scholarly journals An overview of solutions for airborne viral transmission reduction related to HVAC systems including liquid desiccant air-scrubbing

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandro Giampieri ◽  
Janie Ling-Chin ◽  
Zhiwei Ma ◽  
Anthony Paul Roskilly ◽  
Andrew J. Smallbone
Keyword(s):  
Public Transport ◽  
Hvac Systems ◽  
Viral Transmission ◽  
Liquid Desiccant ◽  
Healthcare Facilities ◽  
Temperature And Humidity ◽  
Transmission Reduction ◽  
Energy Penalty

The world is facing on-going challenges due to the spread of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, which is affecting the health of people worldwide and the economy of countries. Social distancing, lockdown and quarantine measures have been implemented globally to limit the spread of the virus with a profound impact on people’s lives. These are interventions which are not considered to be permanent and reproducible in the long-term. As more evidence is growing around the airborne transmission routes of the virus, as previously identified for other viruses such as tuberculosis, measles, influenza and coronaviruses, the role of heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems in buildings, enclosed spaces and public transport in limiting the transmission of airborne pathogens has become a topic of significant relevance. Although the HVAC strategies recommended by professional engineering associations are capable of minimising the transmission of airborne pathogens, they are also responsible for an increase in energy consumption and possibly in a reduction of thermal comfort for occupants. The objective of the study is to review the role of HVAC in airborne viral transmission, to estimate the energy penalty associated with the implementation of the main HVAC strategies for transmission reduction and understand the potential of liquid desiccant technology as an air scrubber. That is capable to a) energy-efficiently control temperature and humidity in buildings, enclosed spaces and public transport; b) increase the indoor air quality by offering the conditions of temperature and humidity less favourable to the growth, proliferation and infectivity of microorganisms; and c) inactivate pathogens. The main factors involved in the process of the inactivation of viruses or pathogens by liquid desiccant solutions are also described together with possible modifications to the solutions to increase their heat and mass transfer and sanitising characteristics. The study is ended by an economic evaluation of the potential energy benefits resulting from the use of liquid desiccant technology. It is concluded that the technology could be particularly favourable in those buildings where humidity control and/or moisture removal is required or in buildings where viruses are more likely to be present, such as in healthcare facilities/operating rooms, or in the event of an airborne viral outbreak.

scholarly journals Sustainable Lighting for Healthcare Facilities: More Than Just Lumens Per Watt

2008 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 74-89 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariana Figueiro
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Cost ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Value Engineering ◽  
Implicit Assumption ◽  
Healthcare Applications ◽  
Quarter Century ◽  
Healthcare Facilities ◽  
The People

Sustainability is, as the name implies, a movement to ensure long-term, efficient utilization of resources. Sustainability does not imply that resources should be restricted nor that resource utilization should be subsidized. Bill McDonough (McDonough and Braungart 2002) has described sustainability in terms of the three E's: environment, equity, and economy. In the last quarter century the lighting industry has dramatically improved the energy efficiency (environment “E”) and life-cycle cost of lighting (economy “E”). Much less attention has been given to the equity “E.” Lighting standards are still set primarily in terms of illuminances (lumens per square meter) and lumens per watt, both of which are based upon the implicit assumption that the value of lighting can be characterized by the lumen. The lumen is, however, unrelated to other non-visual effects of light, such as the circadian system, and is only indirectly related to our perceptual system. In particular, our current architectural practices do not adequately support the most fragile segments of the population. And no matter how much energy is conserved or how much value engineering is applied, we are not designing or implementing sustainable lighting because we are not supporting many of the people in our built environments. In fact, the role of lighting as it affects human perceptual and circadian functions is almost completely ignored in standards. Arguably, the failure to consider these two human domain functions can be ignored in many modern applications because of the inherent flexibility and robustness of the human species. One segment of construction where the equity “E” should always be more seriously considered, however, is healthcare applications. These applications contain our most fragile humans, and lighting has been shown, for example, to demonstrably affect the lives of seniors and premature infants. But there are no standards to assist architects and engineers in supporting the well-being of these fragile people. To illustrate this assertion, this article focuses on sustainable lighting for healthcare applications where good lighting in all three human domains, visual, perceptual, and circadian, can be best documented.

Abusive head trauma (AHT) outcome at long-term follow-up and the role of elective neurosurgical approach: A report of 22 cases

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesca Menegazzo ◽  
Melissa Rosa Rizzotto ◽  
Martina Bua ◽  
Luisa Pinello ◽  
Elisabetta Tono ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Head Trauma ◽  
Abusive Head Trauma ◽  
Long Term Follow Up

The Second Start of Transformation in Ukraine?

2014 ◽  
pp. 30-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Grigoryev ◽  
E. Buryak ◽  
A. Golyashev
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Armed Conflict ◽  
Political Crisis ◽  
Investment Climate ◽  
Institutional Reforms ◽  
Personal Consumption ◽  
Governance Quality ◽  
Political Turmoil

The Ukrainian socio-economic crisis has been developing for years and resulted in the open socio-political turmoil and armed conflict. The Ukrainian population didn’t meet objectives of the post-Soviet transformation, and people were disillusioned for years, losing trust in the state and the Future. The role of workers’ remittances in the Ukrainian economy is underestimated, since the personal consumption and stability depend strongly on them. Social inequality, oligarchic control of key national assets contributed to instability as well as regional disparity, aggravated by identity differences. Economic growth is slow due to a long-term underinvestment, and prospects of improvement are dependent on some difficult institutional reforms, macro stability, open external markets and the elites’ consensus. Recovering after socio-economic and political crisis will need not merely time, but also governance quality improvement, institutions reform, the investment climate revival - that can be attributed as the second transformation in Ukraine.

Thoughts on the Long-Term Strategy, Science and Democracy

2006 ◽  
pp. 4-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Abalkin
Keyword(s):  
Strategy Development ◽  
Russian Science ◽  
Global Trends ◽  
The World ◽  
World Development ◽  
Crucial Condition

The article covers unified issues of the long-term strategy development, the role of science as well as democracy development in present-day Russia. The problems of budget proficit, the Stabilization Fund issues, implementation of the adopted national projects, an increasing role of regions in strengthening the integrity and prosperity of the country are analyzed. The author reveals that the protection of businessmen and citizens from the all-embracing power of bureaucrats is the crucial condition of democratization of the society. Global trends of the world development and expert functions of the Russian science are presented as well.

Development of Social and Economic Forecasting and Ideas of A. Anchishkin

2013 ◽  
pp. 143-155
Author(s):  
A. Klepach ◽  
G. Kuranov
Keyword(s):  
Economic Planning ◽  
Special Role ◽  
Economic Management ◽  
Economic Forecasting ◽  
Russian Economy ◽  
World Economic ◽  
Long Term Forecasting ◽  
Working Out

The role of the prominent Soviet economist, academician A. Anchishkin (1933—1987), whose 80th birth anniversary we celebrate this year, in the development of ideas and formation of economic forecasting in the country at the time when the directive planning acted as a leading tool of economic management is explored in the article. Besides, Anchishkin’s special role is noted in developing a comprehensive program of scientific and technical progress, an information basis for working out long-term forecasts of the country’s development, moreover, his contribution to the creation of long-term forecasting methodology and improvement of the statistical basis for economic analysis and economic planning. The authors show that social and economic forecasting in the period after 1991, which has undertaken a number of functions of economic planning, has largely relied on further development of Anchishkin’s ideas, at the same time responding to new challenges for the Russian economy development during its entry into the world economic system.

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