City Of Beirut Research Articles

Ilham Khuri-Makdisi. The Eastern Mediterranean and the Making of Global Radicalism, 1860–1914.

The Nahda, or Arab Renaissance—which as a historical period (roughly the last third of the nineteenth century) and concept remains largely unrevised and undertheorized—is characterized primarily by the efflorescence of Arabic-language literary activity in several cities of the Eastern Mediterranean, the Levantine port city of Beirut in particular, and is often portrayed as the genesis of Arab nationalism. Ilham Khuri-Makdisi's book seeks to recover for the Nahda a now-forgotten “Leftist” component. Critical to understanding her work is her observation that scholarship on thought and ideology in the non-West has often been relegated to fairly simplistic categories, usually subsumed under the rubric of nationalism (and later anticolonialism). Khuri-Makdisi instead posits that the nuance and range of political action that historians ascribe to the intellectual history of Europe in the same time period should be equally available in the Eastern Mediterranean. This is a difficult task, not only because the period was one in which forms of mass political action were severely circumscribed by the prevailing systems of rule in Egypt and the Ottoman Levant, but also because the term “Leftist” became the repository for a whole collection of formal ideologies, concepts, and ideas. However, the definition of “the Left” seems to imply only radicalism in the text, and as used in this book it is quite frankly overdetermined. This is unfortunate, because it detracts from the real strength of the work, which is the way it follows and unravels the complex and intricate networks of middle-class (radical and not-so-radical) intellectuals who inhabited the theaters, publishing houses, and newspaper offices of the fin-de-siècle Eastern Mediterranean. Khuri-Makdisi is unrivaled in the depth of her understanding of the intellectual ferment of that remarkable moment.

Spectrum and patterns of antimicrobial resistance of uropathogens isolated from a sample of hospitalised Lebanese patients with urinary tract infections.

A retrospective study was carried out to assess the current distribution and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of uropathogens isolated from patients with community-acquired (CA) or hospital-acquired (HA) urinary tract infections (UTIs) who were admitted to the largest governmental hospital in Beirut City (Lebanon) in 2009-2012. Overall, 292 uropathogens were isolated. Enterobacteriaceae constituted 81% of the isolated uropathogens, with Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Proteus mirabilis being the most reported species. Moreover, 37% of the isolated uropathogens produced extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs). ESBL-producing strains were more prevalent in CA-UTIs than in HA-UTIs. In the CA-UTI group, ESBL-producing strains were more prevalent in older patients (age >60 years), male patients and patients with diabetes mellitus, urinary catheterisation and benign prostatic hyperplasia. Uropathogens isolated from CA-UTI and HA-UTI had similar resistance patterns. The highest resistance rates were found for ampicillin, amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole and ciprofloxacin. Imipenem, nitrofurantoin and piperacillin/tazobactam showed good overall activity against the isolated uropathogens. Of the isolated non-ESBL-producing E. coli, 29% were found to be multidrug-resistant. These data suggest that there is an urgent need to implement a national policy regulating the use of antibiotics, notably in the community, in order to limit the widespread increase in antimicrobial resistance.

Characterization of organic tracer compounds in PM2.5 at a semi-urban site in Beirut, Lebanon

A measurement campaign was conducted at a semi-urban site located in the suburbs of the city of Beirut (Lebanon) during summertime (2–18 July 2011). The molecular composition of organic PM2.5 was investigated following a chemical derivatization gas chromatography/mass spectrometry technique. Accordingly, several classes of compounds represented by 18 individual organic tracers were determined. These tracers include levoglucosan, a tracer for biomass combustion, dicarboxylic acids, and several tracers for the photo-oxidation of isoprene, α-pinene and β-caryophyllene. The sum of the mean concentrations of the isoprene oxidation products was 4ng/m3, that of α-pinene was 124ng/m3 and that of β-caryophyllene was 11ng/m3. For other tracers of organic aerosols, the highest concentrations were obtained for carboxylic acids with an average value of 939ng/m3. An average value of 49ng/m3 was obtained for levoglucosan. Organic and elemental carbon concentrations were measured by a thermo-optical analyzer. Average values were 5.6 and 1.8μg/m3, respectively. A reconstruction of organic PM2.5 composition suggests that cooking, fossil-fuel combustion, biomass burning, sesquiterpenes, monoterpenes, and isoprene contribute on average about 27±13, 16±7, 5±3, 26±5, 26±13 and <1±0.3% of PM2.5 organic carbon, respectively.

