AIMS To report on the relation between home mould and/or dampness exposure and respiratory disorders in a large sample of children and adolescents in Italy, accounting for age at time of exposure. METHODS 20,016 children (mean age 7 years) and 13,266 adolescents (mean age 13 years) completed questionnaires on indoor exposures and respiratory symptoms/diseases. Statistical analyses were adjust...

T he pathologist makes do with red wine until an effective drug is available, the biochemist discards the bread from her sandwiches, and the mathematician indulges in designer chocolate with a clear conscience. The demographer sticks to vitamin supplements, and while the evolutionary biologist calculates the compensations of celibacy, the population biologist transplants gonads, but so far only...

In laboratory experiments we demonstrate that protoplasmic tubes of acellular slime mould Physarum polycephalum show current versus voltage profiles consistent with memristive systems and that the effect is due to the living protoplasm of the mould. This complements previous findings on memristive properties of other living systems (human skin and blood) and contributes to development of self-g...

The aim of the study was to compare the content of ergosterol in different microorganisms (bacteria, yeasts and moulds) isolated from the air as well as in six species of moulds in their different morphological forms-live mycelium, dead mycelium, and spores. Evaluation of the level of mould contamination of the air in various places using culture method and ergosterol determination was also per...

The effect of temperature (4-30 degrees C) and water activity (a(w), 0.995-0.90) on the 'in vitro' interactions between Penicillium digitatum, Penicillium italicum and Geotrichum candidum were evaluated. The effect of temperature on growth of green and blue mould decays and their interactions on wounded oranges was also studied. The major competing abilities were observed at optimal conditions ...

For steel castings produced in sand moulds, the expansion of the sand and have a significant impact on the final size and shape of the casting. Experiments are conducted using a cylindrical casting to study this effect for different sands (silica and zircon) and different sand binder systems (phenolic urethane and sodium silicate). The type of sand has a significant effect on the final casting ...

This paper is an original philosophy of analyzing the importance of fuzzy logic based intelligent concepts in the design of the temperature process controller for an injection mould machine. An injection mould machine is a basic requirement of every plastic, rubber etc.., process industries to mould the items to the desired shapes by the application of proper temperatures. So, it is very intend...