Legal regulation of ventilation rates in homes in Europe 2010-2022: Evolution and comparison study regarding Covid-19 recommendations.

The airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19 disease, has been recognized as an essential route of contagion, so adequate ventilation is vital indoors. For this reason, the research goal focuses on carrying out the study and evolutionary and comparison analysis of the regulation of ventilation rates in dwellings in Europe (2010-2022) and on determining whether modifications are necessary for the said regulation based on the recommendations of competent international organizations. To do this, the methodology followed initially starts from the study carried out in 2010 by Christine Dimitroulopoulou, in which the existing regulation in various European countries regarding ventilation in dwellings was studied. Once this study has been analysed, it continues to update and compare the regulation of the different European countries cited in the said work, detecting during the process if a modification is necessary based on the recommendations indicated by international organizations such as the WHO or ECDC. The results and conclusions indicate that few countries have significantly changed their ventilation rates. Although the existing ones may be admissible, requiring controlled ventilation in the different regulations would be convenient.

Urban-centric resilience in search of theoretical stabilisation? A phased thematic and conceptual review.

Over the last decades 'resilience' has particularly arisen as an attractive perspective with respect to cities. As cities continue to expand, their susceptibility to uncertainties and new challenges, such as climate change, has increased, rendering 'urban resilience' an increasingly favoured concept in the realm of Urban Development, Planning and Management (UDPM). Despite recent reviews, an updated analysis of the concept is required to understand whether there is in fact scientific evidence to support the expansion and favouring of 'urban resilience' in UDPM. The need to understand how the concept evolved is further emphasised by the need to perceive how the distinct sciences have contributed to its development, and which were the focuses and conceptual underpinnings of such evolution. Thus, the objective of this paper is to provide a broader review of the multidimensional concept of 'urban resilience', while understanding how distinct research fields have contributed to its inception and expansion, and how distinct conceptualisations of resilience have influenced its evolution. Supported by a bibliometric analysis of urban-centric publications, this paper highlights the recent extensive growth and expanding application of 'urban resilience' to distinct research fields, as well as an apparent theoretical stabilisation of the concept, which reemphasises the idea of a three-dimensional conceptual resilience perspective in scientific literature: (1) 'engineering', (2) 'ecological', and (3) 'social-ecological resilience'. Consequently, this research emphasises that, if the related conceptual underpinnings are clear, 'urban resilience' can potentially serve as an 'integrative metaphor', adapted by diverse stakeholders, to reinforce UDPM initiatives.

Does a review of urban resilience allow for the support of an evolutionary concept?

Over the last five decades, resilience has received ever greater interest from academics and practitioners and has been applied in different scientific areas, such as engineering, environmental science or medicine. In particular, resilience has become a fundamental concept in contemporary urban development, planning and management (UDPM). Despite the various reviews that have recently been made of this subject, an updated analysis of the concept is required so that commonly held views about resilience can be matched against empirical evidence while, at the same time, clarifying the use of its main formulations and connecting its embryonic development to its application in urban-centric research. This paper therefore reviews the concept of resilience (considering its primary formulations, its historical evolution and its conceptual underpinnings), establishing how it has been applied and developed in the UDPM context. Based on this review, this paper reiterates the idea of a three-dimensional framework for exploring the concept of resilience ([1] 'engineering' vs. [2] 'ecological' vs. [3] 'evolutionary resilience'). The search for urban resilience can potentially adopt an integrative approach, assuming an evolutionary perspective that can be adapted to different situations and stakeholders, thus offering a better adjusted and more dynamic urban planning and management.

Construction and demolition waste indicators.

The construction industry is one of the biggest and most active sectors of the European Union (EU), consuming more raw materials and energy than any other economic activity. Furthermore, construction waste is the commonest waste produced in the EU. Current EU legislation sets out to implement construction and demolition waste (CDW) prevention and recycling measures. However it lacks tools to accelerate the development of a sector as bound by tradition as the building industry. The main objective of the present study was to determine indicators to estimate the amount of CDW generated on site both globally and by waste stream. CDW generation was estimated for six specific sectors: new residential construction, new non-residential construction, residential demolition, non-residential demolition, residential refurbishment, and non-residential refurbishment. The data needed to develop the indicators was collected through an exhaustive survey of previous international studies. The indicators determined suggest that the average composition of waste generated on site is mostly concrete and ceramic materials. Specifically for new residential and new non-residential construction the production of concrete waste in buildings with a reinforced concrete structure lies between 17.8 and 32.9 kg m(-2) and between 18.3 and 40.1 kg m(-2), respectively. For the residential and non-residential demolition sectors the production of this waste stream in buildings with a reinforced concrete structure varies from 492 to 840 kg m(-2) and from 401 to 768 kg/m(-2), respectively. For the residential and non-residential refurbishment sectors the production of concrete waste in buildings lies between 18.9 and 45.9 kg/m(-2) and between 18.9 and 191.2 kg/m(-2), respectively.

