This study examined the effects of construction types on the indoor environment of selected prison facilities in the State of Texas. Three collocated facilities of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice were monitored for temperature, relative humidity and barometric pressure over a period of fifteen months. The objectives of the study were to examine the response of the built environment to the stressors of ambient conditions, characterize the influence of the construction method for each facility and study the responses of the occupants of the buildings. From the data, an apparent temperature was calculated and then compared to the data collected by the regional National Weather Service facility for ambient conditions. A relationship between the type of facility and the resulting indoor environmental conditions was established. The construction materials chosen for a particular facility affected not only the rate of heating of the indoor environment but also the maximum temperature, apparent temperature and thermal variation experienced by the occupants. The peak temperature and relative humidity were higher in the metal facilities when compared to the concrete facility. Therefore, the difference in occupant living conditions was considerable when the internal environmental conditions (temperature and humidity) were compared between construction types. The concrete construction also moderated the changes in the occupant environment through a lag of internal conditions behind those of the external environment. This resulted in a slower apparent temperature rise over the course of the day in the concrete buildings and a delay in the internal high temperature of the day. Finally, the data shows that measures of aggression vary with the seasonal changes, Increasing in the warming months and decreasing in the cooling months. This increase in the metal constructed facilities is greater than the rate of increase found in the concrete constructed facility.

College football stadiums host anywhere from 15,000 to 115,000 people each Saturday from late summer to early winter and leave fans exposed to ambient conditions. Amplified heat from stadium infrastructure substantially impact attendants’ thermal comfort. In order to assess personal heat exposure and mitigate exposure misclassification, temperature and relative humidity sensors (iButtons) were placed throughout Mississippi State University’s Davis Wade Stadium during the 2016 Football Season. iButton measurements established a micro-climate and compared its readings to the Soil Climate Analysis Network site 1.2 miles north of the stadium. The program RayMan Pro modeled a Physiological Equivalent Temperature (PET) micro-climate to create an individualized heat metric. The results of this study assess stadium occupants’ thermal comfort through Heat Index and PET. Heat-related health outcomes were examined regarding thermal comfort and the stadium micro-climate using data from the stadium’s EMS calls and First Aid stations during game days.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Geography / John A. Harrington Jr / Extreme heat is a hazard that is capable of causing economic problems and potentially high mortality rates across several regions simultaneously. This dissertation was designed to provide a better understanding of how often and where heat waves occur within the United States. The research design assessed all places equally in order to evaluate geographic variations in the character of heat waves. In order to simplify the variety of extreme heat events that occur, this research developed two classifications; one for accumulated daily heat stress and a second for extended periods of extreme conditions (heat waves). Both new classification systems were designed to objectively categorize individual events using a scale from 1 (minor) to 5 (extreme). The heat wave classification system was applied to 70 locations for years 1980-2001 to determine the frequency, magnitude, and duration of daily heat stress events and heat waves. Hourly temperature and humidity data were used to determine heat index values, which were accumulated to provide the daily heat intensity measurement. Major findings from this research include: how heat stress distribution is influenced by topographical relief variations as well as latitude; daily heat stress classifications during an event were typically not in an intensify-then-weaken progression; Category 1 heat waves were the most frequent overall followed by Category 2 and Category 3 heat waves, however Category 5 events outnumbered Category 4 events over the temporal period of this study; and heat stress days/heat waves occurred most frequently in the Southeast, with the fewest occurring in the Northwest. The classification was also used to illustrate the extent and magnitude of the 1995 heat wave that caused high human mortality in the Midwest. Results from this research are presented in maps and tables to provide a detailed insight on the characteristics of heat stress throughout the United States as a function of the exposure component of hazard vulnerability.

