Bayesian nonparametric density estimation and sufficient dimension reduction in survival analysis

Sufficient dimension reduction with logistic Gaussian process priors have been used successfully in a Bayesian nonparametric regression setting. In this thesis, we describe extensions of these methods to handle time-to-event data. We consider both a partial-likelihood approach, where we model the hazard function, and a full-likelihood approach, where we model the density. In both cases, our approach simultaneously estimates the covariate subspace and the conditional density given this subspace. Simulation studies are used to compare these methods with random survival forests and Cox\u27s proportional hazards model in terms of identifying important covariates and predicting survival. These studies show that our two approaches result in more consistent covariate selection and our full-likelihood method results in more accurate predictions

Pleural effusion guidelines from ICS and NCCP Section 1: Basic principles, laboratory tests and pleural procedures

Pleural effusion is a common problem in our country, and most of these patients need invasive tests as they can’t be evaluated by blood tests alone. The simplest of them is diagnostic pleural aspiration, and diagnostic techniques such as medical thoracoscopy are being performed more frequently than ever before. However, most physicians in India treat pleural effusion empirically, leading to delays in diagnosis, misdiagnosis and complications from wrong treatments. This situation must change, and the adoption of evidence-based protocols is urgently needed. Furthermore, the spectrum of pleural disease in India is different from that in the West, and yet Western guidelines and algorithms are used by Indian physicians. Therefore, India-specific consensus guidelines are needed. To fulfil this need, the Indian Chest Society and the National College of Chest Physicians; the premier societies for pulmonary physicians came together to create this National guideline. This document aims to provide evidence based recommendations on basic principles, initial assessment, diagnostic modalities and management of pleural effusions