Potential of rainwater harvesting in the retail sector: a case study in Portugal.

Water is a crucial resource for life, and it is increasingly scarce in many regions of the globe. In addition, retail water use is responsible for up to 19% of public water globally supplied. Hence, this study has set out to explore the technical and economic feasibility of rainwater harvesting systems as an alternative water source for a retail store located in southern Portugal. Water consumption data from 2018 to 2021 was collected from water bills, placing average monthly water consumption at around 400 m3. Next, rainfall data was collected from the nearest meteorological station, comprising 54 years of daily rainfall data between 1932 and 2008 with an annual average of 685 mm. The simulation of a rainwater harvesting system was performed, resorting to the mass-balance model. The optimal tank size was found to be 100 m3 considering simply the relation with the relative water savings variation on the graph relating the water savings with the tank size. Results show that the simulated rainwater harvesting system would allow saving 32-36% of the water consumed, despite the store's location in a dry climate, representing a financial gain of €330-372 per month. Findings suggest a substantial potential for the technical and economic feasibility of rainwater systems in retail stores, which makes them relevant solutions to achieve important water-savings in the retail sector, thus positively influencing retailers' direct water footprint.

Biomechanical evaluation of the human mandible after temporomandibular joint replacement under different biting conditions.

Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) replacement with an implant is only used when all other conservative treatments fail. Despite the promising short-term results, the long-term implications of TMJ replacement in masticatory function are not fully understood. Previous human and animal studies have shown that perturbations to the normal masticatory function can lead to morphological and functional changes in the craniomaxillofacial system. A clearer understanding of the biomechanical implications of TMJ replacement in masticatory function may help identify design shortcomings that hinder their long-term success. In this study, patient-specific finite element models of the intact and implanted mandible were developed and simulated under four different biting tasks. In addition, the impact of re-attaching of the lateral pterygoid was also evaluated. The biomechanics of both models was compared regarding both mandibular displacements and principal strain patterns. The results show an excessive mediolateral and anteroposterior displacement of the TMJ implant compared to the intact joint in three biting tasks, namely incisor (INC), left moral (LML), and right molar (RML) biting. The main differences in principal strain distributions were found across the entire mandible, most notably from the symphysis to the ramus of the implanted side. Furthermore, the re-attachment of the lateral pterygoid seems to increase joint anteroposterior displacement in both INC, LML and RML biting while reducing it during LGF. Accordingly, any new TMJ implant design must consider stabilising both mediolateral and anteroposterior movement of the condyle during biting activities and promoting a more natural load transmission along the entire mandible.

A 3D cephalometric protocol for the accurate quantification of the craniofacial symmetry and facial growth.

BACKGROUND: Cephalometric analysis is used to evaluate facial growth, to study the anatomical relationships within the face. Cephalometric assessment is based on 2D radiographic images, either the sagittal or coronal planes and is an inherently inaccurate methodology. The wide availability of 3D imaging techniques, such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging make routine 3D analysis of facial morphology feasible. 3D cephalometry may not only provide a more accurate quantification of the craniofacial morphology and longitudinal growth, but also the differentiation of subtle changes in occlusion. However, a reliable protocol for the computation of craniofacial symmetry and quantification of craniofacial morphology is still a topic of extensive research. Here, a protocol for 3D cephalometric analysis for both the identification of the natural head position (NHP) and the accurate quantification of facial growth and facial asymmetry is proposed and evaluated. A phantom study was conducted to assess the performance of the protocol and to quantify the ability to repeatedly and reliably align skulls with the NHP and quantify the degree of accuracy with which facial growth and facial asymmetry can be measured. RESULTS: The results obtained show that the protocol allows consistent alignment with the NHP, with an overall average error (and standard deviation) of just 0.17 (9.10e-6) mm, with variations of 0.21 (2.77e-17) mm in the frontonasal suture and 0.30 (5.55e-17) mm in the most prominent point in the chin. The average errors associated with simulated facial growth ranged from 1.83 to 3.75% for 2 years' growth and from - 9.57 to 14.69% for 4 years, while the error in the quantification of facial asymmetry ranged from - 11.38 to 9.31%. CONCLUSIONS: The protocol for 3D skull alignment produces accurate and landmark free estimation of the true symmetry of the head. It allows a reliable alignment of the skull in the NHP independently of user-defined landmarks, as well as an accurate quantification of facial growth and asymmetry.