This dissertation explores the extent to which weather and climate systematically affect political behavior. The idea that weather (and other elements of the natural world) exercise a fundamental influence on politics has long been a theme in classical and modern political thought. As political science moved from pure description to a more social-scientific form of analysis, scholars became less interested in understanding the impact of climate. If mentioned at all, weather typically is referred to as one of the various elements making up the "error term" in our statistical analyses. Recent work in the natural and social sciences, however, has suggested there are systematic and important links between weather, climate, and behavior. This work (which I review) not only inspires a return to a traditional focus of political analysis, but more importantly provides a number of hypotheses to guide our analysis of politics. Inclement weather increases the costs of moving from place to place. Sunlight enhances while extreme temperature depresses mood. Finally, hot weather is associated with enhanced aggression. These correlates of climate have implications for a variety of subfields across political science, including comparative politics and international relations. This dissertation concentrates primarily, however, on American politics, particularly from a behavioral perspective. To see if weather has a significant effect on politics, then, I explore behavior in four settings that have been especially important in mainstream studies: Presidential approval; social capital; Election Day voting; and finally elite participation (in the form of abstention on roll call voting). In terms of the first, if (as Zaller argues) a response to a telephone survey indeed entails a summing up of `considerations' regarding an issue rather than expression of a `true' attitude, then it is likely sunlight should stimulate positive responses to questions because it encourages the release of serotonin, which makes people more positive in general. Controlled logistic regression of sunlight on Presidential approval reveals that, in spring, sunlight boosts approval. The next chapter explores how hot climates and rain may reduce levels of social capital. This is because heat boosts levels of aggression, which should diminish helping behavior, and because rain makes it more difficult to volunteer and associate with other people. Analysis of state-level social capital data and city-level volunteer data provides some evidence that these propositions are correct. The third empirical chapter focuses upon voting on Election Day. While it finds that rain does have a depressive effect upon voting rates among the poor due to raising the costs associated with voting, there is little evidence that vote choice is affected by the weather. The final empirical chapter examines how weather conditions may affect voting rates among members of the United States House of Representatives, which seems possible because, like regular citizens during Election Day, House members pay costs when visiting the Capital to vote, and unpleasant weather could comprise a real if minor cost. OLS regression at the vote-level and logistic regression at the legislator level reveals that in the winter and spring, sunlight boosts voting, while summer humidity depresses voting and heat in winter has a positive effect. While these conclusions are interesting in themselves and meaningfully contribute to contemporary academic discussions, they further suggest some things about how we thing about political science. In particular, analyses of political topics could often be enhanced by reflectively considering the contents of the error term, as this exercise can offer new and useful perspective on current scholarship. Further, this dissertation also suggests that political science (and research in general) could benefit from taking a more comprehensive view of the environmental context of human behavior.

Heat stress is an environmental and occupational hazard exacerbated by climate change. Rural populations and sub-populations continue to experience disproportionate risks of heat-related impacts due to their low adaptive capacities in terms of infrastructure, information and other resources which are critical in dealing with heat. The study goals were to determine heat-related mortality risks in rural populations globally, explore the contribution of the outdoor work environment and other factors in association with occupational heat-related illnesses (HRI), and assess the risk of heat stress among crop workers using the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT). Published peer-reviewed scientific literature on heat-related mortality in rural areas was used to assess heat-related risks among rural populations worldwide. Excess risks of both all-cause and cardiovascular mortalities were found although temperature had a stronger impact on cardiovascular deaths than for all-cause mortality. Also, using cross-sectional data from health screening clinics conducted during the summers of 2014, 2015, and 2016, a total of 425 patient encounters were analyzed using chi-square and logistic regression analyses to determine the role of the outdoor work environment and other factors associated with heat stress. As expected, the outdoor work environment was significantly associated with HRI. Out of the total of 67 HRI cases that were self-reported or diagnosed, 82% (55 cases) worked outdoors. There were nonsignificant elevations in HRI prevalence reported in males, workers below 40 years of age, individuals who have worked in agriculture for ten years or less, and those trained on heat safety. Further, a comprehensive evaluation of heat stress among crop workers was conducted using the four thermal climate factors-- air temperature, humidity, wind speed and solar radiation-- as well as work load and clothing factors. It found both acclimatized and non-acclimatized workers at risk of HRI. Regression analysis revealed that HRI prevalence was strongly correlated with the daily maximum WBGT (R2= 0.89; p= 0.03). Thus, effective heat safety precautions are needed, in addition to acclimatization, to protect vulnerable outdoor workers.

