Design strategy for low-energy ventilation and cooling of hospitals

Abstract

Social cues, such as eye gaze and pointing fingers, can increase the prioritisation of specific locations for cognitive processing. A previous study using a manual reaching task showed that, although both gaze and pointing cues altered target prioritisation (reaction times [RTs]), only pointing cues affected action execution (trajectory deviations). These differential effects of gaze and pointing cues on action execution could be because the gaze cue was conveyed through a disembodied head; hence, the model lacked the potential for a body part (i.e., hands) to interact with the target. In the present study, the image of a male gaze model, whose gaze direction coincided with two potential target locations, was centrally presented. The model either had his arms and hands extended underneath the potential target locations, indicating the potential to act on the targets (Experiment 1), or had his arms crossed in front of his chest, indicating the absence of potential to act (Experiment 2). Participants reached to a target that followed a nonpredictive gaze cue at one of three stimulus onset asynchronies. RTs and reach trajectories of the movements to cued and uncued targets were analysed. RTs showed a facilitation effect for both experiments, whereas trajectory analysis revealed facilitatory and inhibitory effects, but only in Experiment 1 when the model could potentially act on the targets. The results of this study suggested that when the gaze model had the potential to interact with the cued target location, the model's gaze affected not only target prioritisation but also movement execution.

Preventing Airborne Disease Transmission: Review of Methods for Ventilation Design in Health Care Facilities

“…Positive pressure mechanical ventilation systems are fanned on intake and result in exfiltration of space (i.e., air tends to leak out of ventilated space). On the other hand, negative pressure mechanical ventilation systems are fanned on exhaust and result in infiltration of space [5,69]. Natural ventilation systems rely on natural forces such as wind or a density-generated pressure differences between indoor and outdoor to drive air through building openings.…”

Performance evaluation of natural ventilation strategies for hospital wards – A case study of Great Ormond Street Hospital

“…2 and a volume of 82.42m 3 . The existing window is 1.65m wide and 0.5m high and is situated 1.9m above a fixed glazing of same width.…”

“…In particular, displacement is not recommended for ward ventilation whether in single or multi-patient spaces since it is adjudged as incapable of protecting healthcare workers, patients or their visitors [11]. This deduction brings with it some implications on the displacement strategies already in use or emerging/recommended for hospital wards, such the buoyancy-driven ANV [3]. However, a new approach to buoyancy-induced natural ventilation which is capable of providing not only mixing but personalised delivery of fresh air over patients has been demonstrated [10] through the use of ceiling mounted supply ducts with exhaust air escaping via stacks.…”

Measurement of ventilation and airborne infection risk in large naturally ventilated hospital wards

“…A recent study [4] has shown that naturally ventilated Nightingale wards can provide good thermal comfort and are more resilient to future climate change than many other ward designs. Such spaces therefore have great potential for retro-fitting low-energy and resilient design solutions [5,6], particularly those that address current issues with privacy and dignity in multi-occupant spaces. However in developing new design solutions it is essential to understand the resilience of such spaces in terms of infection risk and whether retrofitting may help or hinder infection control.…”