in the BMR obtained from the official webpage of the Department of Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health, Thailand. We employed descriptive statistics, and Spearman and Kendall rank correlation tests were used to investigate the associations of weather variables, air pollutants, AQI with daily confirmed COVID-19 cases. Our findings indicate that CO, NO2, SO2, O3 PM10, PM2.5, AQI have a significantly negative association with daily confirmed COVID-19 cases in the BMR, whereas meteorological parameters such as temperature, relative humidity (RH), absolute humidity (AH) and wind speed (WS) showed significant positive associations with daily confirmed COVID-19 cases in the BMR. Our study is a useful supplement to encourage regulatory bodies to promote environmental strategies, as air pollution regulation could be a sustainable policy for mitigating the harmful effects of air pollutants. Furthermore, this study provides new insights into the relationship between daily meteorological factors, AQI, and air pollutants and daily confirmed COVID-19 cases in the BMR. These data may provide useful information to the public health authorities and decision makers in Thailand, as well as to the World Health Organization (WHO), in order to set proper strategic aimed at reducing the impact of the COVID-19. Future studies concerning SARS-CoV-2 and other viruses should investigate the possibility of infectious droplet dispersion in indoor and outdoor air during and after the epidemic outbreak.

Operating of quality of cutivation of a deformable soil layer is important at soil cultivating working too use. The soil as cutivated object is characterized by elastic modulus, the Poisson ratio, ultimate compression strength, angle of wall and internal friction, coefficient of specific potential energy of destruction of soil particles. All these indicators depend on values of absolute humidity of the loamy soil. By means of a finite elements method the authors predicted an intense and deformable condition of the cultivted layer of the loamy soil taking into account such suppositions as a quasi solidity, quasi elasticity, constancy of speed and depth of cultivation. For realization of this method several operations were used, such as compiling of a global stiffness matrix, a load column, solve simultaneous linear equations, definition of possible movements of nodal points in the soil body across and verticals, and also determination of specific potential energy of elementary soil fragments. The load column is formed taking into account the gravity of soil fragments, traction resistance of a side surface of a chisel and a cutting edge, and also inertia forces. In case of comparison of the received values with the experimental rate of specific potential energy of destruction of soil fragments of the loamy soil it is possible to make the forecast about geometrical parameters of a destruction zone and extent of crumbling of soil fragments. So, at absolute humidity of the loamy soil 20.73 percent, speed of the movement of 1.6 m a second, depth of processing of 0.2 m, width of working tool of 0.02 m destruction zone length in the direction of the movement makes 0.12 m, width equals 0.1 m, the critical depth of cutting is 0.08 m. The coefficient of crumbling of a zone of the disturbed state does not exceed 22 percent.

The novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) was identified in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, in December 2019 and has created a medical emergency worldwide. In India, it is already reported more than 855 thousand cases and more than 22 thousands deaths due to COVID-19 till July 12, 2020. The role of temperature, humidity, and absolute humidity in the transmission of COVID-19 has not yet been well established. In contrast, for the previous many viral infections like influenza, it is well established. Therefore the study to investigate the meteorological condition for incidence and spread of COVID-19 infection and to provide a scientific basis for prevention and control measures against the new disease is required for India. In this work, we analyze daily averaged meteorological data for the last three years (2017–2019) for March, April and May months and the same for the year 2020 for March 1 to May 31. We found a positive association between daily COVID-19 cases and temperature and a mixed association with relative and absolute humidity over India. We have investigated the association of aerosols (AOD) and other pollutions (NO2) with COVID-19 cases during the study period and also during the lockdown period (25 March-31 May) in India. During the lockdown period, aerosols (AOD) and NO2 reduced sharply with a maximum percentage drop of about 60 and 45, respectively. We have also found the reduction in surface PM2.5 PM10 and NO2 for the six mega cities of India during the lockdown period. Our results suggest that COVID-19 still may spread in warm, humid regions or during summer/monsoon, therefore an effective public health intervention should be implemented across India to slow down the transmission of COVID-19., Graphical abstract Variability of surface PM2.5, PM10 and NO2 at six mega cities of India during lockdown (1 March-31 May 2020).Unlabelled Image, Highlights • First study on the effects of meteorological factors on COVID-19 cases in India • A positive association between daily new cases of COVID-19 with temperature • RH and AH show mixed association with daily new cases of COVID-19. • Early lockdown in India slows down the spread of contagious disease COVID-19. • More than 45% fall was found in AOD and NO2 values during the lockdown period.

The purpose of the present study is to explore the associations between novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) case counts and meteorological factors in 30 provincial capital cities of China. We compiled a daily dataset including confirmed case counts, ambient temperature (AT), diurnal temperature range (DTR), absolute humidity (AH) and migration scale index (MSI) for each city during the period of January 20th to March 2nd, 2020. First, we explored the associations between COVID-19 confirmed case counts, meteorological factors, and MSI using non-linear regression. Then, we conducted a two-stage analysis for 17 cities with more than 50 confirmed cases. In the first stage, generalized linear models with negative binomial distribution were fitted to estimate city-specific effects of meteorological factors on confirmed case counts. In the second stage, the meta-analysis was conducted to estimate the pooled effects. Our results showed that among 13 cities that have less than 50 confirmed cases, 9 cities locate in the Northern China with average AT below 0 °C, 12 cities had average AH below 4 g/m3, and one city (Haikou) had the highest AH (14.05 g/m3). Those 17 cities with 50 and more cases accounted for 90.6% of all cases in our study. Each 1 °C increase in AT and DTR was related to the decline of daily confirmed case counts, and the corresponding pooled RRs were 0.80 (95% CI: 0.75, 0.85) and 0.90 (95% CI: 0.86, 0.95), respectively. For AH, the association with COVID-19 case counts were statistically significant in lag 07 and lag 014. In addition, we found the all these associations increased with accumulated time duration up to 14 days. In conclusions, meteorological factors play an independent role in the COVID-19 transmission after controlling population migration. Local weather condition with low temperature, mild diurnal temperature range and low humidity likely favor the transmission., Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image, Highlights • The impacts of meteorological factors on COVID-19 case counts were assessed after controlling population migration. • The weather with low temperature, mild diurnal temperature range and low humidity likely favor the transmission of COVID-19. • The epidemic might gradually ease partially due to rising temperatures in coming months.