Analyse de la qualité des données issues des hôpitaux de Beyrouth Municipe pour mesurer les effets à court terme de la pollution atmosphérique

BackgroundThe effects of air pollution on human health have been the subject of much public health research. Several techniques and methods of analysis have been developed. Thus, Beirut Air Pollution and Health Effects (BAPHE) was designed to develop a methodology adapted to the context of the city of Beirut in order to quantify the short-term health effects of air pollution. MethodsThe quality of data collected from emergency units was analyzed in order to properly estimate hospitalizations via these units. This study examined the process of selecting and validating health and pollution indicators. ResultsThe different sources of data from emergency units were not correlated. BAPHE was therefore reoriented towards collecting health data from the emergency registry of each hospital. A pilot study determined the appropriate health indicators for BAPHE and created a classification methodology for data collection. ConclusionIn Lebanon, several studies have attempted to indirectly assess the impact of air pollution on health. They had limitations and weaknesses and offered no recommendations regarding the sources and quality of data. The present analysis will be useful for BAPHE and for planning further studies.

A geostatistical approach for assessing population exposure to NO2 in a complex urban area (Beirut, Lebanon)

Few studies in the Middle East region estimated the spatial distribution of air pollutants for exposure studies. This paper presents a geostatistical approach to assess background NO2 spatial distribution and the associated exposed population in a Mediterranean city with a complex topography, Beirut. Such modeling gave an accurate mapping of the 2010 yearly background average value of NO2: it varies between 35 and 67 μg m−3 with a mean of 53 μg m−3. The mean SD of the estimated error was about 3 μg m−3. The results showed that the spatial distribution of NO2 follows a nested structuring, with a major structure related to topoclimatic characteristics (interaction topography/atmospheric flow at large scale) and a minor one linked to micro-environment and micro-climatic characteristics (interactions urban morphology/atmospheric flows at fine scale). The probability for the city’s inhabitants to be exposed to NO2 levels exceeding 40 μg m−3 threshold limit set by the World Health Organization (WHO) showed that Beirut city has a real sanitary risk to the NO2 pollution. 93 % of the population (around 358,459 people) is 100 % sure to be exposed to a yearly average exceeding 40 μg m−3. This knowledge will be certainly useful for developing a tool for decision support in order to implement policies of reducing air pollution in Beirut, which is, given the results, very urgent.

Mapping a City Onto Itself: A Note on the Reconstruction of Beirut Central District

The city of Beirut has been heavily destroyed during and after the civil war. A private company, Solidere s.a.l., attempts to rebuild the City Center in a way heavily contested by observers who fear the loss of the city's memory because of Solidere's focus on luxury offices, shops, and apartments. This paper reviews some aspects of the project in the light of its attempt to both surpass the sectarian lines dividing Beirut and to reorient the City Center and the town with it towards international networks within the Arab world and the Lebanese diaspora. Using a George Spencer-Brown modeling of Solidere to reconstruct the project with respect to second-order observers getting caught up within their mutual orientation towards each other the paper asks whether there is a chance to replace the city's altogether too narrow if understandable focus on the region's conflicts, big investors' money, and a street wary of one-sided advantages with an acknowledgement of Beirut's uncertain future. Such an acknowledgement, or so it seems, would have a rather more civilizing impact on the city than its current focus on the history of Beirut and its divergent memories.

