Prevalence and Pattern of Morbidity, Febrile Illness, and Treatment-Seeking Behavior in a Tribal-Dominated District in Odisha, India: An Observational Study.

Background Tribal populations constitute a major portion of India's total population, especially in the eastern and northeastern states. We lack comprehensive information on the community burden of general morbidity and febrile illness in tribal population-dominated areas, which is quite essential for the microplanning of healthcare expenditure and implementation. This study aimed to provide evidence on the prevalence and pattern of general morbidity and febrile illness at the community level as well as the treatment-seeking behaviour in a tribal-dominated area. Methods The study was undertaken as an observational study in the community setting; looking into seasonal cross-sectional evidence on period prevalence (two weeks) of morbidity and qualitative/semiquantitative information on treatment-seeking behaviour of the selected community during 2012 and 2013. Result This study involved 5541, 5482, and 5638 individuals during the rainy season 2012, winter 2012-13, and rainy season 2013 seasons, respectively, from 25 tribal villages of Odisha, India. A period prevalence (two weeks) of overall morbidities was shown to be 27.28% and 28.9% during the rainy seasons of 2012 and 2013, respectively, of which 13% and 11.5%, respectively, were febrile, with low prevalence (6.44% overall morbidity and 1.81% febrile illness) in the winter of 2012-13. It indicated inadequacy in skills of the village-level health staff, monitoring of supplies/logistics, and population awareness for early reporting of fever to healthcare providers at the community level. Conclusion The evidence provided by the study would be helpful in making public health plans in tribal settings and also highlighted the opportunity to improve tribal health status through community awareness, especially in areas and populations with limited health access.

Long-term observation of columnar aerosol optical properties over the remote South China Sea.

The South China Sea (SCS) is a receptor of pollution sources from various parts of Asia and is heavily impacted by strong meteorological systems, which thus dictate aerosol variability over the region. This study analyzes long-term aerosol optical properties observed at Dongsha Island (a representative site in northern SCS) from 2009 to 2021 and Taiping Island (a representative site in southern SCS) from 2012 to 2021 to better apprehend the temporal evolution of columnar aerosols over the SCS. The noticeable difference in loadings, optical properties, and compositions of aerosols between northern and southern SCS was due to the influence of dissimilar emission sources and transport mechanisms. Column-integrated aerosol optical depth (AOD) over northern SCS (range of monthly mean at 500 nm; 0.12-0.51) was significantly greater than southern SCS (0.09-0.21). The maximum AOD in March (0.51 ± 0.28) at Dongsha was attributed to westerlies coupled with biomass-burning (BB) emissions from peninsular Southeast Asia, whereas the maximum AOD at Taiping in September (0.21 ± 0.25) was owing to various pollution from the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia. Fine-mode aerosol dominated over northern SCS (range of monthly mean Angstrom exponent for 440-870 nm: 0.85-1.36) due to substantial influence from continental sources including anthropogenic and BB emissions while coarse-mode particles dominated over southern SCS (0.54-1.28) due to relatively more influence from marine source. More absorbing columnar aerosols prevailed over northern SCS (range of monthly mean single scattering albedo at 675 nm: 0.92-0.99) compared to southern SCS (0.95-0.98) owing to differences in aerosol composition with respect to sources. Special pollution events showcased possible significant impacts on marine ecosystems and regional climate. This study encourages the establishment of more ground-based aerosol monitoring networks and the inclusion of modeling simulations to comprehend the complex nature of aerosol over this vast marginal sea.

Limb Salvage Strategy Amendment for a Better Future in the Era of Bone Cancer Therapy: A Cross-Sectional Study in North India.

