ASSESSMENT OF SUSTAINABILITY INDICATORS OF TWO GAS- TURBINE PLANTS WITH NAPHTHA AND NAPHTHA-RFG MIXTURE AS FUELS

To enhance sustainability of any energy system exergy based sustainability indicators (exergy efficiency, waste exergy ratio, environmental effect factor and exergetic sustainability index) are used. In the present paper sustainability aspects of two GT based power plant are carried out using sustainability indicators. For this purpose, two GT1) configurations, case A (Naphtha based GT power plant) and case B (Naphtha-Residual fuel gas mixture GT 2) are taken up as case study. Results show that exergetic sustainability index obtained as for case A is higher as compared to case B

A Brief Overview of Adaptive Designs for Phase I Cancer Trials

Phase I studies are used to estimate the dose-toxicity profile of the drugs and to select appropriate doses for successive studies. However, literature on statistical methods used for phase I studies are extensive. The objective of this review is to provide a concise summary of existing and emerging techniques for selecting dosages that are appropriate for phase I cancer trials. Many advanced statistical studies have proposed novel and robust methods for adaptive designs that have shown significant advantages over conventional dose finding methods. An increasing number of phase I cancer trials use adaptive designs, particularly during the early phases of the study. In this review, we described nonparametric and algorithm-based designs such as traditional 3 + 3, accelerated titration, Bayesian algorithm-based design, up-and-down design, and isotonic design. In addition, we also described parametric model-based designs such as continual reassessment method, escalation with overdose control, and Bayesian decision theoretic and optimal design. Ongoing studies have been continuously focusing on improving and refining the existing models as well as developing newer methods. This study would help readers to assimilate core concepts and compare different phase I statistical methods under one banner. Nevertheless, other evolving methods require future reviews

A Brief Overview of Adaptive Designs for Phase I Cancer Trials

Phase I studies are used to estimate the dose-toxicity profile of the drugs and to select appropriate doses for successive studies. However, literature on statistical methods used for phase I studies are extensive. The objective of this review is to provide a concise summary of existing and emerging techniques for selecting dosages that are appropriate for phase I cancer trials. Many advanced statistical studies have proposed novel and robust methods for adaptive designs that have shown significant advantages over conventional dose finding methods. An increasing number of phase I cancer trials use adaptive designs, particularly during the early phases of the study. In this review, we described nonparametric and algorithm-based designs such as traditional 3 + 3, accelerated titration, Bayesian algorithm-based design, up-and-down design, and isotonic design. In addition, we also described parametric model-based designs such as continual reassessment method, escalation with overdose control, and Bayesian decision theoretic and optimal design. Ongoing studies have been continuously focusing on improving and refining the existing models as well as developing newer methods. This study would help readers to assimilate core concepts and compare different phase I statistical methods under one banner. Nevertheless, other evolving methods require future reviews

Prevalence of Cardiovascular Risk Factors among Cancer Patients in the United States

Background: Cancer and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are leading causes of morbidity and mortality. We analyzed national data to examine the prevalence of CVD risk factors among adult cancer survivors in the United States. Methods: Participants included adults ≥18 years of age from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2001-2002 to 2013-2014. CVD risk factors included hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, obesity, smoking, and physical activity. Prevalence of 1, 2, or ≥3 CVD risk factors was compared between cancer and noncancer participants. All CVD risk factors were adjusted for age and smoking and additionally for sex. Differences in CVD risk factors among cancer and noncancer participants were identified using logistic regression analysis. Results: Among 35,379 eligible participants, 2906 (8.4%) had a history of cancer. The proportion of participants having a single CVD risk factor was lower among cancer survivors compared with noncancer participants (25.8% vs. 33.9%, P \u3c 0.001). The proportions of participants having two CVD risk factors (33.5% vs. 24.6%, P \u3c 0.001) and ≥3 CVD risk factors (27.4% vs. 16.4%, P \u3c 0.001) were higher among cancer survivors. However, these associations lost significance upon adjusting for age. The odds of total hypertension (odds ratio [OR] 1.25, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.11-1.40) and total diabetes (OR 1.33, 95% CI: 1.08-1.65) were significantly higher among cancer survivors. Conclusions: Our study showed that adult cancer survivors in the United States had higher levels of CVD risk factors primarily due to age-related factors, in addition to cancer complications. There is a significant need for improved CVD risk assessment and prevention services for cancer survivors