Pilot-based assessment of the economics of recycling construction demolition waste

The significant amount of waste generated from construction demolition has become a chronic problem in many developing countries. Using data obtained from demolition contractors and various other sources, this paper proposes a framework for proper handling of construction demolition waste (CDW) to serve as a decision support tool in countries suffering from the lack of national CDW management guidelines. The framework is then demonstrated through a case study in the city of Beirut, Lebanon, and a sensitivity analysis is carried out to examine the economic feasibility of developing a recycling facility. The analysis showed that in order for a facility to be feasible, a gate fee should be charged in the presence of a market for recycled aggregates. The results confirm the significance of instigating and implementing legislation to control illegal dumping, constructing, and managing engineered landfills, and establishing markets for recycled CDW.

A numerical modeling approach to evaluate energy-efficient mechanical ventilation strategies

This paper investigates design features that can potentially reduce the energy consumed in attaining appropriate thermal comfort levels in typical residential buildings. A numerical model coupled with a PID controller is developed to predict the indoor air temperature that is adjusted via mechanical ventilation. The model is used to simulate and evaluate various scenarios of building wall layouts and materials. From the various simulation runs, the wall configurations and materials were refined to combinations that rendered the mechanical ventilation a feasible option for attainment of comfort for the largest number of hours per year. The runs were conducted for a typical residential apartment located in the city of Beirut, Lebanon, which is characterized by mild coastal climatic conditions. Different wall configurations were assumed for each of the living zone and the bedroom zone of the apartment. The simulation results suggest an optimal wall configuration comprised of a 5cm layer of insulating strawboard sandwiched between a 2cm×10cm wall made of masonry units consisting of Hempcrete (mixture of Portland cement, aggregates, and industrial hemp fibers) for the living zone, whereas the wall for the bedroom zone consists of a 10cm of Hempcrete.

Emissions of air pollutants from road transport in Lebanon and other countries in the Middle East region

Road transport is a major contributor to pollutant emissions in the Middle East region (MEA). Emissions originating from this sector have a significant impact on the atmosphere, health and the climate change. Identification and quantification of these emissions in this region is of great importance in order to develop emissions reductions strategies. For this purpose and because a detailed emission inventory for road transport is nonexistent for Lebanon (a small developing country in the MEA region) and for its capital city Beirut, a spatially-resolved and temporally-allocated emission inventory for road transport was developed for Lebanon and for the city of Beirut using a bottom-up approach where possible. In order to compare emissions between developed and non-developed cities on the Mediterranean basin, road transport emissions originating in normal (February–June and September–November) and touristic periods (July–August and December–January) were compared between Beirut, Barcelona and Athens, respectively. The comparison obtained between Beirut, Barcelona and Athens showed that emissions per capita for CO and SO2 are highest in Beirut while emissions of particulate matter were highest in Barcelona. The different patterns between these cities showed that emissions increases in winter in Beirut and Barcelona (11 and 9% respectively) and decreases in the city of Athens by 9%. In summer, an increase of 15% in traffic intensities is observed in Athens while in Beirut and Barcelona, traffic intensities decrease by 10 and 40% respectively.At a national level, emissions were calculated for 14 countries in the MEA in order to inter compare them with those of Lebanon. The results show that in the MEA, the highest contributors to total carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions (78 and 79% respectively), are countries having a population that exceeds 20 million inhabitants such as Iran, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Turkey and Egypt. For Lebanon, emissions per capita are important because they are higher than those for many countries in the region.

