The actual conditions of practising traditional methods of environmental control and utilization of air conditioners by the residents of detached houses in kyoto during summer

1. 1. Reducing the carbon dioxide generated by human activity is necessary for the protection of the global environment.

2. 2. Traditional methods of environmental control, e.g. watering, called uchimizu in Japan, is interesting from this point of view. Traditional methods, other than watering, still continue to be practised in Japan.

3. 3. More than 300 residents of detached houses in Kyoto city were investigated for the methods of environmental control used in summer. Investigated areas were Kitashirakawa, Nishijin and Rakusai N.T.

4. 4. Residents' who conduct traditional methods of environmental control use air conditioner (ACs) less than those who don't. Residents' attitude toward ACs have a greater effect on total time of use rather than on frequency.

5. 5. In the centre of the city, there is a tendency for residents to use ACs against their will or only as a necessity, which leads to anxiety regarding their health.

6. 6. The use of traditional methods of protection from heat have been decreasing with social change.

Adaptation of industrial/commercial air conditioners for use in a thermally stressful environment

1. 1. The concept of intermittent, microclimate cooling during rest periods has been investigated due to the logistical and ergonomic problems associated with backpack cooling systems

2. 2. In an attempt to improve intermittent cooling applications, the use of industrial/commercial air conditioners (ICAC) as a source of cool air was conceived

3. 3. In the current study, a prototype of a pressurized air distribution unit (PADU) which can be incorporated into existing ICAC was designed and fabricated

4. 4. In a successful test, an ICAC circulated air and cooled it down to the set temperature, while the PADU pumped 5101/min (the specified air volume for one person) of 15°C into each air cooling vest, 4601/min to the body and 501/min to the face, through filters and 10 ft/1 in. diameter supply line

5. 5. The PADU is necessary to increase the air pressure in the system, creating the required air volume

6. 6. This promising concept adapts existing ICAC to provide adequate amounts of clean, cool air to individuals working in thermally stressful environments

7. 7. This development effectively increases the conditioned air sources available for use in decreasing heat storage and increasing personal comfort in military or civilian scenarios where work is conducted in protective garments.

Preferred temperature of the elderly after cold and heat exposures determined by individual self-selection of air temperature

1. 1. The purpose of the study was to investigate the preferred temperature of the elderly after cold and heat exposures.

2. 2. Eight elderly and 9 young females wearing the same type of clothing were exposed to cold (10°C), moderate (25°C) or hot (35°C) environments for 30 min in the exposure room.

3. 3. Then they moved to the self-control room in which the temperature was set at 25°C, and the room temperature increased or decreased continuously by 0.4°C every minute.

4. 4. The subjects were instructed to operate the switch when they felt uncomfortably warm or cool during a 90-min period.

5. 5. In operating the switch, the changing in room temperature shifted to the opposite direction.

6. 6. The ambient temperature was recorded continuously and analyzed as the preferred temperature, which was defined as the midpoint temperature of the crest and trough of temperature records.

7. 7. The preferred temperatures after the cold exposure were significantly higher than those of other exposure conditions in the elderly.

8. 8. On the other hand, in the young, there was no significant difference in the preferred temperature among the exposure conditions.

9. 9. Although the effect of exposure to cold or hot environments decreased in the latter parts of self-control, the elderly still preferred the higher temperature after cold exposure.

Work at cold storage

1. 1. Work activities in cold storage rooms were assessed by a mailed questionnaire survey of cold storage facilities in Japan.

2. 2. There are nearly 4000 cold storage facilities and about 80% are being kept at temperatures below −20°C.

3. 3. The chief items of stock in storage were marine products, livestock products, frozen food and agricultural products.

4. 4. Methods used for loading and unloading in cold storage rooms are forklift, manual handling, and automatic machines.

5. 5. Use of forklifts appeared to be widespread.

6. 6. Working time differed according to the ambient temperature of the cold storage rooms.

7. 7. Common ailments of cold storage workers are lumbago, bronchitis, neuralgia etc.

Relationship between energy conservation in buildings and indoor air quality

1. 1. Problems with regard to the relationship between energy conservation and indoor air quality in buildings are discussed with a brief history of legislation and practices in Japan since the oil crisis in 1973.

2. 2. In spite of energy conservation as widely advocated the sick building syndrome has hardly been manifested in most of the office spaces in Japan owing to the Law on the Assurance of Healthy Conditions in Buildings which enforced CO₂ concentration to be kept lower than 1000 ppm.

Exhalant air temperatures in the Virginia opossum

1. 1.Nasal exhalant air temperature in the adult Virginia opossum averages 20.9°C at ambient temperatures near 20.8°C (relative humidity: 47%) and 15.1°C at ambient temperatures near 9.2°C (RH: 78%). Exhalant air temperature is well below deep body temperature (34.5–35.6°C), indicating counterecurrent cooling of the exhalant air in the nasal passages.

2. 2.The extent of cooling of exhalant air is similar in juvenile (15-week-old) and adult opossums.

