The Possibility of the Inert Gas Generator Environmental Operation Mode Utilization on Long Range 2 Oil Tankers During Discharge Operation

Long Range 2 tankers are the largest ships used for the transportation of petroleum products. Although more than 400 Long Range 2 tankers are navigating the world’s sea, many of the terminals, at which these ships discharge their cargo, do not utilize their discharging capacity to the full extent. This is due to the technological obsolescence of the terminal and the fact that these terminals are primarily designed to accommodate smaller tankers, such as Medium Range and Long Range 1 tankers. The reduced discharge capacity leads to longer ship stay in the port and increased air pollution due to the release of inert gas into the atmosphere since terminals unnecessarily insist on the continuous operation of the inert gas generator. This paper explains a possible solution to this problem by using environmentally friendly START/STOP operation mode of an inert gas generator using methods of analysis and synthesis, comparative methods and elements of the mathematical method. Environmentally friendly operation mode requires minimal modification of the software program and it is very easy to perform. This mode has a positive effect on reducing overall gas emissions and significant fuel savings

Gender Differences in In-hospital Mortality and Angiographic Findings of Patients with Acute ST-segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI)

There are conflicting reports in the literature regarding the role of sex on the in-hospital mortality of patients with acute myocardial infarction. The objective of this study is to determine whether there are gender differences in in-hospital mortality and angiographic findings of patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). We conducted a prospective study of all patients admitted to University Hospital Center Split, Croatia with STEMI from 2004 to 2008 who underwent PCI. From March 2004 throughout September 2008, 488 patients with STEMI underwent PCI (364 men, 74.6%; 124 women, 25.4%). Compared with men, women were significantly older (mean age, 67.3 vs. 60.3 years; p<0.001). Men had a significantly higher proportion of circumflex artery occlusion (19.5% vs. 10.5%, p=0.022). A higher proportion of men had a multivessel disease than women (56.8% vs. 41.9%; p=0.004). In-hospital mortality was significantly higher among women (11.3% vs. 4.6%; p=0.002) but after adjustment for the baseline difference in age, the female sex was not an independent predictor of in-hospital mortality (adjusted OR 1.15; 95% CI 0.82–1.84). In men, occlusions of left anterior descending artery showed higher mortality rate than occlusions of other coronary arteries (LM 0%, LAD 7.3%, Cx 2.8%, RCA 0.7%, p=0.03). According to our results female gender is not an independent predictor of in-hospital mortality after percutaneous coronary intervention. In men, occlusions of left anterior descending arteries are associated with higher mortality rate comparing to occlusions of other coronary arteries