Assessment of energy consumption as a performance index in high-rise buildings in Hanoi, Vietnam

This research aims to at investigating the actual performance of high-rise office buildings in terms of the indoor environment and energy consumption. Data collection was based on the onsite measurement of five buildings in operation in Hanoi, Vietnam. The thermal environment, illuminance, CO2 concentration, and energy consumption were the basic parameters analyzed as a fundamental step toward realizing and determining energy-efficient buildings. The current situation can be roughly was described; the most of methodology follow the western standard and there still be less data that show the actual situation under building operation documented. To analyze and evaluate, this research conducted measurement of indoor environment quality (IEQ) and energy consumption of high-rise office buildings between 2014 and 2015 in Hanoi. From the result, it is presented evident that the overall energy consumption and indoor environment of office buildings in Vietnam are not in a negative situation to compare favorably with international standards. However, it is also presented that there is a large high fluctuation in the thermal environment. The electricity consumption has strong relationship with outdoor temperature obviously and the peak consumption is observed in the summer. The consumption doesn’t increase in winter despite indoor temperature show being lower than the standard comfort criteria-zone. This results in the lower energy consumption in the observed buildings due to the unique climate of Hanoi and inappropriate building operation mainly because of such as the insufficient operation of air conditioning systems and the air-tightness of building envelopes

Assessment of energy consumption as a performance index in high-rise buildings in Hanoi, Vietnam

This research aims to at investigating the actual performance of high-rise office buildings in terms of the indoor environment and energy consumption. Data collection was based on the onsite measurement of five buildings in operation in Hanoi, Vietnam. The thermal environment, illuminance, CO2 concentration, and energy consumption were the basic parameters analyzed as a fundamental step toward realizing and determining energy-efficient buildings. The current situation can be roughly was described; the most of methodology follow the western standard and there still be less data that show the actual situation under building operation documented. To analyze and evaluate, this research conducted measurement of indoor environment quality (IEQ) and energy consumption of high-rise office buildings between 2014 and 2015 in Hanoi. From the result, it is presented evident that the overall energy consumption and indoor environment of office buildings in Vietnam are not in a negative situation to compare favorably with international standards. However, it is also presented that there is a large high fluctuation in the thermal environment. The electricity consumption has strong relationship with outdoor temperature obviously and the peak consumption is observed in the summer. The consumption doesn’t increase in winter despite indoor temperature show being lower than the standard comfort criteria-zone. This results in the lower energy consumption in the observed buildings due to the unique climate of Hanoi and inappropriate building operation mainly because of such as the insufficient operation of air conditioning systems and the air-tightness of building envelopes

Spectral probing of carrier traps in Si–Ge alloy nanocrystals

Photogenerated carriers in Si–Ge alloy nanocrystals (NCs) prepared by co‐sputtering method were investigated by mean of transient induced absorption. The carrier relaxation features multiple components, with three decay life times of τ ≈ 600 fs, 12 ps, and 15 ns, established for Si0.2Ge0.8 alloy NCs of a mean crystal size of 9 nm and standard deviation of 3 nm. Deep carrier traps, identified at the boundary between the NCs and the SiO2 host with the ionization energy of about 1 eV, are characterized by a long‐range Coulombic potential. These are responsible for rapid depletion of free carrier population within a few picoseconds after the excitation, which explains the low emissivity of the investigated materials, and also sheds light on the generally low luminescence of Si/Ge and Ge NCs

Single phase Si_1-xGe(x) nanocrystals and the shifting of the E1 direct energy transition

We report preparation and characterization of Si1−xGex alloys with varied composition x of a large range from 0–1. The materials have been obtained by co-sputtering, followed by a heat treatment process at 600, 800, and 1000 °C for 30 min in a nitrogen gas atmosphere. X-ray diffraction data have revealed the formation of single-phase nanoparticles in the face-centered cubic (FCC) structure of Si1−xGex alloys. We found that lattice constant a of the Si1−xGex alloys increased linearly with the composition parameter x. Average diameters of the single-phase nanoparticles were estimated to be between 3–10 nm. Further evidence of FCC single-phase nanoparticles has been obtained by high resolution transmission electron microscopy. From absorption spectra, the gradual shift of the direct phononless transition identified for the E1 point in the Brillouin zone of bulk Ge is observed in single-phase Si1−xGex nanoparticles as a function of the composition parameter x

Adjunctive dexamethasone for the treatment of HIV-infected adults with tuberculous meningitis (ACT HIV): Study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

Background: Tuberculous meningitis (TBM) is the most severe form of tuberculosis. Co-infection with HIV increases the risk of developing TBM, complicates treatment, and substantially worsens outcome. Whether corticosteroids confer a survival benefit in HIV-infected patients with TBM remains uncertain. Hepatitis is the most common drug-induced serious adverse event associated with anti-tuberculosis treatment, occurring in 20% of HIV-infected patients. The suggested concentration thresholds for stopping anti-tuberculosis drugs are not evidence-based. This study aims to determine whether dexamethasone is a safe and effective addition to the first 6-8 weeks of anti-tuberculosis treatment of TBM in patients with HIV, and investigate alternative management strategies in a subset of patients who develop drug induced liver injury (DILI) that will enable the safe continuation of rifampicin and isoniazid therapy. Methods: We will perform a parallel group, randomised (1:1), double blind, placebo-controlled multi-centre Phase III trial, comparing the effect of dexamethasone versus placebo on overall survival in HIV-infected patients with TBM, in addition to standard anti-tuberculosis and antiretroviral treatment. The trial will be set in two hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and two hospitals in Jakarta, Indonesia. The trial will enrol 520 HIV-infected adults. An ancillary study will perform a randomised comparison of three DILI management strategies with the aim of demonstrating which strategy results in the least interruption in rifampicin and isoniazid treatment. An identical ancillary study will also be performed in the linked randomised controlled trial of dexamethasone in HIV-uninfected adults with TBM stratified by LTA4H genotype (LAST ACT). Discussion: Whether corticosteroids confer a survival benefit in HIV-infected patients remains uncertain, and the current evidence base for using corticosteroids in this context is limited. Interruptions in anti-tuberculosis chemotherapy is a risk factor for death from TBM. Alternative management strategies in DILI may allow the safe continuation of rifampicin and isoniazid therapy