An atmospheric emission inventory of anthropogenic and biogenic sources for Lebanon

A temporally-resolved and spatially-distributed emission inventory was developed for Lebanon to provide quantitative information for air pollution studies as well as for use as input to air quality models. This inventory covers major anthropogenic and biogenic sources in the region with 5 km spatial resolution for Lebanon and 1 km spatial resolution for its capital city Beirut and its suburbs. The results obtained for CO, NOx, SO2, NMVOC, NH3, PM10 and PM2.5 for the year 2010 were 563, 75, 62, 115, 4,12, and 9 Gg, respectively. About 93% of CO emissions, 67% of NMVOC emissions and 52% of NOx emissions are calculated to originate from the on-road transport sector while 73% of SO2 emissions, 62% of PM10 emissions and 59% of PM2.5 emissions are calculated to originate from power plants and industrial sources. The spatial allocation of emissions shows that the city of Beirut and its suburbs encounter a large fraction of the emissions from the on-road transport sector while urban areas such as Zouk Mikael, Jieh, Chekka and Selaata are mostly affected by emissions originating from the industrial and energy production sectors. Temporal profiles were developed for several emission sectors. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Intake of Nutritional Supplements among People Exercising in Gyms in Beirut City

The use of nutritional supplements among exercisers in gyms has been never investigated in the Middle East. The aim of the current study was to assess the prevalence intake of nutritional supplements and the potential influencing factors among people exercising in gyms in Beirut city. In this cross-sectional study, 512 exercisers, aged between 20 and 50 years, were randomly selected from gyms. The intake of nutritional supplements was reported among 36.3% (95% confidence interval 32.2–40.5) of participants, with a weak presence of medical supervision. Patterns of supplement use differed by gender and age. Men and younger exercisers were found to focus on supplements associated with performance enhancement and muscle building, while women and older exercisers were more concerned with health-promoting products such as vitamins, minerals, and herbal supplements. An appropriate dissemination of accurate and scientifically sound information regarding the benefits and side effects of nutritional supplements is highly recommended in the sports environment in Beirut city.

The influence of wind on outdoor thermal comfort in the city of Beirut: A theoretical and field study

This article studies the outdoor comfort in the city of Beirut to improve the quality of open spaces and better explain the people's tolerance and acceptance of outdoor environmental conditions. Field experiments were conducted to develop statistical correlations for thermal sensation and thermal comfort of people in the outdoors to environmental parameters. A transient bioheat model was developed to study the effect of wind speed and frequency in the physiological responses of the human body and its effect on the overall body thermal sensation and comfort state. The model was experimentally validated and simulated for three different wind frequencies of 0.15, 0.25, and 0.35 Hz, representing a range of wind frequencies encountered during an average summer day. For each of these wind frequencies, simulations were performed for two air velocity ranges: V1 = 0.5 m/s to 2.8 m/s (1.64 ft/s to 9.18 ft/s) and V2 = 0.5 m/s to 1.8 m/s (1.64 ft/s to 5.9 ft/s) at air temperatures of 30°C and 34°C (86°F and 93.2°F) and relative humidity of 40% and 70%. The numerical results showed that for velocity range V1, the overall comfort improved from –1.15 to –0.82 with the increase of wind frequency, while at velocity range V2, comfort improved from –1.27 to –0.99 with wind frequency for the same air temperature and relative humidity. It is concluded that the positive effect of wind frequency and velocity amplitude in making people more tolerant of outdoor conditions decreases with the increase in air temperature and relative humidity.

Intraurban variability of PM10 and PM2.5 in an Eastern Mediterranean city

The results of the first large scale chemical characterization of PM10 and PM2.5 at three different sites in the urban city of Beirut, Lebanon, are presented. Between May 2009 and April 2010 a total of 304 PM10 and PM2.5 samples were collected by sampling every sixth day at three different sites in Beirut. Observed mass concentrations varied between 19.7 and 521.2 μg m − 3 for PM10 and between 8.4 and 72.2 μg m − 3 for PM2.5, respectively. Inorganic concentrations accounted for 29.7–35.6 μg m − 3 and 46.0–53.5 μg m − 3 of the total mass of PM10 and PM2.5, respectively. Intra-city temporal and spatial variations were assessed based on the study of three factors: correlation coefficients (R) for PM and chemical components, coefficient of divergence (CODs), and source apportionment using positive matrix factorization (PMF). Based on R and COD of PM concentrations, the three sites appear homogeneous. However, when individual elements were compared, heterogeneity among sites was found. This latter was attributed to the variability in the percent contribution of biogenic and local anthropogenic source factors such as traffic related sources and dust resuspension. Other factors included the proximity to the Mediterranean sea, the population density and the topographical structure of the city. Hence, despite its small size (20.8 km 2), one PM monitoring site does not reflect an accurate PM level in Beirut.