<p>Predmet istraživanja ove disertacije je monitoring i analiza ultraljubičastog zračenja, toplotnih indeksa i zagađujućih materija u vazduhu većih naselja na teritoriji Vojvodine. Cilj istraživanja je da se prostornom i vremenskom analizom posmatranih parametara dođe do &scaron;to optimalnijih saznanja o stanju kvaliteta životne sredine na području Vojvodine kao i stvaranje jedinstvene baze podataka koja će služiti za buduća istraživanja. U radu je ispitan odnos između sunčevog globalnog i UV zračenja, izvedena i verifikovana empirijska jednačina za procenu dnevnih suma UV-B zračenja u osam naselja za period 1981-2008, analizirane koncentracije pet zagađujućih materija u sedam naselja za period 2001-2008. godina i analizirani toplotni indeksi u sedam naselja u periodu od 1992. do 2008. Analiza pokazuje da rekonstruisane vrednosti dnevnih suma UV-B zračenja i srednji godi&scaron;nji toplotni indeksi u svim naseljima pokazuju tendenciju rasta i da dominantan uticaj na kvalitet vazduha u naseljima Vojvodine imaju čestice. Napravljena je jedinstvena baze podataka sa vrednostima koncentracija zagađivača vazduha, toplotnih indeksa, UV i globalnog zračenja.</p> / <p>This study analyzes UV radiation, heat indexes and air pollution in town in Vojvodina region. Objective of the thesis is to provide scientific facts about environmental quality in Vojvodina, as well as, to generate unique data base for the future research. The relationship between UV-B and global radiation has been studied and correlation equation for estimating UV-B from global radiation has been deduced. Equation was used for UV-B radiation calculation in eight towns in Vojvodina region during the period 1981-2008. This study also analyzes concentrations of five air pollutant in during the period 2001-2008, and heat index during the period 1992-2008. in seven towns in Vojvodina. The results from this study show growth UV-B radiation and heat index in all towns, and denote particulate maters as main air pollutants in Vojvodina towns.</p>

The Department of Defense (DoD) has acknowledged climate change as a risk national security. Ongoing impacts include the loss of training and operational sites to climate hazards. Operationally, conflict and natural disasters around the world have been exacerbated by increasing heat, desertification, and flooding. Increasing average temperatures, the flagship issue of climate change, is a significant contributor to heat-illness in military personnel. This project explores the relationship between climate change and the U.S. military, ongoing efforts to evaluate and address the risk, and the overall impacts on training readiness. Measuring climate related vulnerability is a complex process. For the DoD to apply a common framework across a vast network of fundamentally different sites is an especially wicked problem. I recommend a tiered approach to iteratively narrow the focus and resources allocated to the most mission critical and at-risk sites. The process begins with a screening survey, continues to in-depth site-specific impact assessments, and ends with implementation of technical and institutional adaptations. Recent efforts by the DoD have not fully executed this process and resulting reports are resultingly insufficient. I identify a lack of consideration for heat stress on servicemembers. Using historical site data and projections, I determine that the risk of heat-illness and lost training time will increase. Leaders can use this data to plan risk mitigation efforts through changing training locations, timing, or control measures. The military must continue to adapt and overcome challenges of the coming century by using available scientific information to reduce risk during the planning process.

