ABSTRACT
The pandemic scenario caused by Covid-19 generated negative impacts. Covid-19 has made it clear that our daily lives depend to a high degree on access to energy. Therefore, now more than ever, it is necessary to promote new activities such as local food production, but also local energy capture. This article is an attempt to expose and quantify the benefits of a renewable energy transition in Ecuador post Covid-19 and post-oil. The generation, consumption, and reserves of oil in Ecuador were characterized, and the concept of energy transition was applied to evaluate the possibilities of integration of renewables, the progressive exit of thermal power plants, and future energy strategies. The year 2015 was taken as a basis and it was determined that energy use was 154.0 TWh / year, which corresponds to an end-user of approximately 147 TWh / year. The objective was to reduce this end-use demand to 80.0 TWh/year by 2055 through the integration of renewables and energy efficiency, for which 5 transition phases were planned until a 100% renewable system was obtained. It is concluded that the energy transition in Ecuador is technically possible and economically viable, without giving up the energy well-being that we currently enjoy. However, results show that even 100% renewable is not enough to face climate change.
ABSTRACT
In this poster, we investigate the impact of online versus in-person summer equity programs. We designed and implemented a summer bridge program from 2020 through 2022 and collected pre- and post-survey data from students to measure the program's impact on students' self-concept, science motivation, growth mindset, help-seeking and concealment attitude, science identity, and sense of belonging. Our research questions are: RQ1: How do students' indicators change from pre-survey to post-survey in the online summer program (2020 and 2021) versus the in-person program (2022) RQ2: What indicators are most impacted (positively or negatively) in an online version of the program These questions will help inform us about how to support students who have started their undergraduate programs during the COVID-19 remote instruction period and whether or not the additional cost of an in-person summer program is justifiable by its impact on students. © 2022 Owner/Author.
ABSTRACT
There is a gap in the literature on the architectural design of Psychiatric Geriatric Care (PGC) centers and their impact on patients’ wellbeing and recovery. The objectives of this study are to explore the role of the built environment on staff’s work satisfaction, geriatric psychiatric patients’ wellbeing, and assess the importance of treating mental and physical illness of older adults in the same clinical setting. Data were obtained from behavior observation/mapping of existing spaces and interviews with staff and patients. Interview data were analyzed, coded, and juxtaposed with themes from behavior observation/mapping. This study identified specific architectural conditions of autonomy, atmosphere, boundary, and safety for patients and visibility, accessibility, and rejuvenation for staff. The findings of this study resulted in creating a replicable design model and architectural base for future PGC centers that include a psychiatric geriatric unit and a medical unit. This provides an opportunity for patients to be involved in their own recovery and receive complete mental and physical care at the same hospital. Additionally, this design model offers the possibility of separating and closing one hospital wing in case of emergencies or a pandemic such as COVID19. © 2022 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
ABSTRACT
COVID-19 is a serious respiratory disease caused by a devastating coronavirus family (2019-nCoV) that has become a global epidemic. It is an infectious virus transmitted by inhalation or contact with the droplet core produced by infected people when they sneeze, cough, and speak. SARS-COV-2 transmission in the air is possible even in a confined space near the infected person. This study examines air conditioners' effect on the mixed virus and droplets with aerosol disinfectant and gets throughout the elevator to detect the SARS-COV-2, which helps protect passengers' lives. This study uses fluent 2019R3 software to simulate the virus transmission to model the transient flows numerically. The analysis found that the ventilation system's turbulent fields can be an effective method of protecting the space from being saturated by the coronavirus. © 2021 World Scientific Publishing Europe Ltd.
ABSTRACT
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the COVID-19 pandemic has been the greatest challenge to humanity since World War II. Spain is one of the countries experiencing severe consequences from the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. In such a situation, when the population is quarantined, hospitals are crowded, and industries are shutting down;energy supply becomes a critical and “hard to predict” service. In this way, the study of the impact of COVID-19 on the selling price of electricity in Spain is highlighted more comprehensively. Given the high level of uncertainty in global energy markets, there is a research gap that needs to be filled, that is, the creation of new decision support mechanisms that can reduce risks and ensure more significant forecasting for investments and energy management to deal with seemingly unprecedented effects experienced through the current pandemic. This study examines and develops econometric models to determine the impact of COVID-19 on the Spanish electricity market. This article's main result is a framework that predicts the dynamic electricity market's behavior during shifting periods, that is, the COVID-19 pandemic period. Noteworthy that the result of this article is useful in electricity market management and strategic developments. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons Ltd