BACKGROUND:  Bone tumors remain a formidable challenge for orthopedic surgeons. In developing countries, the challenge is exacerbated by limited diagnostic, therapeutic, and management facilities and ignorance. Patients with upper and lower-extremity muscle and skeletal tumors are candidates for amputation or surgical rescue of the limbs. Traditionally, limb rescue surgery by neo-adjuvant chemotherapy is the preferred surgery method for localized carcinoma. Amputations are usually reserved for patients with increased tumor size. The purpose of this study is to investigate health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and physical disability, focusing on surgical care, gender, and age, in adolescent and young adult survivors of malignant bone tumors treated surgically. METHODS:  This cross-sectional study consists of 38 long-term survivors who underwent amputation or limb-salvage surgery at King George's Medical University, Lucknow, from 2019 to 2022. After obtaining ethical clearance and informed consent, 38 patients which included 26 patients treated with limb salvage in Group A and 12 patients treated with amputation in Group B were included in the study. The SF-36 and HUI3 scores were used to assess the functional outcome and health-related QoL of these patients. RESULTS:  After minimal six months of interventions, we have found a significant improvement in all the following factors: physical functioning (P=0.000), role limitations due to physical health (P=0.000) and emotional problems (P=0.001), energy/fatigue (P=0.000), emotional well-being (P=0.000), social functioning (P=0.000), pain (P=0.000), and general health (P=0.000). Group A showed a higher degree of significance than Group B through SF-36 (Short Form-36, patient-reported outcome), whereas HUI-3 did not show any significant outcomes (P=0.347). CONCLUSION:  The overall quality of life of patients with salvaged limbs appears to be higher than that of the quality of life of amputee patients in tumor survivor patients. Further analyses must be carried out to verify the results and focus on areas that have a major impact on the overall quality of life using other assessment tools. The impact of therapy on the quality of life depends on maintaining the necessary structures for functional functions, adjusting patient expectations to cancer treatments, and designing long-term rehabilitation programs to support functional functions.

Anatomical Variations in the Posterior Tibial Slope in the North Indian Population: A Hospital-Based Study.

BACKGROUND: The measurement of the posterior tibial slope (PTS) angle is crucial for various knee surgeries such as total knee replacement, high tibial osteotomy, and anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. This hospital-based study aimed to determine the average PTS angle in the knee joints of the North Indian population and provided valuable data to aid knee surgeries in this region. METHODS: An analysis of 200 plain X-ray films, specifically the true lateral view of both knees in 20-degree flexion, was conducted on participants who exhibited skeletal maturity with no arthritis, tumours, or previous knee surgeries. The PTS measurements were performed manually. The data were analyzed statistically by matching them with variables such as gender, age, laterality, and body mass index (BMI). RESULTS: The study revealed the following findings for the posterior tibial slope in a section of the North Indian population: there was no significant laterality difference (right knee: 12.76±2.35°, left knee: 12.55±2.46°); no notable sexual dimorphism (males: right knee - 12.79±2.65°, left knee - 12.25±2.65°, females: right knee - 12.73±2.11°, left knee - 12.77±2.30°). However, as age advanced, there were significant differences observed (PTS: 14.27±1.28° and 13.84±1.80° in the 18-40 years age group, 11.36±1.76° and 11.31±1.97° in the 41-60 years age group, 10.32±2.82° and 10.56±3.04° in the >60 years age group for the right and left knee, respectively). No significant correlation was found with BMI (PTS: 13.12±3.13° and 12.59±3.14° for BMI <25, 12.88±2.15° and 12.80±2.34° for BMI 25-30, 12.00±2.09° and 11.66±2.99° for BMI >30 in the right and left knee, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The study demonstrated significant variations in the posterior tibial slope based on age, emphasizing the need for individualized treatment in knee surgeries. The research provided valuable insights into normal PTS values specific to the North Indian population, offering regional data to inform knee surgery procedures.

Assessment of sanitation and drinking water facilities among slum households in Bhubaneswar, Odisha - A cross-sectional study.

Aim: The study aims to assess the practice of using unsafe drinking water and sanitary practices among the population dwelling in slum settings of Bhubaneswar city, Odisha, India. Subjects and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 288 households in the Bhubaneswar slums of Chandrasekharpur, Neeladri Vihar, and Trinatha basti. A questionnaire was administered face to face. Descriptive statistics were used to define the participants' sociodemographic characteristics, household information, drinking water, latrine characteristics, and waste disposal. Results: The majority (59.7%) resided in kutcha households in notified slum areas, and 89.6% were reportedly illiterate. About 92.7% resided in a deplorable condition, relying on piped water (79.5%) from the community sources and 20.5% used it for drinking and household purposes. Around 83% of the respondents stated they did not treat water before consumption. Bathroom facilities were found to be inadequate, and 74.3% used pit latrines. The majority of household wastes (83%) were managed by directly letting them to the drainage system untreated. As a consequence, 91% reported breeding of flies and mosquitoes near their household premises and 70.5% stated having fever in the past 6 months. Conclusion: Despite the government's initiatives to improve water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) strategies, an extensive gap in practice was observed. As a result, Bhubaneswar municipality must strictly enforce policy and regulatory guidelines concerning WASH to improve the sanitation practices, particularly in the areas of drinking water and household waste management.

Anatomical Variation in Quadriceps Angle With Regard to Different Anthropometric Parameters in a Tertiary Care Center in Northern India: A Descriptive Study.

