Modelling India’s coal production with a negatively skewed curve-fitting model

India’s coal demand is forecast to increase at a rapid pace in the future due to the country’s economic and population growth. Analyzing the scope for future production of India’s domestic coal resources, therefore, plays a vital role in the country’s development of sound energy policies. This paper presents a quantitative scenario analysis of India’s potential future coal production by using a negatively skewed curve-fitting model and a range of estimates of the country’s ultimately recoverable resources (URR) of coal. The results show that the resource base is sufficient for India’s coal production to keep increasing over the next few decades, to reach between 2400 and 3200 Mt/y at 2050, depending on the assumed value of URR. A further analysis shows that the high end of this range, which corresponds to our ‘GSI’ scenario, can be considered as the probable upper-bound to India’s domestic coal production. Comparison of production based on the ‘GSI’ scenario with India’s predicted demand shows that the domestic production of coal will be insufficient to meet the country’s rising coal demand, with the gap between demand and production increasing from its current value of about 268 Mt/y to reach 300 Mt/y in 2035, and 700 Mt/y by 2050. This increasing gap will be challenging for the energy security of India

New roles for renin and prorenin in heart failure and cardiorenal crosstalk

The renin-angiotensin-aldosterone-system (RAAS) plays a central role in the pathophysiology of heart failure and cardiorenal interaction. Drugs interfering in the RAAS form the pillars in treatment of heart failure and cardiorenal syndrome. Although RAAS inhibitors improve prognosis, heart failure–associated morbidity and mortality remain high, especially in the presence of kidney disease. The effect of RAAS blockade may be limited due to the loss of an inhibitory feedback of angiotensin II on renin production. The subsequent increase in prorenin and renin may activate several alternative pathways. These include the recently discovered (pro-) renin receptor, angiotensin II escape via chymase and cathepsin, and the formation of various angiotensin subforms upstream from the blockade, including angiotensin 1–7, angiotensin III, and angiotensin IV. Recently, the direct renin inhibitor aliskiren has been proven effective in reducing plasma renin activity (PRA) and appears to provide additional (tissue) RAAS blockade on top of angiotensin-converting enzyme and angiotensin receptor blockers, underscoring the important role of renin, even (or more so) under adequate RAAS blockade. Reducing PRA however occurs at the expense of an increase plasma renin concentration (PRC). PRC may exert direct effects independent of PRA through the recently discovered (pro-) renin receptor. Additional novel possibilities to interfere in the RAAS, for instance using vitamin D receptor activation, as well as the increased knowledge on alternative pathways, have revived the question on how ideal RAAS-guided therapy should be implemented. Renin and prorenin are pivotal since these are at the base of all of these pathways

Modifying effect of dual antiplatelet therapy on incidence of stent thrombosis according to implanted drug-eluting stent type

Aim To investigate the putative modifying effect of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) use on the incidence of stent thrombosis at 3 years in patients randomized to Endeavor zotarolimus-eluting stent (E-ZES) or Cypher sirolimus-eluting stent (C-SES). Methods and results Of 8709 patients in PROTECT, 4357 were randomized to E-ZES and 4352 to C-SES. Aspirin was to be given indefinitely, and clopidogrel/ticlopidine for ≥3 months or up to 12 months after implantation. Main outcome measures were definite or probable stent thrombosis at 3 years. Multivariable Cox regression analysis was applied, with stent type, DAPT, and their interaction as the main outcome determinants. Dual antiplatelet therapy adherence remained the same in the E-ZES and C-SES groups (79.6% at 1 year, 32.8% at 2 years, and 21.6% at 3 years). We observed a statistically significant (P = 0.0052) heterogeneity in treatment effect of stent type in relation to DAPT. In the absence of DAPT, stent thrombosis was lower with E-ZES vs. C-SES (adjusted hazard ratio 0.38, 95% confidence interval 0.19, 0.75; P = 0.0056). In the presence of DAPT, no difference was found (1.18; 0.79, 1.77; P = 0.43). Conclusion A strong interaction was observed between drug-eluting stent type and DAPT use, most likely prompted by the vascular healing response induced by the implanted DES system. These results suggest that the incidence of stent thrombosis in DES trials should not be evaluated independently of DAPT use, and the optimal duration of DAPT will likely depend upon stent type (Clinicaltrials.gov number NCT00476957

Protocol requirements and diagnostic value of PET/MR imaging for liver metastasis detection

PURPOSE: To compare the accuracy of PET/MR imaging with that of FDG PET/CT and to determine the MR sequences necessary for the detection of liver metastasis using a trimodality PET/CT/MR set-up. METHODS: Included in this single-centre IRB-approved study were 55 patients (22 women, age 61 ± 11 years) with suspected liver metastases from gastrointestinal cancer. Imaging using a trimodality PET/CT/MR set-up (time-of-flight PET/CT and 3-T whole-body MR imager) comprised PET, low-dose CT, contrast-enhanced (CE) CT of the abdomen, and MR with T1-W/T2-W, diffusion-weighted (DWI), and dynamic CE imaging. Two readers evaluated the following image sets for liver metastasis: PET/CT (set A), PET/CECT (B), PET/MR including T1-W/T2-W (C), T1-W/T2-W with either DWI (D) or CE imaging (E), and a combination (F). The accuracy of each image set was determined by receiver-operating characteristic analysis using image set B as the standard of reference. RESULTS: Of 120 liver lesions in 21/55 patients (38 %), 79 (66 %) were considered malignant, and 63/79 (80 %) showed abnormal FDG uptake. Accuracies were 0.937 (95 % CI 89.5 - 97.9 %) for image set A, 1.00 (95 % CI 99.9 - 100.0 %) for set C, 0.998 (95 % CI 99.4 - 100.0 %) for set D, 0.997 (95 % CI 99.3 - 100.0 %) for set E, and 0.995 (95 % CI 99.0 - 100.0 %) for set F. Differences were significant for image sets D - F (P < 0.05) when including lesions without abnormal FDG uptake. As shown by follow-up imaging after 50 - 177 days, the use of image sets D and both sets E and F led to the detection of metastases in one and three patients, respectively, and further metastases in the contralateral lobe in two patients negative on PET/CECT (P = 0.06). CONCLUSION: PET/MR imaging with T1-W/T2-W sequences results in similar diagnostic accuracy for the detection of liver metastases to PET/CECT. To significantly improve the characterization of liver lesions, we recommend the use of dynamic CE imaging sequences. PET/MR imaging has a diagnostic impact on clinical decision making

International Consensus Statement on Rhinology and Allergy: Rhinosinusitis

Background: The 5 years since the publication of the first International Consensus Statement on Allergy and Rhinology: Rhinosinusitis (ICAR‐RS) has witnessed foundational progress in our understanding and treatment of rhinologic disease. These advances are reflected within the more than 40 new topics covered within the ICAR‐RS‐2021 as well as updates to the original 140 topics. This executive summary consolidates the evidence‐based findings of the document. Methods: ICAR‐RS presents over 180 topics in the forms of evidence‐based reviews with recommendations (EBRRs), evidence‐based reviews, and literature reviews. The highest grade structured recommendations of the EBRR sections are summarized in this executive summary. Results: ICAR‐RS‐2021 covers 22 topics regarding the medical management of RS, which are grade A/B and are presented in the executive summary. Additionally, 4 topics regarding the surgical management of RS are grade A/B and are presented in the executive summary. Finally, a comprehensive evidence‐based management algorithm is provided. Conclusion: This ICAR‐RS‐2021 executive summary provides a compilation of the evidence‐based recommendations for medical and surgical treatment of the most common forms of RS