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The indoor environmental quality is a topic particularly relevant for schools; this category of confined environments is, indeed, occupied by subjects (i.e. children), which are thought to be more vulnerable than adults to the negative health effects of poor indoor air quality, and whose learning process has long been recognized to be influenced by the quality of the indoor environment. This paper presents results of a study concerning the inside air quality of schools in four small towns sited in the southern part of Sicily, interested by the presence of a petrochemical refinery in the surrounding territory. The performed analysis made it possible to highlight the main criticalities regarding the recorded concentration levels of the monitored pollutants and to draw some interesting considerations about the link between indoor and outdoor air conditions with particular reference to such category of enclosed environments.

This study aimed at surveying lower secondary schools in southern Italy, in a highly polluted area. A community close to an industrial area and three villages in rural areas was investigated. Indoor temperature, relative humidity (RH), gaseous pollutants (CO 2 and NO 2 ), selected biological pollutants in indoor dust, and the indoor/outdoor mass concentration and elemental composition of PM 2.5 were ascertained. Temperature and RH were within, or close to, the comfort range, while CO 2 frequently exceeded the threshold of 1000ppm, indicating inadequate air exchange rate. In all the classrooms, median NO 2 levels were above the WHO threshold value. Dermatophagoides p. allergen concentration was below the sensitizing threshold, while high endotoxin levels were detected in the classrooms, suggesting schools may produce significant risks of endotoxin exposure. Concentration and solubility of PM 2.5 elements were used to identify the sources of indoor particles. Indoor concentration of most elements was higher than outdoors. Resuspension was responsible for the indoor increase in soil components. For elements from industrial emission (Cd, Co, Ni, Pb, Sb, Tl, V), the indoor concentration depended on penetration from the outside. For these elements, differences in rural vs industrial concentrations were found, suggesting industrial sources may influence indoor air quality nearby schools.

We present the results of three production experiments on stressed vowel lengthening in the linguistic repertoires of Bologna in order to ascertain: 1) if contrastive vowel length (CVL) is maintained in the urban dialect of Bologna as currently spoken within the town walls; 2) if the dialect’s contrastive length has been transferred as phonetic lengthening to the variety of regional Italian due to the close contact of the two reperoires; 3) if the phonetic lengthenings in Bolognese regional Italian are comparable or greater than in other varieties of Italian that miss any relationship with CVL in the related dialect, as in Florentine. Results show that CVL is consistently maintained in Bolognese dialect, while our strong hypothesis of a phonetic transfer of stressed vowel lengthening in Bolognese regional Italian is not supported.

Physical fitness values by the 6 min Walking Test (6MWT) at baseline (BL) and week-12 (W12) in the walk group divided by gender. Values as expressed as median (Q1-Q3). W12 values were compared to BL values by the Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed rank test. a. At BL, women had higher %HRmean than men (p = 0.021, Mann–Whitney test). HR, heart rate; Δ[La−], difference in lactate blood concentration between before and after 6MWT; Δ RPE, difference in Rate of Perceived Exertion between before and after 6MWT. (DOCX 48 kb)

Values of inflammatory markers at baseline (BL) and week-12 (W12) in the walk group divided by gender. Values as expressed as median (Q1-Q3). W12 values were compared to BL values by the Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed rank test. b. A subset of women (n = 3) and men (n = 7) were tested for cell activation markers. HsCRP, high sensitivity C-reactive protein; IL-6, interleukin-6; IL-8, interleukin-18; sCD14, soluble CD14. (DOCX 51 kb)

1-Repetition Maximum Test performance at baseline (BL) and week-12 (W12). Values are expressed as median (Q1-Q3). W12 values were compared to BL values by the Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed rank test. HR, heart rate; Î [Laâ ], difference in lactate blood concentration between before and after 6MWT; Î RPE, difference in Rate of Perceived Exertion between before and after 6MWT. (DOCX 39 kb)

Body composition and laboratory values at baseline (BL) and week-12 (W12) in the walk group divided by gender. Values as expressed as median (Q1-Q3). W12 values were compared to BL values by the Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed rank test. a. At BL, women had higher % fat in the arm (p = 0.015), leg (p = 0.034) and as total (p = 0.017), lower haemoglobin (p = 0.002) and creatinine levels (p = 0.008), and higher CD4 cell counts (p = 0.009) (Mann–Whitney test). BMI, body mass index; DEXA, Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry; HOMA, Homeostasis Model Assessment; VACS, Veterans Ageing Cohort Study (DOCX 94 kb)

Values of cholesterol at baseline (BL) and week-12 (W12) in patients untreated with statins. Values are expressed as median (Q1-Q3). W12 values were compared to BL values by the Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed rank test. (DOCX 46 kb)

Performance of participants during the 12Â weeks of training in the walk group divided by gender. Values as expressed as median (Q1-Q3). a. The median HRmean value was calculated for each participant through all his/her walking sessions, to derive the median HRmean value of all participants. HR, heart rate. (DOCX 38 kb)

Additional body composition and laboratory values at baseline (BL) and week-12 (W12). Values are expressed as median (Q1-Q3). W12 values were compared to BL values by the Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed rank test. BMI, body mass index; DEXA, Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry; HOMA, Homeostasis Model Assessment; VACS, Veterans Ageing Cohort Study (DOCX 100 kb)