Мета. Дослідити вплив абсолютної вологості на точність визначення положення пунктів супутникових геодезичних мереж під час спостереження різної тривалості GPS-приймачами. Методика. Вихідними даними для дослідження послужили результати спостережень різної тривалості протягом 50 діб з квітня по жовтень місяць на 17 перманентних станціях Франції та 8 станціях Швейцарії. З цих спостережень сформовано чотири мережі з різною кількістю пунктів (від 8 до 5) та довжинами векторів (середня довжина сторін змінюється від 48,6 км до 5,1 км). Визначено значення абсолютної вологості, використовуючи середні значення температури повітря, атмосферного тиску та відносної вологості, отриманими за показниками з 6 по 22 год. Підібрані такі дні, коли значення абсолютної вологості, суттєво відрізнялися, тобто були найменшими та найбільшими. Опрацювання спостережень виконувалось програмним забезпеченням Trimble Business Center, змінюючи тривалість спостережень (4, 2, 1 год). Загалом нами опрацьовано 1200 сеансів. Порівнявши значення істинних та визначених за результатами спостережень планових координат пунктів мереж, отримані середні квадратичні помилки положення пунктів. Результати. Аналіз отриманих значень середніх квадратичних помилок положення пунктів, отриманих за результатами спостережень, показав що спостерігається тенденція погіршення точності визначення положення пунктів мереж за зростання абсолютної вологості. Порівнювалися значення СКП, отримані за найменших значень абсолютної вологості та найбільших для всіх мереж та різній тривалості спостережень. Таким чином, за зміни абсолютної вологості від 7,0 г/м3 до 13,8 г/м3 та тривалості спостережень 4 год, отримане середнє значення СКП зросло у 1,6 раза (від 4,4 мм до 7,0 мм), за тривалості сеансів 2 год значення СКП зросло у 1,8 раза (від 4,7 мм до 8,3 мм), а для тривалості 1 год – у 2,1 раза (від 6,1 мм до 13,0 мм). Наукова новизна та практична значущість. Середовище поширення супутникових сигналів і досі залишається одним з основних джерел помилок, зокрема тропосфера, у якій по суті “формується” погода. Хоча сьогодні більше увагу акцентують на прогнозуванні погоди використовуючи супутникові навігаційні системи, але існує і зворотний зв’язок. У дослідженні запропоновано враховувати метеорологічні умови, зокрема абсолютну вологість як спосіб зменшення впливу зовнішнього середовища на точність GPS-вимірювань, тобто підвищити їхню якість. Одержані результати проведених досліджень є досить достовірними, оскільки використано значну кількість даних, вони дають змогу рекомендувати вибирати такі дні для спостережень, коли значення вологості є мінімальними (не більшими ніж 12 г/м3). З практичного погляду – це можливість за відомими метеопараметрами, отриманими з прогнозу погоди, встановлювати доцільність виконання спостережень. Objective. Investigate the effect of absolute humidity on the GPS accuracy for different durations of observation. Methods. The GPS observations with different durations over spring-autumn period at 17 permanent stations in France and 8 stations in Switzerland were chosen for initial data. These observations used four GPS networks with a different number of points (from 5 to 8) and lengths of vectors (average length varied from 5.1 to 48.6 km). Values of absolute humidity were determined using the average values of air temperature, atmospheric pressure, and relative humidity, obtained from 06:00 to 22:00. For our investigation we selected only those days when absolute humidity varied significantly. The observations were processed by the Trimble Business Center software, changing the duration of the observations (1, 2, 4 hours). In total, 1.200 sessions were processed. By comparing the values of true coordinates of the network points and those determined by the results of observations, we obtained the RMS (rootmean- square) errors of the positions of the points. Results. The analysis of RMS position errors showed that there is a tendency for deterioration of the point’s position accuracy in the network when the absolute humidity is increasing. The values of the RMS, obtained at the lowest and highest values of absolute humidity, for all networks and the different durations of observations were compared. Thus, when the absolute humidity changed from 7.0 g/m3 to 13,8 g/m3 for the observation duration of 4 hours, the average values of RMS increased 1.6 times (from 4.4 mm to 7.0 mm), for the sessions of 2 hour duration the value of RMS increased 1.8 times (from 4.7 mm to 8.3 mm), and for a 1 hour duration – 2.1 times (6.1 mm to 13.0 mm). Scientific novelty and practical significance. The environment of satellite signals propagation remains one of the main sources of errors, in particular in the troposphere, which, in essence, “forms” the weather. Although today more attention is focused on weather forecasting using satellite navigation systems, there is also an inverse problem. The study suggests meteorological conditions, specifically absolute humidity, should be considered to increase the accuracy of GPS-measurements. The obtained results of the studies are quite reliable, since a large amount of data is used. It is advisable to choose the days for GPS observations, when the moisture content is minimal (no higher than 12 g/m3). From a practical point of view – the possibility of using observable meteorological parameters obtained from the weather forecasts are feasible.