3. 3.As judged from exhalant air temperature, the effectiveness of countercurrent cooling is similar in the opossum to that seen in small and medium-sized placental mammals. The question is discussed of whether cooling of the exhalant air in these animals represents an adaptation or a physically inevitable, fortuitous effect.

Responses of human skin temperature and thermal sensation to step change of air temperature

1. 1. The purpose of this paper is to clarify the non-linearity of the human physiological and psychological responses to step change of air temperature by impulse response analysis using Discrete Fourier Transformation.

2. 2. Experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of thermal transients on human responses.

3. 3. Experimental conditions were as follows: lowering air temperature from 30 to 20°C and raising air temperature from 20 to 30°C.

4. 4. The responses of local skin temperature on lowering air temperature from 30 to 20°C are not necessarily opposite to the responses found on raising air temperature from 20 to 30°C.

5. 5. From impulse response analysis using Discrete Fourier Transformation, skin temperature responses to the opposite air temperature change do not necessarily coincide with each other whenever the same temperature stimulus is occurred.

The scientific evaluation of the thermal environment of cave dwellings in China

1. 1. The conclusion drawn from the result of the research work carried out is that the majority of the existing cave dwellings are not warm in winter and are cool in summer.

2. 2. Unless these cave dwellings are improved they are not suitable and pleasant places for people to live in.

3. 3. Therefore the following measures should be taken so as to improve the quality of the cave dwellings: (i) in summer more fresh air should be let in to replace the state air and the air should be dehumidified to solve the problem of being too cool and humid; and (ii) in winter the geothermal energy and the solar energy should be made full use of, in addition, there should be local heating in the cave dwellings.

Behavioral thermoregulation and neuroamines in fish (Chromus chromus)

1. 1. A method for assessing the set temperature regulating behavioural thermoregulation in the fish Chromus chromus is described.

2. 2. Cholinergic stimulation of the brain, both muscarinic and nicotinic, lowered the thermoregulatory set point.

3. 3. Histamine raised the set temperature by an action on H₁-receptors.

4. 4. Increasing brain catecholamines, with -Dopa, also raised the set temperature but it was not possible to distinguish between dopaminergic or noradrenergic components of this response.

Estimation of thermal sensation using PMV and SET under high air movement conditions

1. 1. Our previous experimental results showed the thermal sensation vote was much less than the values of PMV and SET^* at air velocities above 0.5 m/s.

2. 2. The method to modify SET^* is presented from the results of subjective experiments taking account of decrease in clo value of summer clothing and decrease in skin wettedness due to increased air velocity.

3. 3. Thermal resistance under increased air movement on a standard summer clothing ensemble was measured. Basic thermal insulation of the summer ensemble was reduced by 25% at air velocity of 1.0 m/s.

4. 4. Thirty-two subjects were exposed at operative temperatures of 27 and 30°C under 1 m/s air movement in order to determine the amount of skin diffusion. Measured evaporation heat loss from skin surface was much smaller at air velocity of 1 m/s than that predicted by SET^*.

5. 5. Estimated thermal sensation vote using modified SET^* agreed well with our previous experimental results under different air velocities for the same clothing.

Thermal responses of the fresh water turtle Mauremys caspica to step-function changes in the ambient temperature

1. 1.|The turtle Mauremys caspica cools significantly faster than it heats in air. The heating/cooling ratio is 0.49.

2. 2.|The variation of body temperature in relation to time-course in response to a step-function change of environmental temperature, fitted to a second-order system improves that of a first-order system.

3. 3.|The gradient between ambient temperature (T_a) and equilibrium body temperature (T_b) increases significantly and progressively when ambient temperature rises over 25°C.

4. 4.|At 40°C thermoregulatory hyperventilation was detected, implying an increase in air convection requirement (ventilation relative to O₂ consumption, ).

Field surveys on cooling effects of vegetation in an urban area

1. 1. Three kinds of field survey on different scales were carried out in Fukuoka City in summer to examine the relationship between the quantity of vegetation and air temperature.

2. 2. The field of the largerst scale measurement is across the city.

3. 3. Several parks and shrines of various sizes in the city were selected as other measurement areas.

4. 4. The most detailed measurements are carried out in a park with an area of 1.25 ha located in a down town area of the city.

5. 5. Though the amount of vegetation is expressed in a unique way in each survey, it is clearly found that the greener it is, the lower is the air temperature.

TLV in cold environments

1. 1. The risks encountered during cold exposure are general body cooling or local cooling of parts of th body.

2. 2. Measures of cold stress must account for the effects of climate, clothing and metabolic heat production on heat balance.

3. 3. The combinaed effect of air temperature, mean radiant temperature, humidity and air velocity determines the cooling power of the environment.

4. 4. The cooling power can be easily converted into a required insulation value (IREQ) for whole body heat balance.

5. 5. Extensive cooling of hands and feet may be a limiting factor, even when sufficient total insulation is provided. In addition the cooling effect of wind on unprotected skin must be considered.

