Recently, the requirements regarding the environment of nursing homes are high, because the elderly are a vulnerable group with limited adaptive capacity to respond to transient environmental change. This paper presents a field investigation on the influence of transient thermal comfort changes between the indoor and outdoor spaces (i.e., air temperature (Ta), solar radiation (SR), relative humidity (RH), wind speed (WS), and the thermal comfort indices of Universal Thermal Index (UTCI)) on the willingness of the elderly to use outdoor spaces of the Wanxia nursing home of Chengdu City. Results indicated that, in summer, the mean UTCI values of indoor and corridor spaces corresponded to the level of moderate heat stress, while those of road and garden corresponded to the strong heat stress level. Road and garden spaces even showed moderate heat stress in spring. Approximately 28.93% (139) of the elderly living here used outdoor spaces every day. The morning period (from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.) was the elderly’s favorited period for using outdoor spaces in seasons. The microclimatic transient differences between indoor and outdoor spaces ranged from 0.47 °C to 2.93 °C (|ΔTa|), from 86.09 W/m2 to 206.76 W/m2 (|ΔSR|), from 5.29% to 14.76% (ΔRH), from 0.01 m/s to 0.07 m/s (|ΔWS|), and from 0.25 °C to 2.25 °C (ΔUTCI). These big microclimate differences could cause enormous health risks for the elderly in the process of indoor and outdoor space conversion. The minimal transient change occurred between corridors and indoors. Pearson correlation analysis indicated ΔTa and ΔRH between indoor and outdoor spaces were the primary meteorological factors that influenced the elderly’s willing to use outdoor spaces. The elderly preferred to live in a constant Ta and RH environment. Only when the ΔTa and ΔRH are small enough to resemble a steady-state (ΔUTCI ≤ 0.5 °C), ΔWS and ΔSI could affect the elderly’s choice of using outdoor space. Optimal design strategies were put forward for reducing the transient differences between indoor and outdoor microclimates to inspire the elderly to use outdoor spaces safely, including improving outdoor canopy coverage and indoor mechanical ventilation.
The eastern Hengduan Mountains are located in the transition zone between the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the Sichuan Basin and are important for global biodiversity and water conservation in China. However, their landscape pattern vulnerability index (LVI) and its influencing factors have not been systematically studied. Therefore, the spatial distribution patterns, LVI, and the landscape artificial disturbance intensity (LHAI) of Ganzi Prefecture were analyzed using ArcGIS software based on landscape data and Digital Elevation Model (DEM) digital elevation data. Then, the LVI response to LHAI and elevation was discussed. The results showed that Ganzi Prefecture was dominated by low- and middle-LVI areas, together accounting for 56.45% of the total area. LVI values were highest in the northern regions, followed by the southern and eastern regions. Batang and Derong counties had the highest LVI values. Most areas in Ganzi Prefecture had very low- or low-LHAI values, accounting for 81.48% of the total area, whereas high-LHAI areas accounted for 2.32% of the total area. Both the LVI and LHAI of Ganzi Prefecture had clustered distributions. Spearman analysis indicated that when elevation exceeded 4500 m, it was the most important factor affecting LVI and LHAI. In the range of 4500–5400 m, the relationship between elevation and LVI shifted from a weak positive correlation to a negative correlation, whereas LHAI was positively correlated with elevation. In addition, LVI also responded significantly to LHAI. However, the relationship kept changing as elevation increased. Hence, the ecological vulnerability of high elevation areas above 4500 m deserves greater attention. In addition, pasture areas in the upstream reaches of the Yalong River in the northern region, the coastal area in the downstream reaches of the Jinsha River in the southern region, and the eastern mining area, should be prioritized for protection and restoration. This research provides a basis for appropriate environmental planning mechanisms and policy protections at the landscape level.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.