1,721,206 research outputs found
Urban Public Health, a Multidisciplinary Approach
Full text linkUrban environment is a highly complex interactive socio-physical system, with competing expectations and priorities. Public health interventions have always had a fundamental role in the control of diseases in cities. WHO considers urbanization as one of the key challenges for public health in the twenty-first century, since cities offer significant opportunities to improve public health if health-enhancing policies and actions are promoted. A multidisciplinary approach is required, but the basic differences existing between technical and health disciplines make the interaction difficult. The multidisciplinary collaboration is still at a very early stage of development, and needs to be further understood and planned. The author concludes stressing the need for a transversal training, but also for sharing knowledge, instruments and methods, involving all the actors in the planning process, to develop a real multidisciplinary approach
Quantum subspace controllability implying full controllability
Full text linkIn the analysis of controllability of finite dimensional quantum systems, subspace controllability refers to the situation where the underlying Hilbert space splits into the direct sum of invariant subspaces, and, on each of such invariant subspaces, it is possible to generate any arbitrary unitary operation using appropriate control functions. This is a typical situation in the presence of symmetries for the dynamics. We investigate whether and when if subspace controllability is verified, the addition of an extra Hamiltonian to the dynamics implies full controllability of the system. Under the natural (and necessary) condition that the new Hamiltonian connects all the invariant subspaces, we show that this is always the case, except for a very specific case we shall describe. Even in this specific case, a weaker notion of controllability, controllability of the state (Pure State Controllability) is verified
Housing and health. An overview
Full text linkLiving environment, and especially dwellings, affect directly and indirectly health in several ways end represent one of the key social determinants of health. The relationship between health and housing has long been recognized and, in the last decades, researchers developed several conceptual models to put in relation the numerous housing factors able to impact on inhabitants' health. For some authors, factors linked to housing and neighborhood conditions that influence health, can be grouped into four broad categories: first considers the health impacts of not having a stable home (residential instability); second, the financial burdens resulting from high-cost housing (affordability); third, the health impacts of conditions inside the home (the housing' safety and quality); lastly, the health impacts of neighborhoods, including both the environmental and social characteristics of where people live (neighborhood). It is evident that the theme of "housing and health" nowadays needs to be assessed with a multidisciplinary approach, because of the complexity and wideness of its components. Moreover it is today clear that to guarantee good health standards it is indispensable to direct political and administrative choices to improve the overall conditions of the neighborhood and of the buildings, and, At the same time, to dispose of a clear and updated regulatory system, since key factor to ensure Public Health protection and social justice
Air bio-contamination control in hospital environment by UV-C rays and HEPA filters in HVAC systems
Full text linkThe contamination of air-handling units is a widespread phenomenon in buildings with air-conditioning systems, including hospitals. The germicide capacity of UV-C rays is known and, in the air-conditioning apparatuses, the UV-C lamps are generally located inside the air ducts. Aim of the paper is to evaluate the effectiveness of UV-C lamps when they are differently placed, i.e. in a position to directly irradiate the HEPA filters surface. We built ad hoc experimental air-conditioning systems, with HEPA filters and UV-C lamps in the two described positions. The results obtained demonstrate that, for disinfection purpose, the direct irradiation of the HEPA filters by UV-C provides better results than irradiation of the air stream and the effectiveness increases when lowering the relative humidity of the air. The survival curves of the tested microorganisms (fungi) show typical tail shaped curves (two steps survival curves). Additional tests using both HEPA filters alone, and HEPA filters plus UV lamps, have been performed measuring the air pressure drop between entrance and exit the HEPA filters and collecting air samples in order to obtain total microbial and fungal count. The results obtained suggest that, at least in experimental conditions described, the radiation on filter surface reduces significantly the microbial load and the pressure drop through the filter, compared to a situation of not-irradiated HEPA filters
Observability and forward-backward observability of discrete-time nonlinear systems
Full text linkIn this paper we study the observability properties of nonlinear discrete-time systems. Two types of contributions are given. First we present observability criteria in terms of appropriate codistributions. For particular, but significant, classes of systems we provide criteria that require only a finite number of computations. Then we consider invertible systems (which includes discrete-time models obtained by sampling continuous-time systems) and prove that the weaker notion of forward-backward observability is equivalent to the stronger notion of (forward) observability
CITTÀ IN SALUTE: STRATEGIE PER LA TUTELA E LA PROMOZIONE DELLA SALUTE NEI CONTESTI URBANI
No full textIl legame fra le specificità morfologiche di una città e il tema della salute è un aspetto imprescindibile di ogni modello insediativo sviluppatosi nel tempo. Lo stato di salute della popolazione è da sempre, direttamente e indirettamente, influenzato dalle caratteristiche delle città stesse. Le scelte che vengono intraprese in termini di pianificazione, di progettazione urbana, di tutela e valorizzazione ambientale e per quanto riguarda le politiche sociali, possono infatti condizionare, positivamente o negativamente, la salute degli abitanti della città contemporanea.
Nello specifico, tra i fattori che influenzano la “salute urbana” vengono riconosciute non solo le caratteristiche socio-culturali della popolazione e gli aspetti demografici ed economici, ma anche la morfologia urbana, la presenza di ambiente naturale e aree verdi attrezzate, di adeguati spazi pubblici e servizi per i cittadini, di sistemi di mobilità sostenibile e a favore del trasporto attivo, di una buona gestione delle emergenze, di un buon servizio sanitario e socio-assistenziale, etc.
Diviene quindi prioritario effettuare tali scelte in maniera consapevole, prediligendo le opzioni capaci di limitare i fattori di rischio in funzione del completo stato di benessere dei cittadini e a favore dell’adozione di corretti stili di vita, alla luce del fatto che il Dipartimento “Population Division” delle Nazioni Unite stima che, entro il 2050, oltre il 70% della popolazione mondiale vivrà in contesti fortemente urbanizzati e che l’aumento della densità sarà una delle principali tendenze globali, con impatti significativi sulla salute. Le ricerche nel campo dei fattori determinanti la salute hanno spostato quindi l’attenzione da un modello medico, focalizzato sull’individuo, ad un modello sociale in cui la salute è la risultante di diversi fattori socio-economici, culturali e ambientali e quindi direttamente o indirettamente connessi alle specificità dell’insediamento urbano. Pertanto, la salute non è più un tema esclusivo dell’ambito ristretto della sanità, ma è un obiettivo prioritario fortemente influenzato dal contesto in cui si vive e conseguentemente dalle strategie attuate dai governi locali
- …
