The estimation of impact sound insulation of horizontal partitions, evaluated from the performance of basic components using EN 12354-2 Standard, do not actually provides satisfactory results when applied to the floors realized with cross laminated timber (CLT) elements. Among the possible reasons of this limited correspondence between predicted and measured impact noise values, one of the most...

This paper presents the finding of a research investigation into how sustainable objectives can be incorporated into a design brief. It is based upon the development and trial of a pack of Eco-Design Cards. The initiation of the research was a feeling that some of the strategies, tools and processes within Eco-Design are cumbersome and inappropriate. That is, they are data intensive and rely on...

There has been a fair amount of work on automatic speech translation systems that translate in real-time, serving as a computerized version of a simultaneous interpreter. It has been noticed in the field of translation studies that simultaneous interpreters perform a number of tricks to make the content easier to understand in real-time, including dividing their translations into small chunks, ...

Initiatives to engage the public in health policy decisions have been widely endorsed and used, yet agreed upon methods for systematically evaluating the effectiveness of these initiatives remain to be developed. Dukhanin, Topazian, and DeCamp have thus developed a useful taxonomy of evaluation criteria derived from a systematic review of published evaluation tools that might serve as the basis...

ever, this rate reached 52% (16/31) in those who were comatose during the first 24 h (defined as Glasgow coma scale 8). It has already been found that NIV can be successful in subjects with hypercapnic coma, and NIV failure rates of only 20% have been reported.3 It is important to note that patients who succeed with NIV have a faster improvement of consciousness compared with those who need int...

BACKGROUND The relationships of working hours and nights on call per week with various parameters of distress among practicing surgeons have not been previously examined in detail. STUDY DESIGN More than 7,900 members of the American College of Surgeons responded to an anonymous, cross-sectional survey. The survey included self-assessment of their practice setting, a validated depression scre...

Residential and nursing homes provide an essential contribution towards the care of people with dementia. It is a challenge to provide good care within tight budgets and often with a workforce that has little formal training. Most people are cared for within the private sector, although a limited number of NHS beds provide continuing care for people with severe dementia and intractable behaviou...

OBJECTIVE To develop a physical activity questionnaire aimed at Brazilian adolescents and to assess its validity and reproducibility. METHODS A total of 94 adolescents (30 males and 64 females) aged 11-16 years were included in the study, which was conducted in 2004. The questionnaire comprised 17 questions on habitual physical activity in the last 12 months (15 questions on sports and physic...

BACKGROUND Studies on falls in older adults have mainly been conducted in high income countries. Scant, if any, information exists on risk factors for falls in the older population of sub-Saharan African countries. METHODS A cross-sectional survey and a 12-month follow-up study were conducted to determine risk factors for falls in a representative multi-ethnic sample of 837 randomly selected ...