Background: Experimental and ecological studies have shown the role of climatic factors in driving the epidemiology of influenza. In particular, low absolute humidity (AH) has been shown to increase influenza virus transmissibility and has been identified to explain the onset of epidemics in temperate regions. Here, we aim to study the potential climatic drivers of influenza-like illness (ILI) epidemiology in Vietnam, a tropical country characterized by a high diversity of climates. We specifically focus on quantifying and explaining the seasonality of ILI. Methods: We used 18 years (1993–2010) of monthly ILI notifications aggregated by province (52) and monthly climatic variables (minimum, mean, maximum temperatures, absolute and relative humidities, rainfall and hours of sunshine) from 67 weather stations across Vietnam. Seasonalities were quantified from global wavelet spectra, using the value of the power at the period of 1 year as a measure of the intensity of seasonality. The 7 climatic time series were characterized by 534 summary statistics which were entered into a regression tree to identify factors associated with the seasonality of AH. Results were extrapolated to the global scale using simulated climatic times series from the NCEP/NCAR project. Results: The intensity of ILI seasonality in Vietnam is best explained by the intensity of AH seasonality. We find that ILI seasonality is weak in provinces experiencing weak seasonal fluctuations in AH (annual power 17.6). In Vietnam, AH and ILI are positively correlated. Conclusions: Our results identify a role for AH in driving the epidemiology of ILI in a tropical setting. However, in contrast to temperate regions, high rather than low AH is associated with increased ILI activity. Fluctuation in AH may be the climate factor that underlies and unifies the seasonality of ILI in both temperate and tropical regions. Alternatively, the mechanism of action of AH on disease transmission may be different in cold-dry versus hot-humid settings.

In this paper the design of an automated measuring system to study and characterize different fabrics in terms of breathability is presented. This system came as a solution to the actual problem in the fabric industry regarding the measurement of breathability. Currently the systems used are not automated, expensive and slow, and the few automated systems used do not often recreate the real sweating conditions. That leads to breathability results that do not match the real performance of the fabrics. This paper presents a system that simulates better the human perspiration. A low-cost system based in Arduino was built and Matlab models were extracted and used to finely tune the PIDs that control the parameters. The software was designed to provide an user friendly operation and to calculate the breathability expressed in commonly used units. This system was proved to be an 80% faster than the current systems in the market, providing a good instrument to perform further studies of different kind of fabrics.

Influenza is a costly disease for pig producers and understanding its epidemiology is critical to control it. In this study, we aimed to estimate the herd-level prevalence and seasonality of influenza in breed-to-wean pig farms, evaluate the correlation between influenza herd-level prevalence and meteorological conditions, and characterize influenza genetic diversity over time. A cohort of 34 breed-to-wean farms with monthly influenza status obtained over a 5-year period in piglets prior to wean was selected. A farm was considered positive in a given month if at least one oral fluid tested influenza positive by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. Influenza seasonality was assessed combining autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) models with trigonometric functions as covariates. Meteorological conditions were gathered from local land-based weather stations, monthly aggregated and correlated with influenza herd-level prevalence. Influenza herd-level prevalence had a median of 28% with a range from 7 to 57% and followed a cyclical pattern with levels increasing during fall, peaking in both early winter (December) and late spring (May), and decreasing in summer. Influenza herd-level prevalence was correlated with mean outdoor air absolute humidity (AH) and temperature. Influenza genetic diversity was substantial over time with influenza isolates belonging to 10 distinct clades from which H1 delta 1 and H1 gamma 1 were the most common. Twenty-one percent of farms had three different clades co-circulating over time, 18% of farms had two clades, and 41% of farms had one clade. In summary, our study showed that influenza had a cyclical pattern explained in part by air AH and temperature changes over time, and highlighted the importance of active surveillance to identify high-risk periods when strategic control measures for influenza could be implemented.

Background: For patients undergoing general anesthesia, adequate warming and humidification of the inspired gases is very important. The aim of this study was to evaluate the differences in the heat and moisture content of the inspired gases with low-flow anesthesia using 4 different anesthesia machines. Methods: The patients were divided into 11 groups according to the anesthesia machine used (Ohmeda, Excel; Avance; Dräger, Cato; and Primus) and the fresh gas flow (FGF) rate (0.5, 1, and 4 L/min). The temperature and absolute humidity of the inspired gas in the inspiratory limbs were measured at 5, 10, 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, 90, 105, and 120 minutes in 9 patients scheduled for total thyroidectomy or cervical spine operation in each group. Results: The anesthesia machines of Excel, Avance, Cato, and Primus did not show statistically significant changes in the inspired gas temperatures over time within each group with various FGFs. They, however, showed statistically significant changes in the absolute humidity of the inspired gas over time within each group with low FGF anesthesia (P

Vsebnost vodne pare v ozračju je ena pomembnejših meteoroloških spremenljivk pri numeričnem napovedovanju vremena kot tudi dolgoročnem preučevanju podnebja. Tradicionalni načini merjenja zaradi svojih pomanjkljivosti in stroškov obratovanja ne uspejo pokriti izredno heterogene prostorske in časovne porazdelitve vodne pare v ozračju. Z vse hitrejšim razvojem Globalnih navigacijskih satelitskih sistemov (GNSS), med katere sodi tudi Globalni sistem pozicioniranja (GPS), se vedno bolj uveljavlja daljinsko zaznavanje vsebnosti vodne pare v ozračju na podlagi zakasnitev satelitskih signalov GNSS. V ta namen smo v diplomski nalogi na podlagi skoraj dvoletnih meritev GPS z dvema načrtno postavljenima stacionarnima sprejemnikoma na območju Vipavske doline po uveljavljeni metodologiji, računali skupno vsebnost vodne pare v stolpcu ozračja nad postajo GPS in v sloju ozračja znotraj Vipavske doline – od dna do roba Trnovske planote. Rezultate vsebnosti vodne pare v ozračju smo nato analizirali, primerjali in ovrednotili na podlagi izračunane absolutne vlage in drugih meteoroloških podatkov iz bližnjih merilnih postaj, opisov razvoja vremena in fotografij vremenskih razmer na območju Vipavske doline. Ugotovili smo, da lahko prisotnost padavin ter specifične nehomogene porazdelitve vlažnih zračnih mas vplivajo na razlike v absolutni vlagi, določeni na merilnih postajah in povprečni absolutni vlagi v ozračju Vipavske doline, ocenjeni s pomočjo zakasnitve signalov GNSS. Water vapor plays a crucial role in numerical weather prediction and long term climate research. However, due to the limitations and costs associated with contemporary instruments of water vapor estimation, the complex temporal and spatial distribution of water vapor in the atmosphere remains insufficiently covered. With the rapid development of Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), which include the Global Positioning System (GPS), there is rising interest in the potential of remote sensing of water vapor in the atmosphere based on GNSS signals delays. Therefore, in this bachelor thesis, using a proven methodology, almost two years of continuous GPS data, obtained from two specifically located stationary GPS receivers in the Vipava Valley region were used to calculate water vapor in the atmospheric layer within the Vipava Valley – from the base of the valley to the edge of Trnovski gozd ridge. The results were analysed, compared and evaluated based on water vapor calculated using data from nearby meteorological stations, other meteorological data, descriptions of weather development and photographs of weather conditions in the Vipava Valley region. It was concluded, that the presence of percipitation and conditions with specific nonhomogeneous distrubutions of humid air in the Vipava valley cause differences between absolute humudity obtained from measuring stations and the average absolute humidity within Vipava valley, estimated from GNSS signal delays.

