Air Distribution System for Infection Reduction in Commercial Airplane Premium Economy and Business Class Passenger Seats

In previous works made by the authors, a new air distribution system with Personalized Ventilation (PV) combined with Underfloor Air Distribution (UFAD) has been proposed. The proposed system in four different configurations provided thermal comfort, as well as a shield between passengers for infection reduction in economy class seats in an airplane. This work extends the previous works by studying the same system for premium economy and business class seats which have extra spacing between passengers. The proposed system provided enhanced thermal comfort despite the extra spacing of the seats. The Predictive Mean Vote (PMV) has recorded the best value of 0.38 for the business class seats compared to all the other seating configurations. Predicted Percentage Dissatisfied (PPD) has also been improved with values of 12.2% and 10.9% for the premium economy and business classes respectively. In addition to thermal comfort, the proposed system still provides an adequate air shield for passengers in the widely spaced premium economy and business classes. It is recommended as an alternative to the conventional mixed ventilation system in a commercial airplane for all seating plans. © 2022 Praise Worthy Prize S.r.l. All rights reserved.

Between life & death: Political economy of breast cancer care for refugee populations in Lebanon.

Refugees and displaced groups have been shown to face increased risk of developing advanced cancer stages. This has been shown to be evident in Lebanon, whereby refugees are detected at later stages when compared to the Lebanese population. Lebanon is one of the biggest host (per capita) of refugees worldwide, and suffers from difficult political situation, compounded by an economic crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic and a blast which hit the capital Beirut in 2020. The main determinants of poor health outcomes among migrant populations in Lebanon include a fragmented and inequitable healthcare system and legal constraints to healthcare accessibility. The health care system is largely privatised with multiple health systems operating simultaneously for different nationalities. The current multi-crisis situation has exacerbated the fragility of the health system and its ability to cope with increasing needs. On the other hand, legal constraints for refugees to obtain residency in Lebanon has also contributed to insufficient access to health care and poor health outcomes among this population. Health system reforms, improved emergency preparedness and response measures, and an ease on legal and political restrictions for the refugee populations in Lebanon are considered key policy recommendations to ensure refugees right to health in Lebanon.

An Improved Air Distribution System for Infection Reduction in Economy-Class Passenger Airplanes

In a previous work performed by the authors, a Personalized Ventilation (PV) system, combined with Under Floor Air Distribution (UFAD) has been found to provide an air shield between passengers in an airplane and reduce the chances of viruses spreading. A new PV system with a front-back design has been adopted. Combined with UFAD, the new system has achieved thermal comfort for the passengers, as well as a reduction of contaminants spreading. However, the PV system can be further improved by changing the air inlet and outlet configurations. In this work, two new PV system configurations are investigated with changed locations of the air outlets. In addition to an improved air shield between passengers and hence better infection reduction, the new configurations have also improved the predictive mean vote to the value of 0.51, and the predicted percentage dissatisfied to 13.9%. © 2022 Praise Worthy Prize S.r.l.

Menstrual health and period poverty in Lebanon during economic crisis: A qualitative analysis of the challenges and recommendations.

Objective: Recently, severe period poverty has had a dramatic spread throughout Lebanon as a result of several crises: the COVID-19 pandemic, the Beirut explosion, and the economic collapse. Period poverty is the lack of access to menstrual hygiene materials, comfortable environments, and adequate education about menstrual health. Due to the great implications of period poverty on Lebanese women's health, our study aims to explore stakeholder's perspective on the Lebanese public health policy regarding menstrual health, the evolving challenges it faces in the context of the current economic collapse, and to suggest recommendations for solutions. Methods: Our study is qualitative in nature, where data collection was done via online semi-structured interviews with stakeholders from the public and private sectors of the Lebanese healthcare system in addition to non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and physicians. Data were then analyzed based on themes and subthemes that emerged from the interviews. Results: Nine stakeholders were interviewed: five from NGOs, two obstetrics and gynecology physicians, and two public sector representatives. The challenges to menstrual health were subcategorized into previously existing and new ones. The consequences of poor menstrual health were tackled on the mental, physical, and social levels. Stakeholders suggested both short-term and long-term recommendations. Short-term recommendations included decreasing the monetary burden by subsidizing menstrual products or via a coupon system. Long-term recommendations included proper education on multiple levels, cooperation between key players in the private and public sectors, and encouragement of local production to ensure future sustainability. Conclusion: Menstrual health is a neglected public health issue in Lebanon, causing detrimental effects on girls and women residing in the country. Proper planning and collaboration between the private and public sectors are required to address this human rights issue.

Stress, Marginalization, and Disruption: A Qualitative Rapid Situational Assessment of Substance Users and HIV Risk in Lebanon.

