Regional characteristics relevant to advanced technology cogeneration development

To assist DOE in establishing research and development funding priorities in the area of advanced energy conversion technoloy, researchers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory studied those specific factors within various regions of the country that may influence cogeneration with advanced energy conversion systems. Regional characteristics of advanced technology cogeneration possibilities are discussed, with primary emphasis given to coal derived fuels. Factors considered for the study were regional industry concentration, purchased fuel and electricity prices, environmental constraints, and other data of interest to industrial cogeneration

Development of a Direct Contact Heat Exchanger, Phase 1 Study Report

Electric power generation from geothermal brine requires, first, bringing the hot brine to the surface and then converting the heat to electric power. Binary conversion schemes were proposed, with the heat transfer between the brine and the working organic fluid taking place in a conventional tube and shell heat exchanger. If the brine is heavily laden with dissolved solids, however, solids buildup on the heat exchanger surfaces leads to a considerable degree of fouling and an accompanying drop in performance is experienced. A possible solution to this problem is the use of a direct contact exchanger with the secondary fluid power cycle. The proposed concept involves the formation of fluid sheets and bells as heat angles. Results of a study concerning the fluid mechanics of such surfaces are given

Ovarian mass in pregnancy: case series

Ovarian masses in pregnancy are not uncommon. Ovarian masses during pregnancy should be accurately evaluated to identify the patients who need surgical interventions from those where it can be managed conservatively. Ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are safe diagnostic tools during pregnancy. The overall incidence of ovarian tumours in pregnancy is 2.4-5.7%. Most masses are functional and asymptomatic and up to 70% resolve spontaneously in the second trimester. Both open surgery and laparoscopy can be performed considering the tumour diameter, gestational age and associated complications. A multidisciplinary approach is necessary in case of high suspicion of malignancy. This study evaluates the clinical features, course in pregnancy, management and pregnancy outcome in patients with ovarian masses diagnosed during pregnancy. This was a retrospective analysis of medical records of 6 patients diagnosed with ovarian mass during pregnancy in the department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Kanachur Institute of Medical Sciences, Mangalore from June 2019 to June 2020

The study of causes, mode of delivery in intrauterine fetal death and associated complications

Background: Intra uterine fetal death (IUFD) is defined as the baby born with no signs of life at or after 28 weeks of gestation. It is important to diagnose the cause in order to avoid further recurrence and to treat any maternal associated factors. The aim of the present study was to calculate incidence of IUFD in our hospital and know the causes, mode of delivery, associated complications. So we can take measures to prevent them in future.Methods: The retrospective study was conducted in the department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in Kanachur Medical College, Mangalore from January 2017 to January 2020. The women with confirmed diagnosis of IUFD on Ultrasound and beyond 28 weeks of gestation were included in the study.Results: In the study period, total 2026 patients delivered, of which 40 cases were IUFD, hence our incidence rate was 19.74 per 1000 population. 62.5% cases were multigravida. 15% had previous history of abortions while 5% previously had IUFD. In 37.5% cases, the cause was unknown, followed by 22.5% having pregnancy induced hypertension. Anemia contributed to 17.5% and placental causes in 12.5%. 10% of the women had PPH. One patient had sepsis, followed by acute renal failure and later died of multi organ failure.Conclusions: All the causes are not preventable, many of them can be identified early in pregnancy and thus IUFD can be prevented. All the high risk pregnancies should undergo antenatal fetal surveillance and should have frequent ante natal visits to reduce IUFD rates

Techno-economic projections for advanced small solar thermal electric power plants to years 1990-2000

Advanced technologies applicable to solar thermal electric power systems in the 1990-200 time-frame are delineated for power applications that fulfill a wide spectrum of small power needs with primary emphasis on power ratings less than 10MWe. Projections of power system characteristics (energy and capital costs as a function of capacity factor) are made based on development of identified promising technologies and are used as the basis for comparing technology development options and combinations of these options to determine developmental directions offering potential for significant improvements. Stirling engines, Brayton/Rankine combined cycles and storage/transport concepts encompassing liquid metals, and reversible-reaction chemical systems are considered for two-axis tracking systems such as the central receiver or power tower concept and distributed parabolic dish receivers which can provide efficient low-cost solar energy collection while achieving high temperatures for efficient energy conversion. Pursuit of advanced technology across a broad front can result in post-1985 solar thermal systems having the potential of approaching the goal of competitiveness with conventional power systems

