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Currently, due to the experience of a global pandemic -COVID 19-, older people in situations of vulnerability and social risk have presented significant demands. Faced with this scenario, the present work was developed from a research exercise, based on the framework of Popular Education for field research, seeking to articulate theory and practice. Therefore, from our concerns arose the questions: How could we help, during isolation, older people in situations of vulnerability and social risk? What possibilities exist to intervene in this process? To start this discussion, it was necessary to briefly contextualize the reflections of capitalism in the conduct of public social assistance policies, under the tutelage of a far-right federal government in Brazil. We also reflect on the rights of the elderly population at this juncture, what possible attributions exist within the Assistance Reference Center (CRAS) and how Popular Education can contribute to a process of confronting what has been raised, elucidating the vision of the whole. Thus, the authors carried out a qualitative research, in which, by sampling, they selected elderly people, with an average age between 60 and 72 years, in vulnerability, who attended the CRAS Vila Mathiensen and Jardim Nossa Senhora Aparecida, municipality of Americana / SP, Brazil, in peripheral neighborhoods and in situations of extreme social vulnerability, to respond to these concerns through a semi-structured questionnaire, in order to know what they have seen and heard about COVID-19 and what measures they have sought to face this scenario. Through the responses obtained, possible forms of intervention were analyzed and how we could contribute to promoting information. In this way, we seek to contribute with an analysis and reflection of the moment in which we live and, finally, to elucidate some possible actions with these people, without breaking the health protection measures., Actualmente, debido a la experiencia de una pandemia global -COVID 19-, las personas mayores en situaciones de vulnerabilidad y riesgo social han presentado demandas significativas. Ante este escenario, el presente trabajo se desarrolló a partir de un ejercicio de investigación, basado en el marco de la Educación Popular para la investigación de campo, buscando articular teoría y práctica. Por tanto, de nuestras inquietudes surgieron las preguntas: ¿Cómo podríamos ayudar, durante el aislamiento, a las personas mayores en situación de vulnerabilidad y riesgo social? ¿Qué posibilidades existen para intervenir en este proceso? Para iniciar esta discusión, fue necesario contextualizar brevemente los reflejos del capitalismo en la conducción de las políticas públicas de asistencia social, bajo la tutela de un gobierno federal de ultraderecha en Brasil. También reflexionamos sobre los derechos de la población anciana en esta coyuntura, qué posibles atribuciones existen dentro del Centro de Referencia Asistencial (CRAS) y cómo la Educación Popular puede contribuir a un proceso de confrontación de lo planteado, dilucidando la visión del conjunto. Así, las autoras realizaron una investigación cualitativa, en la cual, por muestreo, seleccionaron personas mayores, con edad promedio entre 60 y 72 años, en vulnerabilidad, que asistían al CRAS Vila Mathiensen y Jardim Nossa Senhora Aparecida, municipio de Americana/SP, Brasil, en barrios periféricos y en situación de extrema vulnerabilidad social, para responder a esas inquietudes a través de un cuestionario semiestructurado, con el fin de conocer qué han visto y oído sobre el COVID-19 y qué medidas han buscado para enfrentar este escenario. A través de las respuestas obtenidas, se analizaron las posibles formas de intervención y cómo podríamos contribuir a fomentar la información. De esta manera, buscamos contribuir con un análisis y reflexión del momento que vivimos y, finalmente, dilucidar sobre algunas posibles acciones con estas personas, sin quebrantar las medidas de protección a la salud., Atualmente devido à vivência de uma pandemia mundial -COVID 19-, as pessoas idosas em situação de vulnerabilidade e risco social têm apresentado demandas significativas. Frente a esse cenário, o presente trabalho foi realizado a partir de um exercício investigativo, tendo base no referencial da Educação Popular para a pesquisa de campo, buscando articular teoria e prática. Por tanto, a partir de nossas inquietações surgiram as perguntas: Como poderíamos auxiliar, durante o isolamento, os idosos em vulnerabilidade e risco social? Quais as possibilidades existentes para intervir nesse processo? Para o início dessa discussão, se fez necessária uma breve contextualização acerca dos reflexos do capitalismo na condução das políticas públicas de Assistência Social sob a tutela de um governo federal de ultradireita no Brasil. Refletimos também sobre os direitos da população idosa nessa conjuntura, quais atribuições possíveis dentro do Centro de Referência de Assistência Social (CRAS) e como a Educação Popular pode contribuir num processo de enfrentamento do que está posto, ao elucidar a visão sobre o todo. Desta forma, as autoras realizaram uma pesquisa qualitativa, que por amostragem, selecionaram pessoas idosas, com idade média entre 60 a 72 anos, em vulnerabilidade, frequentadoras do CRAS Vila Mathiensen e Jardim Nossa Senhora Aparecida, município de Americana/SP, Brasil, em bairros periféricos e em situação de extrema vulnerabilidade social para responder que por meio de um questionário semiestruturado, a fim de descobrir o que essas têm visto e ouvido sobre a COVID-19 e quais as medidas que tem buscado para enfrentar esse cenário. Através das respostas obtidas, foram analisadas quais as possíveis maneiras de intervenção e como poderíamos contribuir para fomentar informação. Desta forma, buscamos contribuir com uma análise e reflexão do momento em que vivemos e, por fim, elucidar algumas ações possíveis a essas pessoas, sem desrespeitar as medidas protetivas de saúde.