It is important to understand the water content and evaporation on the surface of mural paintings in order to prevent exfoliation of pigments, deposition of salts, fungi growth and so forth. However, there have not been many researches on such measurementsbecause non-invasive measurements in high-humidity environment are difficult. In this study, a measurement system was first constructed using two small dataloggers. Measurements were conducted on the surface of the stone at Kumamoto Prefectural Ancient Buried Mound Museum. Evaporation on the surface of the stone wasidentified from the gradient of absolute humidity calculated from measured values of temperature and relative humidity. One of the drawbacks of this method is that the data-logger is poor in humidity resistance and inaccurate in a high-humidity environment. Temperature and humidity sensors which have better humidity resistance were selected to develop a new measurement system for application at humid sites. The new measurement system is composed of a control board Arduino Mega 2560, which controlsthe digital signals from sensors and records the data on a micro SD card. A prototype system was constructed and evaluated in this study.

Atmospheric dust is the direct treatment object in air purification system. We should understand not only the concept of atmospheric dust in air clean technologies but also its origin, component, concentration, and distribution.

The importance of water management in proton exchange membrane fuel cells is discussed in this paper. First part of research is dedicated to the characterization of a water-cooled 1kW PEMFC fuel cell stack at different operating conditions with calculation of net electric and thermal efficiencies. In the second part, the influence of inlet air humidification temperature at various loads and operational conditions was experimentally found. It was observed that humidification temperature in the air saturator has a strong impact on cell performance and this impact is growing with current density. Increase in humidification temperature by 8°C at 200mA/cm 2 raised cell voltage only by 0.01V, while at 500mA/cm 2 the same change led to 0.04V growth. Additionally, the effect of change of air stoichiometry on this relationship is studied. Increased air stoichiometry led to a maximum growth of the slope angle by 68% at 500mA/cm 2 .

The spatio-temporal distribution of influenza is linked to variations in meteorological factors, like temperature, absolute humidity, or the amount of rainfall. The aim of this study was to analyse the association between influenza activity, and meteorological variables in Spain, across five influenza seasons: 2010-2011 through to 2014-2015 using generalized linear negative binomial mixed models that we calculated the weekly influenza proxies, defined as the weekly influenza-like illness rates, multiplied by the weekly proportion of respiratory specimens that tested positive for influenza. The results showed an association between influenza transmission and dew point and cumulative precipitation. In increase in the dew point temperature of 5 degrees produces a 7% decrease in the Weekly Influenza Proxy (RR 0.928, IC: 0.891-0.966), and while an increase of 10 mm in weekly rainfall equates to a 17% increase in the Weekly Influenza Proxy (RR 1.172, IC: 1.097-1.251). Influenza transmission in Spain is influenced by variations in meteorological variables as temperature, absolute humidity, or the amount of rainfall. This study has been funded by Instituto de Salud Carlos III through the project “PI15/01398” (Co-funded by European Regional Development Fund/European Social Fund “Investing in your future”). Sí

Both temperature and humidity may independently or jointly contribute to the risk of human rhinovirus (HRV) infections, either through altered survival and spread of viruses in the environment or due to changes in host susceptibility. This study examined the relationship between short-term variations in temperature and humidity and the risk of HRV infections in a subarctic climate. We conducted a case-crossover study among conscripts (n = 892) seeking medical attention due to respiratory symptoms during their military training and identified 147 HRV cases by real-time PCR. An average temperature, a decline in daily ambient temperature and absolute humidity (AH) during the three preceding days of the onset (hazard period) and two reference periods (a week prior and after the onset) were obtained. The average daily temperature preceding HRV infections was −9.9 ± 4.9 °C and the average AH was 2.2 ± 0.9 g/m3. An average (odds ratios (OR) 1.07 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.00–1.15)) and maximal (OR 1.08 (1.01–1.17)) change in temperature increased the risk of HRV infections by 8% per 1 °C decrease. An average (OR 1.20 (CI 1.03–1.40)) and maximal decrease (OR 1.13 (CI 0.96–1.34)) in AH increased the risk of HRV infection by 13% and 20% per 0.5 g/m3 decrease. A higher average temperature during the three preceding days was positively associated with HRV infections (OR 1.07 (CI 1.00–1.15)). A decrease rather than low temperature and humidity per se during the preceding few days increases the risk of HRV infections in a cold climate. The information is applicable to populations residing in cold climates for appropriate personal protection and prevention of adverse health effects.