Modeling the effect of hygroscopic curtains on relative humidity for spaces air conditioned by DX split air conditioning system

The use of hygroscopic materials for moisture buffering is a passive way to moderate the variation of indoor humidity. Through absorption and desorption, surface materials in the indoor environment, such as curtains, carpets and wall paper, are able to dampen the moisture variations. The moisture buffering capacity of these materials may be used to improve the relative humidity of the indoor environment at reduced energy costs. The objectives of this paper are threefold. The first objective is to derive a theoretical model for the transient moisture transfer between a curtain system and the indoor air for the case where the curtain is placed in front of a wall. The second objective is to conduct experiments inside environmental chambers to validate the theoretical model and to test the ability of curtains to moderate indoor humidity. It is shown that the experimental results for the curtain moisture uptake and the relative humidity inside the chamber compared well with the model simulation results. The third and final objective is to test and evaluate the model under “real environment conditions” for a case study of a hygroscopic cotton curtain, placed in a “typical” office space in the city of Beirut with an area of 25 m 2 that uses direct expansion (DX) air conditioning system. It is found that hygroscopic curtains maintain humidity of less than 65% during part load operation compared to the upper limit of 70% relative humidity when no curtain is used. On the other hand, it is found that the energy use, as determined by the daily electrical power consumption of the DX system, is almost the same for the two cases, (with and without a curtain), where approximately 20 kWh of energy input is required 13 kWh of sensible energy and 7 kWh of latent energy.

PIXE identification of fine and coarse particles of aerosol samples and their distribution across Beirut

This study is the first national attempt to assess the levels of PMs in Beirut city and consequently understand air pollution distribution. Aerosol sampling was carried out using three PM 10 and three PM 2.5 samplers which were installed at three locations lying along the SE-NW direction over Beirut. The sampling of PM 10 and PM 2.5 was done during a period extending from May till December 2009. The random collection of the particles (1 in 6 days) was carried out on Teflon filters, for a period of 24-h. The elemental analysis of particulate matter was performed using proton induced X-ray emission technique PIXE at the Lebanese 1.7 MV Tandem-Pelletron accelerator of Beirut. Na, Mg, Al, Si, P, S and Cl were quantified using 1 MeV proton beam, while K, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn and Pb were determined using 3 MeV-energy of proton beam.

An Unexpected Archaeological Treasure: The Phoenician Quarters in Beirut City Center

An Unexpected Archaeological Treasure: The Phoenician Quarters in Beirut City Center

The crisis of cultural identity in rehabilitating historic Beirut-downtown

The dilemma of devising a theme that can convincingly and collectively express the cultural identity of a nation usually surfaces at the time of planning for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of devastated sites of significance. Particularly following civil wars, both the planning phase and procedures for rehabilitation often exhibit an extension of the civil conflict over the issues of identity and cultural ideology. The 15-year Lebanese civil war (1975–1991) left Beirut severely damaged. After almost two decades after the end of the war, the city center rehabilitation is in its final stages and presents an explicit paradigm of urban governance and management in a severely damaged urban setting claimed by a community of multilayered culture stratums. The construction and reconstruction effort has aspired to resurrect the pre-war cosmopolitan Beirut, and has represented not only the rehabilitation of the infrastructure and devastated structures, but equally, an attempt to reinterpret Lebanon’s tumultuous past and to create a new collective memory for the nation. For many, most of this effort was in vain for multiple reasons, but more notably, it fueled an endless cultural conflict in the historical city overlooking the sea. The objective of this article is to develop a better understanding of the specific socio-political dynamics and attributes influencing the rehabilitation process of the historic Beirut city center. The article examines the capacity of the chosen rehabilitation approach which was meant to crystallize the intangible meanings of Lebanese cultural identity. In addition to the site visits and observation which took place upon settling in Beirut for the last 6 years, the conclusion is underpinned by a review of culturally-diverse literature and interviews with multiple stakeholders, in particular urban officials, local professionals, visitors, and affected residents of the city center, and represents the groundwork for similar rehabilitation initiatives.