The use of road surfaces with low noise emission characteristics is one of the actions mostly applied all over the world to decrease the number of road traffic noise annoyed people. Since many Italian roads are going to be paved with such surfaces, the LEOPOLDO project (funded by the Tuscany Region and the Italian Ministry of Transportation) was planned to check the efficacy in time of this action. Among all solutions, rubberized road surface is one of the most applied in USA, Canada, Europe and Asia. This paper describes results obtained by monitoring four rubberized surfaces one year after the laying and by evaluating the time stability of LEOPOLDO one by means of the Close Proximity method (CPX). All surfaces here analyzed are laid in real scenarios, so the actual efficacy of this action is evaluated. The results on the LEOPOLDO surface show spatial homogeneity, a good time stability and a significant noise emission reduction. Instead, analysis of the four rubberized surfaces shows variability in the results, probably due to the pavement installation quality, as supported by the data. Thus, the rubberized road surface looks to be a very efficient mitigation technology, providing the installation have been carried out with care and proficiency. 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license

The LIFE GIOCONDA is an ongoing project that aims to provide an innovative methodology to the authorities for supporting the environment & health policies by involving the young people in the decision-making processes. The project suggests a web platform able to relate air and noise pollution data in the schools with the students’ pollution awareness. GIOCONDA aims to enhance the awareness of students, teachers and local administrations on the noise issues in schools, presenting suitable tools to improve the public participative processes. This paper presents a new method that has been developed within the Project. It aims to evaluate the acoustic performances of a classroom and to suggest the use of a global indicator based on a group of acoustic parameters compared with their limit values. Whit the new method the comparison between different classrooms or different schools becomes possible, together with a homogeneous evaluation of the priority for planning noise mitigation actions. Several noise measurement campaigns have been performed to characterize the students’ exposure in eight Italian schools. The results are useful to describe the acoustic performances of classrooms.

The effects of noise on students’ health, well-being, and learning are of growing concern among both the general public and policy-makers in Europe. Several studies have highlighted the consequences of noise on children’s learning and performance at school. This study investigates the relationship between noise judgment in school goers aged 11–18 and noise measurements aimed at evaluating their exposure at school. For this purpose, a questionnaire was administered to 521 individuals in 28 classrooms in eight schools of four cities in Italy, with different environmental characteristics. Using a Likert-type scale, a selected set of responses related to noise generated an Annoyance Index (AI) score for each student and a classroom median score (MAI). From the noise data acquired, a global noise score (GNS) was assigned to each classroom. A higher AI was found in industrialized areas and among younger students. No significant differences in noise judgment were found by gender. A significant inverse correlation was described between MAI and GNS, thus the better the acoustic quality of the classrooms, the less the perceived noise and annoyance. The results show that noise perception and consequent disturbance are highly correlated with classroom acoustics, and confirm that annoyance represents the most widespread subjective response to noise.

In almost all urban contexts and in many extra-urban conurbations, where road traffic is the main noise pollution source, the use of barriers is not allowed. In these cases, low-noise road surfaces are the most used mitigation action together with traffic flow reduction. Selecting the optimal surface is only the first problem that the public administration has to face. In the second place, it has to consider the issue of assessing the efficacy of the mitigation action. The purpose of the LEOPOLDO project was to improve the knowledge in the design and the characterization of low-noise road surfaces, producing guidelines helpful to the public administrations. Several experimental road surfaces were tested. Moreover, several measurement methods were implemented aiming to select those that are suitable for a correct assessment of the pavement performances laid as mitigation planning. In this paper, the experience gained in the LEOPOLDO project will be described, focusing on both the measurement methods adopted to assess the performance of a low-noise road surface and the criteria by which the experimental results have to be evaluated, presenting a comparison of the obtained results and their monitoring along time.

This work focuses on the methods for noise estimation within the research “Noise and health pollution from road traffic and incidence of coronary and cardiovascular events in three Italian cohort studies.” Outcomes of noise simulations on the Rome agglomeration are reported on the whole territory (1285 km2): grid map and noise levels at residential buildings have been calculated according Directive 2002/49/EC method. An innovative approach to derive noise road traffic model is described. Population exposure has been linked according to a specific protocol that is detailed in the work. Exposure evaluations for epidemiological studies requires assigning noise levels to population according to the probability of being exposed to a specific level in the dwelling. Limitations of simulations will be analyzed and associated uncertainty will be estimated, based on the modeling choices performed. Therefore, uncertainty of linked epidemiological outcomes will be also discussed. Finally, expected results on the thre...