Povzetek Nabavna funkcija v podjetju je eden najpomembnejših segmentov delovanja podjetja. Uspešnost nabavne službe je pogojena s pravilno in z dobro presojo pri izbiri dobavitelja in njegovo končno vlog (vključno pri spremljanju reklamacij). Proces izbire pravega dobavitelja je ena izmed najpomembnejših strateških odločitev vsakega podjetja, saj vpliva na njegovo delovanje, uspešnost in s tem tudi na njegov obstoj. Dobavitelj mora izpolniti pričakovanja kupcev, sicer ne more pričakovati uspeha na trgu. Diplomska naloga se bo osredotočila na težavo rosenja vitrin, ki se je pojavila v eni od trgovin. Po prenovi objekta in zagonu le-tega sta se pojavila na njih led in rosa. S to težavo in tako obsežno smo se srečali prvič. Odprava navedene reklamacije je terjala hitro izvedbo v naj krajšem možnem času s pomočjo predvidevanj in meritev. Dobavitelje se izbira na osnovi več parametrov, kot so kakovost, cena, hitrost dobave in poznavanje kupčevih potreb in želja. Raznolikost kupcev terja večjo prilagodljivost, kar lahko predstavlja večje tveganje pri vpeljavah nestandardnih oziroma ne testiranih rešitev na kupčevo željo. Komunikacija med kupcem in dobaviteljem mora biti usklajena, da se zagotovita najboljša rešitev in izbira produktov. V diplomski nalogi se osredotočam, kako rešiti probleme s pomočjo tehničnih rešitev in kako zadovoljiti kupce s predajo produkta, ki deluje brez napak. Problem smo rešili s pomočjo monitoringa in tudi s predvidevanji, katere ukrepe je potrebno izvesti. Opravili smo več testnih meritev. Rešitev reklamacije je potekala v šestih fazah: • V prvi fazi smo pregledali reklamacijo in jo opisali. V tej fazi smo pregledali vse nastavitve in detajle, kjer bi lahko prišlo do odstopanj. Pregledali smo tesnjenje vitrin na spojih, kako so sestavljene, ali so drsna in ostala vrata pravilno nameščena, ali je zatesnjen dovod pri električnih kablih. • V fazi 2 smo izvedli meritve z naše strani, opredelili težave, jih opisali in poslali poročilo – reklamacijo našemu dobavitelju. • V fazi 3 smo skupaj z dobaviteljem naredili in pripravili načrt kaj je potrebno na objektu preveriti in izmeriti da se reklamacija reši. • V fazi 4 smo opravili skupen prihod na objekt, kjer smo pregledali stanje in opravili prve skupne meritve. določili smo ukrepe za naslednji pregled in meritev. • Faza 5 druga skupna meritev. Pregledali smo stanje, če se je kaj izboljšalo glede na prejšnji obisk in zapisali ugotovitve. • Zadnja faza 6 je bila izvedena s strani zunanjega laboratorija, ki je podal svoje ugotovitve. S pomočjo meritev in testiranj smo prišli do končne ugotovitve, da je največja težava vdor svežega zraka, zaradi katerega se tvori kondenz. V naši reklamaciji si bomo ogledali težavo rosenja vitrin, kjer je sprva kazalo, da je težava na samem izdelku – vitrinah, v končni fazi pa se je na osnovi meritev pokazalo, da je povzročitelj težave neustrezna klimatizacija celotnega objekta in neprimerno prezračevanje. Ključne besede: rosenje, točka rosišča, absolutna vlaga, relativna vlaga Abstract Purchasing function is one of the most important segments in the functioning of company. The success of purchasing department is determined by correct and good judgement when selecting a supplier, and also his final role (including the monitoring of complaints or refunds). The process of selecting the right supplier is one of the most important strategic decisions of every company, since it influences its functioning, success and, consequently, its existence. The supplier has to meet buyers' expectations or else he cannot expect to succeed in the market. This diploma thesis is focused on the problem of steamy display cases, which occurred in one of the shops. After the shop had been renovated and reopened, the steam and ice appeared on display cases. We faced such an extensive problem for the first time. The complaint was dealt with in the shortest time possible, using the predictions and measurements. The suppliers are selected on the basis of several parameters, such as quality, price, speed of supply and understanding costumer's wishes and needs. The variety of different buyers demands more adjustability, which can present a higher risk when introducing nonstandard or untested solutions, which were made on buyer's demand. To ensure the best solution and choice of products, the buyer – supplier communication has to be consistent. This diploma thesis focuses on how to solve the problems using technical solutions and how to satisfy the buyers by delivering flawless products. The problem was solved by monitoring and by predicting which measures should be taken. We performed several test measurements and we also included the external measurement source to achieve more credibility. The complaint was resolved in six phases: • In the first phase, the complaint was examined and described. All settings and details were checked to avoid possible deviations. We checked the sealing of display cases at their joints. We then checked display cases’ construction and whether the slide doors are set properly. We also checked whether the electrical conduit is sealed properly. • In the second phase, we made some measurements and defined the problems. We also described them and sent a report about the complaint to our supplier. • In the third phase, we made a plan with our supplier of what needs to be checked in the building in order to resolve the complaint. • In the fourth phase we examined the building together. We checked the conditions and performed some measurements together. Then we determined the measures that have to be taken for next examination and measurements. • In the fifth phase, we performed another shared measurement. We checked whether the condition had improved since our first visit and we took notes of our findings. • The sixth phase was performed by an outside laboratory, which also presented its findings later With the help of measurements and testing, we concluded that the greatest problem is the invasion of fresh air, which then causes condensation. In our complaint, we will look into the issue of steamy display cases. We first assumed the problem was in the product itself – the display cases. In the final phase and based on the measurements, we ascertained that the problem appeared because of the inappropriate air-conditioning and ventilation of the whole building Keywords: dewpoint, dew point, absolute humidity, relative humidity

The most suitable temperature and relative humidity for the conservation of cultural properties are said to be about 20℃ and 60%RH, respectively, by ICCROM. In addition, care has to be taken so that cultural properties would not suffer from rapid changes in temperature and relative humidity. However, it is not easy to maintain these conditions because of aging facilities, equipments and other factors. Nevertheless, it is almost impossible to conduct experiments on site or renovations only for investigations to study environmental conditions such as temperature and humidity. In such cases, the analysis technique using computer simulation can be a useful tool because it can be utilized without causing any damage on cultural properties and it does not cost much. Analysis of temperature and humidity in Chitose-Bunko, which is a storage of Sekisui Museum in Mie prefecture, was conducted by using a simulation software, NETS. In this paper, the current situation of this study and the results of comparison with measured data are reported.