Statistical approach for the characterization of NO2 concentrations in Beirut

Measurement of ambient NO2 concentrations using diffusion tube samplers is widespread in many countries. Results from a program of measuring ground-level concentration of NO2 at 20 urban sites within the city of Beirut are presented. In addition, two curbside sites were implemented at different heights. Two-week sampling period measurements were performed over 41 periods for all sites. A study of the sites’ behaviors was conducted using principal component analysis and agglomerative hierarchical clustering. Firstly, results indicate that urban sites are equivalent, and one global class is identified. Any further monitoring of the nitrogen dioxide concentration can be conducted by decreasing the number of urban sites. Secondly, nitrogen dioxide concentration levels present a seasonal variation, as expected. Maximum average concentration of 178 μg m − 3 was observed during winter (December 2005) and a minimum concentration of 17 μg m − 3 was observed during summer (May 2006). The annual average concentration measured in 2005 is 67 μg m − 3, while the recommended value from the World Health Organization is 40 μg m − 3.

International cooperation in the expansion of a newborn screening programme in Lebanon: a possible model for other programmes

Tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) is rapidly gaining support, even in less-developed nations, as the method of choice for the newborn screening of metabolic disorders, although difficulties in acquiring this technology may at times be major obstacles in several Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries. In Lebanon, international cooperation allowed this acquisition at the Newborn Screening Laboratory (NSL) of the Saint Joseph University (USJ) in the capital city of Beirut. NSL is currently screening up to 20% of all newborns in Lebanon. The expansion was made possible through initial collaboration with the Metabolic Laboratory at the Hamburg University Medical Center (HUMC) and subsequently with other centres. During phase I of the expansion (2006-2007), blood spots were shipped to HUMC with rapid couriers twice a week and electronic reports were sent back generally within 4 days after shipment. Positive cases were recalled to NSL and new specimens were sent back for confirmation at HUMC. During that first phase, the Beirut staff received training at the HUMC and in other centres. Phase II was a transitory period of 4 months during which machines were installed in Beirut and working procedures were adopted and documented. The activity has now entered a consolidation phase (Phase III) in which all measurements are exclusively performed in Beirut while HUMC acts as a backup centre. International cooperation remains crucial for periodic quality assurance procedures, and for supporting the transformation of the USJ-NSL into a training centre able to transfer MS/MS technology to the MENA region.

Beyond gated communities? Detachment and concentration in networked nodes of affluence in the city of Beirut

Gated communities have been criticized in the academic literature for their segregatory capacity and for accentuating social hierarchies. This paper presents a case study of spatial segregation practices in Beirut, a city in which gated communities are scarce, yet in which a severe kind of spatial segregation exists. Increasingly, after the end of the civil war in 1990 in Beirut, affluent individuals have come to produce the living spaces of their everyday life in a spatially segregated way that rejects the local and is stretched out over the totality of the city. It is possible to conceive of this stretched out segregated living space as a ‘layer’ that functions as an expanded form of a gated community. To affluent individuals in Beirut the neighbourhood has become an alien space with which they avoid getting in contact, while, paradoxically, the city is seen as a small neighbourly space where everyone knows everyone else. This paper concludes by pointing to the usefulness of this concept of the layer as one that illustrates how the aim of many thematic ‘totalizing’ urban projects particularly in the Arab region is to compress, package and commodify the expanded segregated spatiality of affluence.