General anaesthetic and airway management practice for obstetric surgery in England: a prospective, multi-centre observational study

There are no current descriptions of general anaesthesia characteristics for obstetric surgery, despite recent changes to patient baseline characteristics and airway management guidelines. This analysis of data from the direct reporting of awareness in maternity patients' (DREAMY) study of accidental awareness during obstetric anaesthesia aimed to describe practice for obstetric general anaesthesia in England and compare with earlier surveys and best-practice recommendations. Consenting patients who received general anaesthesia for obstetric surgery in 72 hospitals from May 2017 to August 2018 were included. Baseline characteristics, airway management, anaesthetic techniques and major complications were collected. Descriptive analysis, binary logistic regression modelling and comparisons with earlier data were conducted. Data were collected from 3117 procedures, including 2554 (81.9%) caesarean deliveries. Thiopental was the induction drug in 1649 (52.9%) patients, compared with propofol in 1419 (45.5%). Suxamethonium was the neuromuscular blocking drug for tracheal intubation in 2631 (86.1%), compared with rocuronium in 367 (11.8%). Difficult tracheal intubation was reported in 1 in 19 (95%CI 1 in 16-22) and failed intubation in 1 in 312 (95%CI 1 in 169-667). Obese patients were over-represented compared with national baselines and associated with difficult, but not failed intubation. There was more evidence of change in practice for induction drugs (increased use of propofol) than neuromuscular blocking drugs (suxamethonium remains the most popular). There was evidence of improvement in practice, with increased monitoring and reversal of neuromuscular blockade (although this remains suboptimal). Despite a high risk of difficult intubation in this population, videolaryngoscopy was rarely used (1.9%)

Eco-efficiency evaluation of a smart window prototype

Summarization: An eco-efficiency analysis was conducted using indicators suitably defined to evaluate the performance of an electrochromic window acting as an energy saving component in buildings. Combining the indicators for various parameters (control scenario, expected lifetime, climatic type, purchase cost) significant conclusions are drawn for the development and the potential applications of the device compared to other commercial fenestration products. The reduction of the purchase cost (to 200€/m2) and the increase of the lifetime (above 15 years) are the two main targets for achieving both cost and environmental efficiency. An electrochromic device, implemented in cooling dominated areas and operated with an optimum control strategy for the maximum expected lifetime (25 years), can reduce the building energy requirements by 52%. Furthermore, the total energy savings provided will be 33 times more than the energy required for its production while the emission of 615 kg CO2 equivalent per electrochromic glazing unit can be avoided.Presented on: Science of the Total Environmen

Environmental assessment of electrochromic glazing production

Summarization: The life cycle analysis method was used to determine the environmental impacts associated with the production of an electrochromic (EC) glazing (called ECD). This paper describes the inventory analysis for all the basic materials used during the manufacture of the ECD, i.e. K-Glass, tungsten oxide (WO3), poly-methyl methacrylate (PMMA), propylene carbonate (PC), lithium perchlorate (LiClO4) and acetic silicone sealant. K-Glass, PC and PMMA account for the 98% of the total device mass and the CO2 emissions during their production processes are 810 g. The total embodied energy was estimated to be 49 MJ/ECD, with 32.1 MJ/unit of them derived from the K-Glass. The comparison of the total embodied energies of the ECD and various insulating glass units concluded that mass-produced EC glazings could easily compete with them in terms of environmental performance, anticipating cost attenuation and overall thermal and optical behavior. The above analysis could be implemented for the reduction of the embodied energy of the ECD life cycle, since it is proposed as an energy saving device.Presented on: Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cell

Implementation of advanced glazing in buildings aiming to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions

Μη διαθέσιμη περίληψηNot available summarizationΠαρουσιάστηκε στο: 9th Conference on Environmental Science and technology 200

Energy performance assessment of an electrochromic window

Summarization: An Energy Life Cycle Inventory analysis was implemented on a 40 × 40 cm prototype electrochromic (EC) window routinely fabricated in the laboratory. The total production energy was found to be 2261 MJ, 91% of which is allocated to the frame, about 7% to fabrication processes and the remaining 2% to the embodied energy of the raw materials. Various scenarios for EC operation in Greece were compared with respect to the induced heating – cooling loads and energy savings. When the EC window prototype is used instead of a single glass in heating dominated areas and large facades for a maximum expected lifetime of 25 years, the reduction in energy consumption can reach up to 54%, corresponding to 6388 MJ. Based on the conducted analysis, 0.9 years of operation of the prototype window are required to compensate the production energy of the plain EC device. This time period is extended to 8.9 years when the aluminum frame is taken into account, proving its extensive energy contribution. The total cost savings range from 228 to 569 euro/m2 glass for 10 and 25 years of EC window operation respectively.Presented on: Thin Solid Film

Energy performance assessment of an electrochromic window

Summarization: An Energy Life Cycle Inventory analysis was implemented on a 40 × 40 cm prototype electrochromic (EC) window routinely fabricated in the laboratory. The total production energy was found to be 2261 MJ, 91% of which is allocated to the frame, about 7% to fabrication processes and the remaining 2% to the embodied energy of the raw materials. Various scenarios for EC operation in Greece were compared with respect to the induced heating – cooling loads and energy savings. When the EC window prototype is used instead of a single glass in heating dominated areas and large facades for a maximum expected lifetime of 25 years, the reduction in energy consumption can reach up to 54%, corresponding to 6388 MJ. Based on the conducted analysis, 0.9 years of operation of the prototype window are required to compensate the production energy of the plain EC device. This time period is extended to 8.9 years when the aluminum frame is taken into account, proving its extensive energy contribution. The total cost savings range from 228 to 569 euro/m2 glass for 10 and 25 years of EC window operation respectively.Παρουσιάστηκε στο: 5th International Conference on Coatings on Glas

An alternative approach for the energy and environmental rating of advanced glazing: An electrochromic window case study

Summarization: The combined methodology for the rating of advanced glazing proposed in this work, aims to add the economical and the environmental aspect to the existing evaluation systems. Taking into account the special characteristics of the advanced glazing, a life cycle assessment (LCA) study and an eco-efficiency analysis have been combined to provide an alternative rating scheme, which has been applied to an electrochromic window as a case study. The proper graphical representation of the selected indicators leads to figures clearly depicting a rating result for the selected product. Such rating schemes can be useful for the consumers and also for the product manufacturers, requesting for additional necessary input apart from its typical technical characteristics only the product expected lifetime, its purchase cost and the energy required for its production.Παρουσιάστηκε στο: Energy and Building

Environmental rating of an electrochromic glazing

Μη διαθέσιμη περίληψηNot available summarizationΠαρουσιάστηκε στο: IX World Renewable Energy Congres

The environmental parameter as an additional element for smart windows rating

Μη διαθέσιμη περίληψηNot available summarizationΠαρουσιάστηκε στο: 6th International Conference on Coatings on Glas