ABSTRACT
A hybrid workstyle is becoming more common post-COVID-19, and longer occupancy hours at home are increasing household electricity consumption. Small homes are regarded as a potential for improving energy efficiency in the residential sector, and a home consists of mixed-function spaces with dynamic occupancy behaviors. These underpin the opportunity to optimize presence sensing lighting in small homes for energy efficiency and user-behavioral needs. A comprehensive overview of presence sensing approaches, comparing four types of non-wearable sensors connected to home lighting is made. A bibliometric mapping of the reviewed literature visually reinforces a significant research gap that presence sensing studies were not connected to home lighting but inclined toward the commercial and institutional context. Next, a non-exhaustive example of commercially available presence sensing products applicable to residential lighting for small homes is analyzed, and their general characteristics and technologies are synthesized. The literature and product overview identified five significant product knowledge gaps. Incorporating the gathered information leads to the proposal of a conceptual flexible radar-based sensor (prototype design), addressing a wish list with three important criteria to optimize future presence sensing lighting in a mixed-function small home. Future radar sensing studies are expected to develop an anticipatory lighting system that processes real-time multi-user vital signals for smarter localized and personalized lighting options for (small) living environments.
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic is suspected to change the consumption of beverages. This study aimed at analyzing the effects of the two-year COVID-19 pandemic on the consumption of beverages among Indonesian women. For this purpose, an online survey was designed and performed via social media in Java. As many as 1773 women participated in this study. The results showed that the two-year COVID-19 pandemic had an effect on increasing the consumption of bottled water, drinking water, isotonic drink, energy drink, milk, juice, coconut water, and herbal drink. Meanwhile, the consumption of tea, coffee, and soft drink decreased. © 2023 UPM Press. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
The relationship between everyday light exposure and sleep was studied for office workers. The study was conducted during the upswing of the COVID-19 pandemic, enabling a comparison between Office and Home Workdays. Fifteen full-time office employees were monitored for a period of 4-6 weeks. They wore a light-tracking device on their clothes and had a sleep tracker at home. Compared to an Office Workday, light exposure was lower in the afternoon and total sleep time was almost 5 minutes longer on a Home Workday. Sleep efficiency was the same on both workday types. A higher median illuminance level in the afternoon was significantly related to later sleep onset on an Office Workday. Higher median illuminance levels in the morning were related to earlier awakening. Counter to expectations, higher light levels in the evening were also related to earlier awakening. Everyday light exposure matters for sleep quality but may affect circadian functioning differently than the often more extreme light interventions employed in laboratory experiments. Moreover, differences in outcomes between Office and Home Workdays signal the need for further investigation to provide supportive light levels during workhours.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To systematically collect clinical data from patients with a proven COVID-19 infection in the Netherlands. DESIGN: Data from 2579 patients with COVID-19 admitted to 10 Dutch centers in the period February to July 2020 are described. The clinical data are based on the WHO COVID case record form (CRF) and supplemented with patient characteristics of which recently an association disease severity has been reported. METHODS: Survival analyses were performed as primary statistical analysis. These Kaplan-Meier curves for time to (early) death (3 weeks) have been determined for pre-morbid patient characteristics and clinical, radiological and laboratory data at hospital admission. RESULTS: Total in-hospital mortality after 3 weeks was 22.2% (95% CI: 20.7% - 23.9%), hospital mortality within 21 days was significantly higher for elderly patients (> 70 years;35, 0% (95% CI: 32.4% - 37.8%) and patients who died during the 21 days and were admitted to the intensive care (36.5% (95% CI: 32.1% - 41.3%)). Apart from that, in this Dutch population we also see a risk of early death in patients with co-morbidities (such as chronic neurological, nephrological and cardiac disorders and hypertension), and in patients with more home medication and / or with increased urea and creatinine levels. CONCLUSION: Early death due to a COVID-19 infection in the Netherlands appears to be associated with demographic variables (e.g. age), comorbidity (e.g. cardiovascular disease) but also disease char-acteristics at admission.