A vulnerabilidade ao estresse térmico, uma das principais causas do desconforto humano, pode ser um dos elementos chaves, nos centros urbanos em regiões de climas quentes. Neste cenário, a arborização urbana é considerada uma das ferramentas na mitigação deste efeito, sobre o ambiente urbano. Para tal efeito, esta ferramenta precisa de maior informação sobre a consequência que as árvores produzem nas imediações em termos de redução do estresse térmico e sobre a variabilidade deste efeito com as espécies e as estações do ano. Neste trabalho objetivou-se caracterizar e analisar o microclima e o conforto térmico, nas imediações de cinco espécies de árvores Pachira aquática Aubl.(Monguga); Mangifera indica L.(Mangueira); Caesalpinia pluviosa DC.(Sibipiruna); Syzygium malaccense (L.) Merr. & LMPerry (Jambo vermelho) e Licania tomentosa (Benth.) Fritsch (Oiti), localizadas no setor central de Gurupi, Tocantins no ano 2016. As variáveis microclimáticas consideradas foram: temperatura, umidade relativa, e velocidade do vento, registradas através de uma estação meteorológica portável, marca Skymaster, modelo SM-28, às distâncias: 0 m (sombra), 5 m, 10 m e 15 m (sol) do fuste da árvore, nos horários 10:00 h, 12:00 h e 14:00 h. A caracterização do conforto térmico se baseou no índice de calor e na carta bioclimatica de Olgyay adaptada a climas quentes. Todas as variáveis foram consideradas no espaço atingido pelo efeito da árvore e analisadas estatisticamente. Com respeito ao índice de calor, a média do estudo foi de 34±1,1°C categorizado como “cuidado extremo”, ao passo que no período úmido dos meses outubro e dezembro a média esteve próxima à categoria: “cuidado”. Também se observaram atenuações de temperatura de 0,5ºC e de 2ºC entre a sombra e o sol, com probabilidades de 0,76 e 0,53, respectivamente. Das espécies estudadas, a Mangueira foi a que mais contribui para atenuações de 0,5ºC (p=0,92) e de 2ºC (p=0,67). O período seco foi analisado particularmente por ser considerado crítico termicamente, encontrando-se destaque das espécies Oiti, Mangueira e Sibipiruna. Com relação ao conforto térmico, pela carta de Olgyay mostrou-se que na sombra o conforto pode ser atingido desde que tenha ventos superiores aos 1ms-1. Pelos resultados podem-se inferir efeitos positivos de todas as árvores presentes na arborização urbana com as características das espécies estudadas. / The vulnerability to thermal stress, one of the main causes of human discomfort, may be one of the key elements in urban centers in hot climates. In this scenario, the urban forestry is considered one of the tools for mitigating this effect, in the urban environment. For this purpose, this tool needs for more information about the consequence that the trees produce in the vicinity in terms of reduction of thermal stress and on the variability of this effect with the species and the seasons of the year. The objective of this work was to characterize and analyze the microclimate and the thermal comfort, in the vicinity of five tree species Pachira aquática Aubl.(Monguga); Mangifera indica L.(Mangueira); Caesalpinia pluviosa DC.(Sibipiruna); Syzygium malaccense (L.) Merr. & LMPerry (Jambo vermelho) e Licania tomentosa (Benth.) Fritsch (Oiti), located in the central sector of Gurupi, Tocantins in the year 2016. The considered microclimatic variables were: temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed; recorded through a portable weather station, brand Skymaster, Model SM-28, at distances: 0 m (shade), 5 m, 10 m and 15 m (sun) from the shaft of the tree, at 10:00 h, 12:00 h and 14:00 h. The characterization of thermal comfort was based on the heat index and Olgyay bioclimatic chart adapted for hot climates. All variables were considered in the space affected by the tree effect and analyzed statistically. Regarding the heat index, the mean of the study was 34±1.1°C, categorized as "extreme caution", while in the wet period from october to december the average was close to the category: "caution". There were also observed attenuations of 0.5°C and 2°C between the shade and the sun, with probabilities of 0.76 and 0.53, respectively. Of the studied species, Mangueira contributed the most to attenuations of 0.5ºC (p=0.92) and 2ºC (p=0.67). The dry period was analyzed particularly as being considered thermally critical, with prominence of the species Oiti, Mangueira and Sibipiruna. Regarding the thermal comfort it was shown by the chart of Olgyay that in shade comfort can be reached providing winds higher than 1ms-1. From the results can be inferred positive effects of all the trees present in the urban arborization with the characteristics of the studied species.