Prevalence and Inpatient Hospital Outcomes of Malignancy-Related Ascites in the United States

Objective: Malignancy-related ascites (MRA) is the terminal stage of many advanced cancers, and the treatment is mainly palliative. This study looked for epidemiology and inpatient hospital outcomes of patients with MRA in the United States using a national database. Methods: The current study was a cross-sectional analysis of 2015 National Inpatient Sample data and consisted of patients ≥18 years with MRA. Descriptive statistics were used for understanding demographics, clinical characteristics, and MRA hospitalization costs. Multivariate regression models were used to identify predictors of length of hospital stay and in-hospital mortality. Results: There were 123 410 MRA hospitalizations in 2015. The median length of stay was 4.7 days (interquartile range [IQR]: 2.5-8.6 days), median cost of hospitalization was US$43 543 (IQR: US$23 485-US$82 248), and in-hospital mortality rate was 8.8% (n = 10 855). Multivariate analyses showed that male sex, black race, and admission to medium and large hospitals were associated with increased hospital length of stay. Factors associated with higher in-hospital mortality rates included male sex; Asian or Pacific Islander race; beneficiaries of private insurance, Medicaid, and self-pay; patients residing in large central and small metro counties; nonelective admission type; and rural and urban nonteaching hospitals. Conclusions: Our study showed that many demographic, socioeconomic, health care, and geographic factors were associated with hospital length of stay and in-hospital mortality and may suggest disparities in quality of care. These factors could be targeted for preventing unplanned hospitalization, decreasing hospital length of stay, and lowering in-hospital mortality for this population

Adoption Trend of Climate-Resilient Rice Varieties in Bangladesh

Rice is a major crop in Bangladesh that supports both food security and livelihoods. However, a need remains for improved productivity and adaptation to the risks associated with climate change. To accomplish this, the increased adoption of climate-resilient and high-yielding rice varieties can be beneficial. Therefore, we conducted a study in Bangladesh over three consecutive years: 2016, 2017, and 2018. The scope of the study included the major cropping season (wet), Aman. The yield advantages of climate-resilient rice varieties were evaluated and compared with those of the varieties popular with farmers. We included new stress-tolerant varieties, such as submergencetolerant rice (BRRI dhan51 and BRRI dhan52) and drought-tolerant rice (BRRI dhan56 and BRRI dhan71), along with farmer-chosen controls, in the study. We conducted the evaluation through on-farm trials to compare the varieties in both submergence- and drought-affected environments. The seasonal trials provided measured results of yield advantages. The participating farmers were also studied over the three-year-period to capture their varietal adoption rates. We calculated both the location estimated yield advantages (LEYA) and the location observed yield advantages (LOYA). The results revealed that, under non-stress conditions, the grain yields of climate-resilient varieties were either statistically similar to or higher than those of the farmer-chosen controls. Our study also revealed a year-to-year progressive adoption rate for the introduced varieties. The study suggests that the widescale introduction and popularization of climate-resilient varieties can ensure higher productivity and climate risk adaptation. The close similarity between LOYA and LEYA indicated that the observational and experiential conclusions of the host farmers were similar to the scientific performance of the varieties. We also found that comparison performed through on-farm trials was a critical method for enhancing experiential learning and obtaining an accurate estimation of yield advantages

Abstract 17208: Trends in Hospitalizations Due to Cocaine-Induced Acute Myocardial Infarction: Results From National Inpatient Sample, 2005-2014

Introduction: According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, lifetime cocaine use has remained stable since 2009. An estimated 1.5 million individuals aged ≥12 years reported cocaine use in 201..