Glavna namjera istraživanja je realizacija ljestvice temperatura injišta/rosišta zraka u rasponu od -70 °C do 5 °C. Realizacija ljestvice uključuje projektiranje i sastavljanje mjerne linije za ispitivanje etalonskih higrometara točke rose, definiranje eksperimentalne metode i pripadajućeg matematičkog modela umjeravanja te određivanje mjerne nesigurnosti realizacije. U okviru istraživanja izrađeni su računalni programi za upravljanje realizacijom i prikupljanje relevantnih mjerenih veličina. Predloženo istraživanje unaprijedilo je umjerne mogućnosti Laboratorija za procesna mjerenja (LPM) kao nacionalnog etalona vlažnosti Republike Hrvatske te je osiguralo sljedivost na području mjerenja vlažnosti zraka. Ovime je omogućeno ravnopravno sudjelovanje Republike Hrvatske u europskim i svjetskim mjeriteljskim usporedbama na predmetnom području. Umjerne mogućnosti nove linije eksperimentalno su potvrđene međulaboratorijskom usporedbom s nacionalnim etalonom Finske. Na temelju provedene usporedbe, sposobnosti umjeravanja i mjerenja Laboratorija (eng. Calibration and Measurement Capability, CMC) međunarodno su priznate i registrirane u bazi usporedbi (eng. key comparison database, KCDB) Međunarodnog ureda za utege i mjere (fra. Bureau International des Poids et Mesures, BIPM). The main goal of the research is the realization of the dew/frost point temperature scale in the range between -70 °C and 5 °C. The realization of the dew/frost point scale includes design and construction of the measurement facility for calibration of standard dew-point hygrometers, definition of experimental calibration method together with the mathematical model of calibration and determination of the calibration uncertainty. As part of the research, PC software was developed for control of the realization process and relevant data acquisition. Proposed research has improved calibration capabilities of Laboratory for Process Measurement as Croatian National Humidity Standard and assured the traceability in the field of air humidity measurements. It enabled the Republic of Croatia to participate in the interlaboratory comparisons at the European and global level. Measurement capabilities of the new facility are confirmed through the interlaboratory comparison with national metrology institute of Finland. Based on the comparison results, Calibration and measurement capabilities (CMC) of the Laboratory are acknowledged internationally and available in the key comparison database of the Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (BIPM).

Background: Experimental and ecological studies have shown the role of climatic factors in driving the epidemiology of influenza. In particular, low absolute humidity (AH) has been shown to increase influenza virus transmissibility and has been identified to explain the onset of epidemics in temperate regions. Here, we aim to study the potential climatic drivers of influenza-like illness (ILI) epidemiology in Vietnam, a tropical country characterized by a high diversity of climates. We specifically focus on quantifying and explaining the seasonality of ILI. Methods: We used 18 years (1993-2010) of monthly ILI notifications aggregated by province (52) and monthly climatic variables (minimum, mean, maximum temperatures, absolute and relative humidities, rainfall and hours of sunshine) from 67 weather stations across Vietnam. Seasonalities were quantified from global wavelet spectra, using the value of the power at the period of 1 year as a measure of the intensity of seasonality. The 7 climatic time series were characterized by 534 summary statistics which were entered into a regression tree to identify factors associated with the seasonality of AH. Results were extrapolated to the global scale using simulated climatic times series from the NCEP/NCAR project. Results: The intensity of ILI seasonality in Vietnam is best explained by the intensity of AH seasonality. We find that ILI seasonality is weak in provinces experiencing weak seasonal fluctuations in AH (annual power 17.6). In Vietnam, AH and ILI are positively correlated. Conclusions: Our results identify a role for AH in driving the epidemiology of ILI in a tropical setting. However, in contrast to temperate regions, high rather than low AH is associated with increased ILI activity. Fluctuation in AH may be the climate factor that underlies and unifies the seasonality of ILI in both temperate and tropical regions. Alternatively, the mechanism of action of AH on disease transmission may be different in cold-dry versus hot-humid settings.

Background Both temperature and humidity may independently or jointly contribute to the risk of influenza infections. We examined the relations between the level and decrease of temperature, humidity and the risk of influenza A and B virus infections in a subarctic climate. Methods We conducted a case-crossover study among military conscripts (n = 892) seeking medical attention due to respiratory symptoms during their military training period and identified 66 influenza A and B cases by PCR or serology. Meteorological data such as measures of average and decline in ambient temperature and absolute humidity (AH) during the three preceding days of the onset (hazard period) and two reference periods, prior and after the onset were obtained. Results The average temperature preceding the influenza onset was −6.8 ± 5.6°C and AH 3.1 ± 1.3 g/m3. A decrease in both temperature and AH during the hazard period increased the occurrence of influenza so that a 1°C decrease in temperature and 0.5 g decrease per m3 in AH increased the estimated risk by 11% [OR 1.11 (1.03 to 1.20)] and 58% [OR 1.58 (1.28 to 1.96)], respectively. The occurrence of influenza infections was positively associated with both the average temperature [OR 1.10 per 1°C (95% confidence interval 1.02 to 1.19)] and AH [OR 1.25 per g/m3 (1.05 to 1.49)] during the hazard period prior to onset. Conclusion Our results demonstrate that a decrease rather than low temperature and humidity per se during the preceding three days increase the risk of influenza episodes in a cold climate.