Lebanon is a diverse and dynamic nation of six million people that has experienced considerable disruption for the last two decades. The Syrian Civil War, which began in 2011, resulted in the displacement of 1.1 million Syrians to Lebanon. Today, Lebanon is the country with the largest per capita number of refugees in the world. In addition, the country experienced a social, economic, and political crisis in 2019 that destabilized the entire society-circumstances that were further complicated by COVID-19 pandemic. With all of the competing calamities in Lebanon, there has been limited scientific investigation into substance use and the risk of HIV infection among the country's population. To address this gap in knowledge, a qualitative rapid situational assessment (RSA) of substance use and risk of HIV infection in and around Beirut, the nation's capital, was conducted. The goal of this analysis is to describe the demographics and drug use patterns of this population, explore their HIV knowledge and risks, and build knowledge about their perceptions of and access to substance use treatment and other social services.

Multi-objective integrated BES-CFD co-simulation approach towards pandemic proof buildings

COVID-19 has posed an extraordinary burden to those professionals responsible for properly operating and safely maintaining facilities throughout this disaster. Considering this global pandemic, the common spaces in buildings must be reconsidered to accommodate a future in-presence existence. Governments address human health and safety as the most vital considerations worldwide;thus, Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) designs, airflow patterns, and temperature distribution must all be reconsidered to achieve such healthy circumstances. Based on this, a Building Energy Simulation-Computational Fluid Dynamics (BES-CFD) validated model has been analysed in terms of various HVAC designs. The simulations assessed the proposed solutions in terms of energy-saving, operational CO2 emissions, thermal comfort enhancement, and infection control. The results were closely examined and showed that the Underfloor Air Distribution (UFAD) system generates approximately laminar vertical airflow, reducing the likelihood of indoor infections and viral transmission. Supply air is delivered to the inhabitants’ zone without sacrificing mixing efficiency, ensuring long-term indoor environmental quality. Moreover, the UFAD model proved to be more cost-efficient compared to the Conventional Overhead Distribution (COHD) and has a lower carbon footprint and energy consumption. In terms of thermal comfort, the dynamic simulations showed a noticeable enhancement in PMV. Additionally, the UFAD provides a vertical temperature gradient profile that is sufficiently uniform. Moreover, the integrated DOAS-UFAD systems’ effectiveness was proved through a techno-economic analysis with a Return on Investment of 8.25% and a Payback period of 7.3 years.

The political economy of health in conflict: Lessons learned from three states in the Eastern Mediterranean Region during COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: The Eastern Mediterranean Region continues to face a severe scale of emergencies as a direct result of conflict and political instability in a number of countries. As of 2020, nine countries out of 22 countries in the region affected by protracted and ongoing wars and conflict, left more than 62 million people in dire need of access to quality health care and adequate response measures. COVID-19 exacerbates the humanitarian needs of the people especially in countries that suffer from humanitarian crises, and drains the already overstretched health care systems. This study was conducted to derive major takeaways and lessons learned from the COVID-19 response in humanitarian and low resource settings that may assist similar vulnerable and fragile settings in different regions in view of a possible next pandemic. METHODS: The study involved a desk review, document analysis, and key informant interviews with key stakeholders from the Eastern Mediterranean Region. RESULTS: A total of 35 key informant interviews were carried out with health professionals working in humanitarian and low resource settings in the region. This study focuses on the information gathered from Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria. CONCLUSIONS: A key finding of this study is that each of the nine pillars for COVID response has been implemented differently across the different countries. Although the nine pillars guide the overall response to COVID-19 in the region, they also provide countries with an important starting point and an important implementation tool.

An Alternative Air Distribution System in Economy-Class Passenger Airplane for Infection Reduction

– Airplane transportation has played a major role in the spread of the new corona virus COVID-19 all over the world. The current air distribution system used in airplanes circulation assists motion of contaminants and hence spreads airborne diseases. In this work, a new air distribution system is proposed. A combined Under Floor Air Distribution (UFAD) and a new Personalized Ventilation (PV) systems with a front-back design has been adopted such that it satisfies thermal comfort for the passengers, as well as providing an air shield between the passengers in order to prevent the spread of airborne contaminants. Two configurations have been made for the economy class in a passenger airplane. Both had the same UFAD system, and PV system with air inlet located at the back of the ahead seat, but with different air inlet angles, normal to the seat back and inclined by 45°. It has been found out that the second configuration provides better control for contaminant spreading, as well as better thermal comfort, with predictive mean vote of 0.6, and predicted percentage dissatisfied of 17.6%. © 2021 Praise Worthy Prize S.r.l.-All rights reserved.

Distance learning during Covid-19: Lessons learned and case studies from Egypt

The Covid-19 Pandemic impacted the world in an unprecedented manner, forcing billions of people into changing their lifestyles. One of the seriously impacted sectors was the education one, with school and university closures forcing educational institutions and millions of students to move to remote learning. Institutes of higher education in Egypt were forced to react to this problem. In this paper, the efforts of the national ICT committee in Egypt to assess the key lessons learned and the difficulties of remote learning in higher education, are discussed. In coping with the remote learning difficulties and the important role of ICT during the pandemic, we present two case studies, the first belongs to a governmental institution whereas the second belongs to a private higher education one. © 2021 IEEE.