A comparative study of efficacy and safety of intravenous ferric carboxymaltose versus iron sucrose in the treatment of iron deficiency anaemia of pregnancy in a tertiary care hospital

Background: Anaemia is a global public health problem. To optimize iron delivery in pregnancy, new intravenous complexes like Ferric carboxymaltose (FCM) have been developed in the few years. This study aims to compare the efficacy and safety of FCM vs the iron sucrose during pregnancy.Methods: This study was conducted in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Shri Maharaja Gulab Singh (S.M.G.S.) Hospital, Government Medical College Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir over a period of 1 year. 100 pregnant females with haemoglobin (Hb) in the range 7-9.9 g/dl between 28 to 36-week gestation, were selected randomly out of which 50 were administered FCM (Group A) and 50 were administered Iron Sucrose (Group B). Hb and serum ferritin were assessed 2 weeks and 4 weeks after treatment and side effects of each drug was studied.Results: The rise in mean Hb level at 2 weeks and 4 weeks in FCM group was significantly higher as compared to Iron Sucrose group (1.09 versus 0.52 g/dl and 1.80 versus 1.09 g/dl, respectively). Similarly, the rise in mean serum ferritin level at 2 weeks and 4 weeks was more in FCM as compared to Iron Sucrose group (144.25 vs 95.84 mcg/L and 121.31 vs 84.46 mcg/L, respectively). The adverse reactions were observed in 30% of patients in FCM group and 48% patients in iron sucrose group.Conclusions: Ferric carboxymaltose was found to be more safe and efficacious as compared to iron sucrose

Comparison of intravenous hydralazine and intravenous labetalol in the management of severe hypertensive disorders of pregnancy: a tertiary care centre study

Background: Severe hypertension in pregnancy (SBP ≥160 mmHg &/or DBP ≥ 110 mmHg) must be treated judiciously to prevent maternal and fetal complications. The study was conducted to compare the efficacy, adverse effects, maternal and fetal outcome between Hydralazine and Labetalol which are the most commonly used drugs for the purpose.Methods: In a prospective study, 130 pregnant patients each with severe hypertension presenting to SMGS Hospital Jammu were randomized in 2 groups and administered hydralazine or labetalol intravenously. The efficacy of the two drugs was measured in terms of number of doses required to obtain target BP and the timing to achieve the same. The incidence of adverse effects, maternal and fetal outcomes were also compared. Comparisons among the two groups was performed by using independent Student’s t test for normally distributed variables, Fishers’ exact test, and Pearson Chi Square test for categorical variables. The level of significance was set at p<0.05 for all analysis.Results: There was no statistical difference between the two drugs in terms of efficacy. Significantly more low-birth weight infants were born in the hydralazine group. Also, the adverse effects were significantly more in the hydralazine group.Conclusions: Both hydralazine and labetalol can be used to treat hypertensive emergencies of pregnancy but hydralazine is associated with more side effects

PHARMA SCIENCE MONITOR AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES EFFECT OF SESBANIA GRANDIFLORA AND SESBANIA SESBAN BARK ON CARRAGEENAN INDUCED ACUTE INFLAMMATION AND ADJUVANT-INDUCED ARTHRITIS IN RATS