Heat stress occurs when the body cannot adequately cool itself due to the combined contributions of metabolic heat, environmental factors and clothing. Heat stress found in the workplace puts employees at risk of developing heat-related illnesses, disorders and could be fatal. The wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) index is the current method used to assess environmental contributions to heat stress in an occupational setting. The purpose of this thesis was to explore whether the National Weather Service's Heat Index (HI) could substitute for the WBGT Index during occupational heat stress exposure assessment. The possibility of using the HI for heat stress exposure assessments was explored by first developing an occupational exposure limit based on the HI and then by comparing the HI to WBGT Index over a range of environments. Data from 10 selected studies were reviewed and categorized into two groups (Classic Data and Progressive Data) based on the method used to determine the upper limit of the prescriptive zone. WBGT and HI values were estimated from the environmental data provided in the 10 studies and the metabolic demands were also noted. These data were used to illustrate the relationship between environment (WBGT and HI) and metabolic rate. Next the relationship between HI and WBGT was compared over a range of environments consisting of combinations of air temperature and percent relative humidity as defined by the NWS's Heat Index Chart. Finally the effects of adding a high radiant heat load (Tg = Tdb+10 °C) to the relationship between WBGT and HI was explored. The HI occupational exposure limits were protective of the upper limit threshold points in a manner similar to WBGT. A greater spread in the Classic and Progressive upper limit data was observed above the occupational exposure limit when expressed as HI. High correlation was observed (R2 = 0.95) between the WBGT Index and HI over a range of environments, assuming no radiant heat. The incremental increase in HI due to high radiant heat indicated a strong dependency on the absolute value of HI, which makes using HI to predict WBGT in radiant heat environments problematic. Findings suggest the Heat Index could be used to assess heat stress exposures and to set occupational exposure limits for hot environments in the absence of high radiant heat.

Currently, it is widely recognised that the operational energy consumption of most building types currently outweighs their embodied energy by some margin. However, as we make dramatic increases in energy efficiency the embodied energy of the materials and components that we use will become proportionally larger and may account for a substantial proportion of the energy associated with buildings in the future. The main factor that might contribute to comfort/discomfort perception is the thermal equilibrium caused by the interaction between a person and the interaction of an object.This is easy to demonstrate as an assumption, mainly in situations where almost the whole body is in contact with the object. The main purpose of this work is to determine important parameters that differentiate different materials and develop new way of working with comfort materials (in particular, soft materials like High Resilience foam and High-Density foam) and characterize them based on their response to temperature and humidity. A literature study is performed to gain more knowledge about current state of foam technology and experimental methods are used to obtain analytical data.To characterize the materials, climate chamber is used to evaluate the materials to determine their properties. From the experiment, the key parameters were determined to be Temperature, Humidity, Vapour pressure and Heat Index. These parameters have a significant impact on the comfortability of the material and hence can be used to determine a soft material’s properties and their reaction to certain environments. The most important characteristics such as temperature, humidity, partial water vapour pressure show that HS materials which 400-450mm of PCR coating have much better sweat diffusion which can be attributed to chemical composition of the material and thermal capacity. The most difficult part micro-climate analysis is to accurately represent what is ‘comfortable’, as comfort is subjective but by using these methods of experiments and analysing methods, the characteristics of the materials can be determined, and a conclusion can be drawn. One of the most difficult things in microclimate testing or testing as such is the repetition of equal processes because it requires experience with the device and the complex process to gain comparable data. There are many variables that were not included in this study due to time constraints but can certainly add to the accuracy of the results. The study was conducted only on two materials over a certain period which can be extended for further accuracy.