Tele health is here-are patients ready for it? an analysis of technological knowledge in cancer patients

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the rapid expansion of telehealth use. Telehealth has the potential to improve access for underserved populations who live far distances from well-equipped medical centers. This healthcare modality will likely be particularly important for patients with cancer. We hypothesized that there are disparities in the resources available to utilize telehealth and sought to study patient access and knowledge of associated technologies. Methods: We conducted a single-center cross-sectional survey study of patients at an NCCN-designated comprehensive cancer center over a two-month period. Demographics, education, internet, and cell phone access were assessed. Participant technological knowledge was determined with a validated 10-question quiz of terms regarding computers and the internet. Income was extrapolated using IRS data for individual zip codes. Analysis was performed using either an ordered logistic regression or mixed model ordered logistic regression (Stata SE 16.1). Results: There were 344 survey responses (rate 64.3%). Mean age of the respondents was 57.5 years, 70.0% were women, 67.3% were Caucasian, and 25.4% were Black. Many patients (35.0%) did not attend college, and 5.0% had not finished high school. The median estimated income was ≥45,820. Ninety-six patients (30.0%) did not have adequate internet access for telehealth use with 6.5% not having any internet access at all. Participants scored an average of 57.4% correct on the technology knowledge quiz. In unadjusted analysis, technological knowledge was predicted by age (Fig A), race (Fig B), income (Fig C), education level (Fig D), and cell phone type (Fig E). The type of home internet access and was not predictive of quiz score. Age, race, education level, and cell phone type remained significantly predictive of technological knowledge in multivariable analysis (Fig F). Home internet access (p =0.416) and median income (p =0.109) were not significantly associated with quiz score. Conclusions: In our sample, nearly one-third of cancer patients did not have adequate internet access for telehealth. There were significant disparities in technological knowledge among cancer patients which were associated with demographic characteristics. This study provides information for identifying patients that may have barriers to successful utilization of telehealth.

Vulnerability of Syrian refugees in Lebanon to COVID-19: quantitative insights.

Lebanon, a middle-income country with ongoing political turmoil, unstable economic situation, and a fragmented and under-resourced health system, hosts about one million Syrian refugees since 2011. While the country is currently experiencing substantial COVID-19 epidemic spread, no outbreaks have been reported yet among Syrian refugees. However, testing of this population remains limited and exposure levels are high given dire living conditions and close interaction with the host community. Here, we use quantitative insights of transmission dynamics to outline risk and contextual factors that may modulate vulnerability of Syrian refugees in Lebanon to potentially large COVID-19 epidemics.Syrian refugees live in close contact with the host community, and their living conditions are favorable for epidemic spread. We found that the high levels of crowding within Syrian refugee households and among those in informal tented settlements, the inadequate water supply and sanitation, limited use of masks, inadequate access to health care, and inadequate community awareness levels are vulnerability factors that directly impact important parameters of transmission dynamics, leading to larger epidemic scale. Poverty, stigma, and fear of legal consequences are contextual factors that further exacerbate this vulnerability. The relatively high prevalence of non-communicable diseases in this population could also affect the severity of the disease among those infected. Mathematical modeling simulations we conducted illustrated that even modest increases in transmission among Syrian refugees could result in a large increase in the incidence and cumulative total number of infections in the absence of interventions.In conclusion, while the young age structure of the Syrian refugee population might play a protective role against the scale and disease-burden severity of a potential COVID-19 epidemic, the epidemic potential due to several vulnerability factors warrants an immediate response in this population group. Local and international actors are required to mobilize and coordinate efforts to prevent the transmission of COVID-19, and to mitigate its impact amongst the vulnerable refugee populations globally.

Mental Health in Lebanon's Triple-Fold Crisis: The Case of Refugees and Vulnerable Groups in Times of COVID-19.

Lebanon's management of the COVID-19 pandemic is largely being maneuvered amid the country's escalating triple fold crisis. As the country continues to grapple with political stagnation, a dwindling economy and currency, all while working through an ongoing refugee crisis, mental health in times of Coronavirus in Lebanon remains unaddressed. This piece explores the effects of this triple fold crisis upon the mental health of the country's refugees and most vulnerable groups, and provides room for discussions on the potential benefits of telemental health as an intervention in low-income and conflict settings. Although the implementation of TMH services in Lebanon among vulnerable communities in times of COVID-19 is not a priority, this piece insists it would ultimately fill a substantial mental health gap during the country's ongoing difficult transitory period.

Addressing COVID-19 in humanitarian settings: a call to action.

Refugees and internally displaced persons in humanitarian settings are particularly susceptible to the spread of infectious illnesses such as COVID-19 due to overcrowding and inadequate access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities. Countries facing conflict or humanitarian emergencies often have damaged or fragmented health systems and little to no capacity to test, isolate, and treat COVID-19 cases. Without a plan to address COVID-19 in humanitarian settings, host governments, aid agencies, and international organizations risk prolonging the spread of the virus across borders, threatening global health security, and devastating vulnerable populations. Stakeholders must coordinate a multifaceted response to address COVID-19 in humanitarian settings that incorporates appropriate communication of risks, sets forth resource-stratified guidelines for the use of limited testing, provides resources to treat affected patients, and engages displaced populations.