В статті обґрунтовано доцільність та наведено методику експериментальних досліджень з визначення міцнісних властивостей компонентів для дражирування насіння, встановлено залежності модуля Юнга та максимальної відносної деформації зразків з суміші бентоніту та гумату від її кількісного складу та абсолютної вологості, перевірено їх адекватність. The expediency and the experimental research methodology for strength properties determination of components for seeds pelleting, the dependences of the Young modulus and the maximum relative deformation of samples from a mixture of bentonite and humate on its composition and absolute humidity, checked their adequacy are informed in the article. It is established that pelleted seeds rationally be made from several layers: the outer, it is advisable to form out of 100% bentonite, because it has the maximum strength of 6.0•108 ... of 6.5•108 Pa at a moisture content close to your natural and significantly reduces the strength of 2.5•108 ... of 3.0•108 Pa at the increase of soil moisture. The dependences of the elastic modulus and the maximum relative elastic deformation of the mixture of bentonite and humate from humidity and quantitative composition is useful for discrete dynamic modeling pelleted seed.

Este estudo tem por objetivo verificar a distribuição de umidade absoluta e da temperatura do ar intraurbano, associando-as à presença de um corpo d'água na área urbana de São José do Rio Preto, SP. A combinação do conteúdo de água no ar fornecido por corpos d'água com o potencial eólico pode favorecer significativamente as condições microclimáticas de uma área urbana, levando a um ambiente térmico mais ameno. Nove pontos de coleta de dados foram selecionados na malha urbana para detectar diferenças de temperatura e umidade absoluta do ar. Quatro pontos detalham os fenômenos físicos associados às trocas de calor intraurbanas sob a influência da distribuição da umidade absoluta. Foi detectado que o ponto de coleta à margem da represa municipal permaneceu aproximadamente 2 ºC abaixo do ponto situado na zona residencial mais impermeabilizada e 7 g/m³ mais úmido. A alta variação dos valores de umidade absoluta detectada neste estudo corrobora a necessidade de criação de estratégias para a redução da evaporação e melhoria da distribuição da quantidade de água no ar pelos espaços intraurbanos em épocas quentes e secas em cidades situadas em áreas continentais. This study aims to verify the distribution of absolute humidity and variation of air temperature in the urban canopy layer, linking them to the presence of a water body in the town of São José do Rio Preto, SP. The combination of the moisture content in the air provided by a water body and the blowing potential of the wind may strongly affect the microclimate conditions of an urban area, leading to a milder thermal environment. Nine data collection points were distributed throughout the urban fabric in order to detect differences in air temperature and absolute air humidity. Four of them were chosen to detail the physical phenomenon associated to the heat exchange in the urban canopy layer according to the absolute humidity distribution. The point located close to the banks of the reservoir maintained an average temperature 2ºC lower than the point located on a paved area, and its was 7 g/m³ more humid. The high rates of variation of absolute humidity detected in this study justify the need to create strategies to reduce evaporation and to improve absolute humidity distribution throughout the urban canopy layer in dry and warm periods in urban areas situated on continental regions.

BACKGROUND: Heat and moisture exchangers (HMEs) are commonly used in chronically tracheostomized spontaneously breathing patients, to condition inhaled air, maintain lower airway function, and minimize the viscosity of secretions. Supplemental oxygen (O2) can be added to most HMEs designed for spontaneously breathing tracheostomized patients. We tested the efficiency of 7 HMEs designed for spontaneously breathing tracheostomized patients, in a normothermic model, at different minute ventilations (VE) and supplemental O2 flows. METHODS: HME efficiency was evaluated using an in vitro lung model at 2 VE (5 and 15 L/min) and 4 supplemental O2 flows (0, 3, 6, and 12 L/min). Wet and dry temperatures of the inspiratory flow were measured, and absolute humidity was calculated. In addition, HME efficiency at 0, 12, and 24 h use was evaluated, as well as resistance to flow at 0 and 24 h. RESULTS: The progressive increase in O2 flow from 0 to 12 L/min was associated with a reduction in temperature and absolute humidity. Under the same conditions, this effect was greater at lower VE. The HME with the best performance provided an absolute humidity of 26 mg H2O/L and a temperature of 27.8°C. No significant changes in efficiency or resistance were detected during the 24 h evaluation. CONCLUSIONS: The efficiency of HMEs in terms of temperature and absolute humidity is significantly affected by O2 supplementation and VE.

The effect of water on NO formation was analyzed theoretically from the point of view of changes in the entrained air rate and specific heat of the burned gas in the combustion chamber. The specific heat was calculated accurately based on the chemical equilibrium composition analysis considering the absolute humidity of the inducted air, the amount of water in the emulsified fuel and the residual gas fraction. It is clarified by the two-zone combustion model analysis that about 20% reduction in NO_x is attained by an increase of only 0. 01 kg/kg in the absolute humidity, and the NO_x reduction due to the water-emulsified fuel is caused by increases in both gas weight and specific heat of the burned gas whereas the entrained air rate is hardly affected by the water in the emulsified fuel., 日本機械学會論文集. B編, 61（590）, pp.3541-3547; 1995

The effect of water on NO formation was analyzed theoretically from the point of view of changes in the entrained air rate and specific heat of the burned gas in the combustion chamber. The specific heat was calculated accurately based on the chemical equilibrium composition analysis considering the absolute humidity of the inducted air, the amount of water in the emulsified fuel and the residual gas fraction. It is clarified by the two-zone combustion model analysis that about 20% reduction in NO_x is attained by an increase of only 0. 01 kg/kg in the absolute humidity, and the NO_x reduction due to the water-emulsified fuel is caused by increases in both gas weight and specific heat of the burned gas whereas the entrained air rate is hardly affected by the water in the emulsified fuel.

Biological experiments and epidemiological evidence indicate that variations in environment have important effect on the occurrence and transmission of epidemic influenza. It is therefore important to understand the characteristic patterns of transmission for prevention of disease and reduction of disease burden. Based on case records, we analyzed the environmental characteristics including climate variables in Changsha, and then constructed a meteorological anomaly susceptive-infective-removal (SIR) model on the basis of the results of influenza A (H1N1) transmission. The results showed that the outbreak of influenza A (H1N1) in Changsha showed significant correlation with meteorological conditions; the spread of influenza was sensitive to meteorological anomalies, and that the outbreak of influenza A (H1N1) in Changsha was influenced by a combination of absolute humidity anomalous weather conditions, contact rates of the influenza patients and changes in population movements. These findings will provide helpful information regarding prevention strategies under different conditions, a fresh understanding of the emergence and re-emergence of influenza outbreaks, and a new perspective on the transmission dynamics of influenza.