Carbon (CI) and energy intensity (EI) dataset for retail stores.

This data article presents data collected from the 250 highest revenue retailers around the world, assessed according to publicly available data from the fiscal year 2016, in order to determine retailer׳s overall carbon intensity (CI) and energy intensity (EI). Data collection included additional variables such as retailers' revenue rank, operational typology, number of stores, store sales area and number of workers. Based on this dataset, CI and EI benchmarks were calculated for food and non-food retailers, applying the statistic function first quartile (Q1) for the best practice, second (Q2) and third (Q3) quartiles for conventional practice and fourth quartile (Q4) for worst practice and correlations were tested between the variables "EI", "CI" and "retailer revenue", applying the statistic function CORREL (Ferreira et al., In press) [1]. Finally, a cluster analysis was performed for food and non-food retailers, to identify possible segmentation patterns between the variables "EI", "CI" and "retailer revenue". The information provided in this data article is useful for furthering research developments on the influence of isolated variables on retail EI and CI and in assisting retailers, architects, engineers, and policy makers in establishing optimal energy performance goals for the design and operation of retail stores. For further data interpretation and discussion, see the article "Combined carbon and energy intensity benchmarks for sustainable retail stores" (Ferreira et al., In press), of the same authors.

The potential role of variations in juvenile hip geometry on the development of Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease: a biomechanical investigation.

Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease (LCP) is one of the most poorly understood diseases in paediatric orthopaedics. One common trait of LCP is the marked morphological difference between healthy and pathological hips, early deviations of which (i.e. prior to disease onset) have been suggested to lead to the overload and collapse of the epiphysis. Here, the impact of common variations in geometry is investigated with a finite element model of a juvenile femur under single leg standing and landing. Here, the impact of typical variations in geometry is investigated with a finite element model of a juvenile femur under single leg standing and landing. The variations appear to have only a limited effect on the stress distribution in the femoral epiphysis even during high impact activities. This suggests that, for this individual at least, they would be unlikely to cause epiphyseal overload and collapse, even in the presence of a skeletally immature epiphysis.

[Oral flaxseed oil (Linum usitatissimum) in the treatment for dry-eye Sjögren's syndrome patients]. / Uso oral do óleo de linhaça (Linum usitatissimum) no tratamento do olhoseco de pacientesportadores da síndrome de Sjögren.

PURPOSE: To evaluate if oral flaxseed oil (Linum usitatissimum), which reduces the inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis, may help keratoconjunctivitis sicca's treatment in Sjögren's syndrome patients. METHODS: In a randomized clinical trial, 38 female patients with rheumatoid arthritis or systemic lupus erithematosus associated with keratoconjunctivitis sicca and Sjögren's syndrome were consecutively selected from patients of the Department of Rheumatology of the Amazonas University Hospital. Keratoconjunctivitis sicca diagnosis was based on a dry-eye symptom survey score (Ocular Surface Disease Index - OSDI), Schirmer-I test, fluorescein break-up time, 1% Rose Bengal staining of ocular surface measured by the van Bijsterveld scale. All patients had ocular surface inflammation evaluated and quantified by conjunctival impression cytology, before and after the study. The subjects were divided into three groups with 13 (Group I), 12 (Group II) and 13 (Group III) patients. Group I received flaxseed oil capsules with a final 1 g/day dosis, Group II flaxseed oil capsules with a final 2 g/day dosis and Group III - controls - placebo, for 180 days. RESULTS: Comparing the results at the beginning and at the end of the treatment, statistically significant changes (p<0.05) in symptoms (OSDI), ocular surface inflammation quantified by conjunctival impression cytology, Schirmer-I test and fluorescein break-up time occurred in Groups I e II when compared to controls. CONCLUSIONS: Therapy with oral flaxseed oil capsules 1 or 2 g/day reduces ocular surface inflammation and ameliorates the symptoms of keratoconjunctivitis sicca in Sjögren's syndrome patients. Long-term studies are needed to confirm the role of this therapy for keratoconjunctivitis sicca in Sjögren's syndrome.