ABSTRACT Nitric Oxide (NO) can autoregulate its own formation by feedback inhibition of the inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase (iNOS). Modulation of biosynthesis or activity of NO results in amelioration if pathogenesis of experimental arthritis. However, little is known about feedback mechanism on NO generation in response to carrageenan induced paw oedema and adjuvant-induced arthritis. In the present study we have examined the effects of prophylactic administration of extracts of bark of Sesbania grandiflora and Sesbania sesban on the development of carrageenan induced paw oedema and adjuvant -induced arthritis to assess influence of high NO level in the form of exogenous herbal extracts of bark of Sesbania grandiflora and Sesbania sesban in the progress of inflammation. Inflammation was assessed by measuring paw swelling. Increased paw oedema of the injected paw measured on 1 st to 12 th hrs which is feature of carrageenan induced inflammation was significantly reduced after prophylactic administration of petroleum ether, chloroform and methanol extracts of bark of Sesbania grandiflora (300mg/kg b.w. p.o.) and Sesbania sesban (300mg/kg b.w. p.o.) and arthritis was assessed by measuring primary and secondary paw swelling and changes in thymus, spleen and body weight. Increased swelling of the non injected paw (secondary paw) measured on days 14 and 21, injected paw swelling (primary paw) measured on days 3, 14 and 21, spleenomegaly, thymic involutions and loss in body wt. which are features of adjuvant-induced arthritis were effectively reduced after prophylactic administration of extracts of bark of Sesbania grandiflora and Sesbania sesban . These data suggests that high NO level in the from extracts of Sesbania grandiflora and Sesbania sesban may suppress initial stages of immune response to carrageenan and adjuvant injection probably by inhibiting iNOS expression through feedback inhibition mechanism. However, further studies are required to unravel the mechanism involved in these effects of extracts of bark of Sesbania grandiflora and Sesbania sesban and their clinical implications

Associations of Polypharmacy and Inappropriate Medications with Adverse Outcomes in Older Adults with Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

© AlphaMed Press 2019 Background: Polypharmacy (PP) and potentially inappropriate medications (PIM) are highly prevalent in older adults with cancer. This study systematically reviews the associations of PP and/or PIM with outcomes and, through a meta-analysis, obtains estimates of postoperative outcomes associated with PP in this population. Materials and Methods: We searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Register of Clinical Trials using standardized terms for concepts of PP, PIM, and cancer. Eligible studies included cohort studies, cross-sectional studies, meta-analyses, and clinical trials which examined outcomes associated with PP and/or PIM and included older adults with cancer. A random effects model included studies in which definitions of PP were consistent to examine the association of PP with postoperative complications. Results: Forty-seven articles met the inclusion criteria. PP was defined as five or more medications in 57% of the studies. Commonly examined outcomes included chemotherapy toxicities, postoperative complications, functional decline, hospitalization, and overall survival. PP was associated with chemotherapy toxicities (4/9 studies), falls (3/3 studies), functional decline (3/3 studies), and overall survival (2/11 studies). A meta-analysis of four studies indicated an association between PP (≥5 medications) and postoperative complications (overall odds ratio, 1.3; 95% confidence interval [1.3–2.8]). PIM was associated with adverse outcomes in 3 of 11 studies. Conclusion: PP is associated with postoperative complications, chemotherapy toxicities, and physical and functional decline. Only three studies showed an association between PIM and outcomes. However, because of inconsistent definitions, heterogeneous populations, and variable study designs, these associations should be further investigated in prospective studies. Implications for Practice: Polypharmacy and potentially inappropriate medications (PIM) are prevalent in older adults with cancer. This systematic review summarizes the associations of polypharmacy and PIM with health outcomes in older patients with cancer. Polypharmacy and PIM have been associated with postoperative complications, frailty, falls, medication nonadherence, chemotherapy toxicity, and mortality. These findings emphasize the prognostic importance of careful medication review and identification of PIM by oncology teams. They also underscore the need to develop and test interventions to address polypharmacy and PIM in older patients with cancer, with the goal of improving outcomes in these patients

Non-linear thermal resistance model for the simulation of high power GaN-based devices

[EN]We report on the modeling of self-heating in GaN-based devices. While a constant thermal resistance is able to account for the self-heating effects at low power, the decrease of the thermal conductance of semiconductors when the lattice temperature increases, makes necessary the use of temperature dependent thermal resistance models. Moreover, in order to correctly account for the steep increase of the thermal resistance of GaN devices at high temperature, where commonly used models fail, we propose a non-linear model which, included in an electro-thermal Monte Carlo simulator, is able to reproduce the strongly non-linear behavior of the thermal resistance observed in experiments at high DC power levels. The accuracy of the proposed non-linear thermal resistance model has been confirmed by means of the comparison with pulsed and DC measurements made in devices specifically fabricated on doped GaN, able to reach DC power levels above 150 W mm−1 at biases below 30 V.NRF2017-NRFANR003 GaNGUN project, the Spanish MINECO and FEDER through project TEC2017-83910-R and the Junta de Castilla y León and FEDER through project SA254P18