6. 6. Recommendation regarding acceptable exposures can be expressed as lowest ambient temperatures and time limits as function of available protection and activity level, with due attention to both general and local effects.

Air flow and convective heat loss from small mammals in laboratory metabolism chambers

1. 1.Thermal conductance was determined from cooling curves of Mus domesticus carcasses at air flow rates ranging from still air to 0.91·min⁻¹ STP. Thermal conductance was constant over this range of air flows. This indicates that free convection predominates over forced convection at these air flow rates.

2. 2.While non single set of conditions will be appropriate for all experiments, free convection conditions are appropriate for determination of minimal thermal conductance.

Skin temperatures, thermosensory and pleasantness estimates in case of heterogeneity in the thermal environment

1. 1. Seven thermal conditions were imposed on male sitting subjects (slightly clothed: 0.6 clo).

2. 2. A thermal mannikin was also used to determine the exact operative temperature, T₀.

3. 3. Conditions were: uniform (UN: all parameters at 24.5°C, air velocity at 0.15 ms⁻¹), heated ceiling (HC at 45°C), heated floor (HF at 34°C), cold floor (CF at 14°C), two conditions of one cold wall at 6°C (CW1 and CW2 respectively with and without air temperature compensation) and increased air velocity (AV at 0.4 ms⁻¹).

4. 4. Local skin temperatures and answers to questionnaires were obtained.

5. 5. Skin temperature variations were affected by conditions and slight T₀ changes.

6. 6. Comfort judgments were fairly well related to T₀, especially when expressed as differences between actual non-uniform environment and the uniform one.

7. 7. It is concluded that, in case of non-uniform environments close to thermoneutral zone, thermal comfort or discomfort reflects the climate alterations better than the thermal sensation does.

Electrical skin resistance and rectal temperature changes in resting human subjects exposed to heat

1. 1.|Fourteen male volunteers were examined under passive heating.

2. 2.|Electrical skin resistance (ESR) and rectal temperature (T_re) were measured during the whole period of exposure.

3. 3.|It was found that:

• —|ESR decreases rapidly with increasing air temperature. Assuming an exponential curve yields a mean time constant of 14 min.

• —|There is a correlation between the individual ESR time constants and T_re increases (r = 0.695, P < 0.005).

• —|Additional changes of ESR were noted in 8 subjects at a constant air temperature of 42°C.

4. 4.|It is concluded that ESR may be a useful indicator of the sweating response of the human thermoregulatory system during exogenous heat load.

Conventional vs CO2 demand-controlled ventilation systems

1. 1. The feasibility of controlling the ventilation system using the occupant-generated carbon dioxide as an indicator of ventilation rate and indoor air quality has been investigated in an eleven storey office building.

2. 2. The study compares the indoor environment created by two different types of ventilation control systems.

3. 3. The two ventilation systems tested consisted of: a conventional system controlled by outdoor temperatures, and a demand-controlled system regulated by indoor carbon dioxide concentration.

4. 4. The results show that the CO₂-based demand-controlled ventilation system does not worsen indoor air quality and thermal comfort. It was also noticed that an energy saving of 12% was achieved using the CO₂ control system.

5. 5. The occupants perceived that their productivity is proportional to their perception of the indoor environment; indicating that higher productivity rates can be achieved by better controlling the working environment above satisfactory levels.

Hatching of freshwater sponge gemmules after low temperature exposure: Ephydatia mülleri (Porifera: Spongillidae)

1. 1.|Gemmules of Ephydatia mülleri can withstand exposure to temperatures down to −80°C for 63 days without loss of hatchability.

2. 2.|Hatching is slowed following exposure to temperatures below −27°C.

3. 3.|There is a slight but significant relationship between gemmule size and the time to hatch.

4. 4.|This species can withstand long-term exposure to winter air temperatures occurring within its known geographic range.

Ethanol effects on temperature-sensitive hypothalamic neurons in rat brain slices

1. We recorded impulse activity of thermosensitive hypothalamic neurons in rat brain slices during superfusion with ethanol at constant temperatures and during slow sinusoidal temperature changes.

2. At constant temperatures of 37 °C, ethanol application typically induced a triphasic change of the firing rate: An initial excitation turned into complete inhibition followed by spontaneous recovery to higher firing rates.

3. Ethanol application increased the neurons’ temperature sensitivity remarkably.

4. Our data indicate complex neuromodulatory effects of ethanol with different time delays which interfere with basic mechanisms of temperature transduction.

Interactions of season and temperature acclimation in the control of metabolism in Amphibia

1. 1.|Studies concerning the seasonal variation and the temperature acclimation of metabolism and their control in Amphibia are reviewed.

2. 2.|Both season and temperature acclimation affect the activities of the central and autonomic nervous systems.

3. 3.|These changes are mediated especially by alterations in the activity of the thyroid and through the autonomic nerves.

4. 4.|The fact that common control mechanisms are involved may explain some of the often observed metabolic interactions of season and temperature acclimation.