Following the emergence of a novel strain of influenza A(H1N1) in Mexico and the United States in April 2009, its epidemiology in Europe during the summer was limited to sporadic and localised outbreaks. Only the United Kingdom experienced widespread transmission declining with school holidays in late July. Using statistical modelling where applicable we explored the following causes that could explain this surprising difference in transmission dynamics: extinction by chance, differences in the susceptibility profile, age distribution of the imported cases, differences in contact patterns, mitigation strategies, school holidays and weather patterns. No single factor was able to explain the differences sufficiently. Hence an additive mixed model was used to model the country-specific weekly estimates of the effective reproductive number using the extinction probability, school holidays and weather patterns as explanatory variables. The average extinction probability, its trend and the trend in absolute humidity were found to be significantly negatively correlated with the effective reproduction number - although they could only explain about 3% of the variability in the model. By comparing the initial epidemiology of influenza A (H1N1) across different European countries, our analysis was able to uncover a possible role for the timing of importations (extinction probability), mixing patterns and the absolute humidity as underlying factors. However, much uncertainty remains. With better information on the role of these epidemiological factors, the control of influenza could be improved. UK Medical Research Council for Centre funding;European PCRD 7 (Flumodcont); Institute for the Promotion of Innovation by Science and Technology in Flanders (IWT), project number 060081 and by the IAP research network nr P6/03 of the Belgian Government (Belgian Science Policy)

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V diplomskem delu smo raziskali navzemanje vlage tekstilnih vlaken različne surovinske sestave v oblačilih. Proučili smo povezave med zračno prepustnostjo, gostoto niti v tkanini, surovinsko sestavo, postopki plemenitenja in navzemanjem vlage vlaken. V raziskavi smo uporabili neobdelane, beljene, 5 krat prane, 10 krat prane in 14 krat prane vzorce. Meritve navzemanja vlage opravljene pri standardnih pogojih na napravi Moisture Analyzer-a HB43 in meritve zračne prepustnosti na aparatu za določanje zračne prepustnosti Karl Schröder, so pokazale, da je vsebnost vlage odvisna od obdelave tekstilije. Neobdelan vzorec ima višjo sposobnost navzemanja vlage in večjo zračno propustnost kot beljeni oziroma prani vzorec. In diploma work we studied moisture sorption in different textile fibres material. We analyzed the relations between air permeability, fabric thread density, primary material composition, finish procedures and fibre moisture sorption. In research we used raw, bleached, five times washed, ten times washed and fourteen times washed samples. Moisture adsorption measurements on Moisture Analyzer HB43 and measurements of air permeability Air permeability tester Karl Schröder, have indicated that moisture sorption depends on textiles treatment procedure. Untreated sample has better sorption properties and higher air permeability than bleached or washed specimen.

Recent study indicates that outdoor temperature influences room air and wall cavity formaldehyde concentrations in most, but not all, homes containing formaldehyde insulation., Transactions of Indoor Air Quality in Cold Climates : Hazards and Abatement measures: 29 April 1985, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

In this paper the design of an automated measuring system to study and characterize different fabrics in terms of breathability is presented. This system came as a solution to the actual problem in the fabric industry regarding the measurement of breathability. Currently the systems used are not automated, expensive and slow, and the few automated systems used do not often recreate the real sweating conditions. That leads to breathability results that do not match the real performance of the fabrics. This paper presents a system that simulates better the human perspiration. A low-cost system based in Arduino was built and Matlab models were extracted and used to finely tune the PIDs that control the parameters. The software was designed to provide an user friendly operation and to calculate the breathability expressed in commonly used units. This system was proved to be an 80% faster than the current systems in the market, providing a good instrument to perform further studies of different kind of fabrics.

Introduction In order to improve the efficiency of heat moisture exchangers (HMEs), new hybrid humidifiers (active HMEs) that add water and heat to HMEs have been developed. In this study we evaluated the efficiency, both in vitro and in vivo, of a new active HME (the Performer; StarMed, Mirandola, Italy) as compared with that of existing HMEs (Hygroster and Hygrobac; Mallinckrodt, Mirandola, Italy). Methods We tested the efficiency by measuring the temperature and absolute humidity (AH) in vitro using a test lung ventilated at three levels of minute ventilation (5, 10 and 15 l/min) and at two tidal volumes (0.5 and 1 l), and in vivo in 42 patients with acute lung injury (arterial oxygen tension/fractional inspired oxygen ratio 283 ± 72 mmHg). We also evaluated the efficiency in vivo after 12 hours. Results In vitro, passive Performer and Hygrobac had higher airway temperature and AH (29.2 ± 0.7°C and 29.2 ± 0.5°C, [P < 0.05]; AH: 28.9 ± 1.6 mgH2O/l and 28.1 ± 0.8 mgH2O/l, [P < 0.05]) than did Hygroster (airway temperature: 28.1 ± 0.3°C [P < 0.05]; AH: 27 ± 1.2 mgH2O/l [P < 0.05]). Both devices suffered a loss of efficiency at the highest minute ventilation and tidal volume, and at the lowest minute ventilation. Active Performer had higher airway temperature and AH (31.9 ± 0.3°C and 34.3 ± 0.6 mgH2O/l; [P < 0.05]) than did Hygrobac and Hygroster, and was not influenced by minute ventilation or tidal volume. In vivo, the efficiency of passive Performer was similar to that of Hygrobac but better than Hygroster, whereas Active Performer was better than both. The active Performer exhibited good efficiency when used for up to 12 hours in vivo. Conclusion This study showed that active Performer may provide adequate conditioning of inspired gases, both as a passive and as an active device.