Insulation Cork Boards-Environmental Life Cycle Assessment of an Organic Construction Material.

Envelope insulation is a relevant technical solution to cut energy consumption and reduce environmental impacts in buildings. Insulation Cork Boards (ICB) are a natural thermal insulation material whose production promotes the recycling of agricultural waste. The aim of this paper is to determine and evaluate the environmental impacts of the production, use, and end-of-life processing of ICB. A "cradle-to-cradle" environmental Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was performed according to International LCA standards and the European standards on the environmental evaluation of buildings. These results were based on site-specific data and resulted from a consistent methodology, fully described in the paper for each life cycle stage: Cork oak tree growth, ICB production, and end-of-life processing-modeling of the carbon flows (i.e., uptakes and emissions), including sensitivity analysis of this procedure; at the production stage-the modeling of energy processes and a sensitivity analysis of the allocation procedures; during building operation-the expected service life of ICB; an analysis concerning the need to consider the thermal diffusivity of ICB in the comparison of the performance of insulation materials. This paper presents the up-to-date "cradle-to-cradle" environmental performance of ICB for the environmental categories and life-cycle stages defined in European standards.

The feasibility of a custom-made endoprosthesis in mandibular reconstruction: Implant design and finite element analysis.

This work studies the feasibility of custom-made endoprosthesis in the reconstruction of major mandibular defects. The natural anatomical and occlusal relations are used to accurately reconstruct a mandibular defect. The customized implant allows the accurate restoration of the facial profile and aesthetics. The biomechanical behaviour of mandibular endoprosthesis was validated with Finite Element Analysis for three masticatory tasks, namely incisal, right molar and left group clenching. The implanted mandible shows displacement fields and stress distributions very similar to the intact mandible. The strain fields observed along the bone-implant interface may promote bone maintenance and ingrowth. The preliminary results show that this implant may be a reliable alternative to other prosthetic mandibular reconstruction approaches.

[Stroke as the dramatic presentation of infectious endocarditis: the importance of the clinical history]. / Acidente vascular cerebral isquémico como apresentação dramática de endocardite infecciosa: a importância da história clínica.

The authors describe a case of infective subacute endocarditis due to Streptococcus mitis in a 72 year-old woman with systemic complaints and joint symptoms, that had started 4 months before, diagnosed as a polymyalgia rheumatica, who suddenly presented with aphasia and hemiplegia. The delay in the diagnosis might be justified by the disregard of some details in the clinical history owe to the anxious/depressive personality of the patient. The devastating evolution of this case report illustrates that in patients with an inflammatory syndrome and cardiac murmur clinicians should be highly alert for the hypothesis of an infective subacute endocarditis. Ischemic stroke is a dramatic and rare presentation form of the disease. A detailed physical examination should be the first clinical approach to a patient with the diagnostic hypothesis of polymyalgia rheumatica.

Evaluation of the clinical sensitivities of three viral load assays with plasma samples from a pediatric population predominantly infected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 subtype G and BG recombinant forms.

The viral load assays AMPLICOR HIV-1 Monitor Test 1.5, Nuclisens HIV-1 QT, and Quantiplex HIV RNA 3.0 (bDNA) were evaluated for their abilities to quantify human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) RNA in 64 plasma samples from 21 children infected in Portugal. The children were infected with HIV-1 subtypes A1, B, F1, G, and BG recombinant virus. AMPLICOR v1.5 and Quantiplex v3.0 detected all samples, and there was a good correlation of results between the two kits. Thirty-eight specimens containing HIV-1 subtype B, G, or recombinant BG, could not be detected by Nuclisens HIV-1 QT. We also evaluated the new Retina HIV-1 assay on 21 samples that were HIV-1 positive; Retina HIV-1 failed to detect 5 of 11 subtype G specimens. AMPLICOR v1.5 and Quantiplex v3.0 assays may be used for HIV-1 RNA quantification in Portugal, whereas an improvement in sensitivity for subtype G and recombinant BG is required for Nuclisens HIV-1 QT and Retina HIV-1.