BACKGROUND: The quadriceps angle, commonly known as the Q-angle, is the angle formed between the vectors of the pull of the quadriceps muscle and the patellar tendon. The literature varies in terms of the values of Q angles measured by various researchers. It is well appreciated that the normal Q-angle should fall between 12° and 20°, with males being at the lower end of this range and females having higher measurements. An increase in Q-angle beyond the normal range has been associated with knee extensor dysfunction leading to patellar instability. Keeping in mind the clinical and biomechanical importance of the Q-angle, the aim of this study was to compare and establish the range of the Q-angle in healthy individuals and evaluate its variations with respect to age, weight, height, gender, dominant side, and femoral bicondylar distance. These observations will be helpful for sports therapists in understanding the evaluation of Q-angle in athletes as a prognostic value for probable knee pathologies that may appear in the future. METHODS: The current study was conducted at a tertiary care center, and a total of 100 healthy adults between the ages of 18 and 35 were enrolled in the study (50 males and 50 females), following which their Q-angles, bicondylar distances, and femur lengths were measured. Individuals with any lower limb injury that resulted in a ligamentous, muscular, or bony defect; any spinal or neurological injury; any diagnosed knee disorder, such as a fracture, acute or chronic knee pain, patellar dislocation, or prior orthopaedic surgery in the lower extremities, were excluded from the study. Data were analyzed using paired t-tests, independent sample t-tests, ANOVA, and Pearson correlation coefficients. RESULT AND CONCLUSION: The mean Q-angle in males was found to be 11.14° ± 1.9° on the right side and 10.84° ± 1.86° on the left side. In females, it was found to be 13.68° ± 1.87° on the right side and 13.61° ± 2.04° on the left side. Among males, right and left Q-angles showed significant positive correlations with height, weight, BMI, right femur length, left femur length, right bicondylar distance, and left bicondylar distance (p<0.05). The highest correlation was found between weight and BMI. Among females, the right Q-angle showed significant positive correlations with weight and BMI (p<0.05). The highest correlation was found with weight.

PROTAC: A Novel Drug Delivery Technology for Targeting Proteins in Cancer Cells.

The treatment measures of malignant carcinomas are most important for human health. In recent years the use of targeted therapy based on small molecule compounds and identical immunoglobulin has been the most frequently used tool to combat cancerous cells. But there are still several limitations in their clinical development and applications, including their ability to bind multiple molecular target sites, both cell surface receptors and intracellular proteins, promoting a greater risk of toxicity. PROTAC is a novel technology that maintains a balance between protein synthesis and degradation and uses molecules instead of conventional enzyme inhibitors, containing two active domains and a linker to destroy unwanted selective protein (like kinase, skeleton protein and regulatory protein). PROTACs are heterobifunctional nano molecules with a size range of about 10 nanometres that eliminate the protein complexes formed by protein-protein interaction through large and flat surfaces generally defined as "undruggable" in conventional drug delivery systems, which include around 85% of proteins present in humans, suggesting their wide application in the field of drug development. Such peptide-based PROTACs have successfully shown targets' destruction in cultured cells (e.g., MetAP-2, and FKBP12F36V, receptors for estrogens and androgen). However, some obstacles prevent this technology from transferring from the laboratory to its actual clinical utility, such as delivery system and bioavailability. The scope of the presented review is to give an overview of novel PROTAC technology with its limitations, advantages, mechanism of action, and development of photocontrolled PROTACs and to summarize its futuristic approach to targeting proteins in cancer cells.

A comparison of sutureless flanged fixation and 4-point Gore-Tex fixation for scleral-fixated intraocular lenses: a pilot study.

Purpose: Scleral-fixation of intraocular lenses (IOLs) provides an option for eyes that lack sufficient capsular support for in-the-bag IOL placement. The latest techniques for lens fixation include use of a novel suture material, Gore-Tex, and a sutureless method, with flanged intrascleral fixation. The purpose of this pilot study was to compare these methods in terms of anatomic and clinical outcomes. Methods: A total of 35 eyes of patients 18-60 years of age who presented with aphakia, subluxated lens, or ectopia lentis were randomized into two groups. Group A (15 eyes) underwent flanged intrascleral IOL fixation using the Yamane technique; group B (20 eyes) underwent 4-point transscleral fixation of IOL using Gore-Tex suture. The following parameters were compared between groups on day 1, week 3, and month 6 postoperatively: logMAR uncorrected and best-corrected visual acuity, retinoscopy, IOL centration on slit-lamp biomicroscopy, and IOL tilt on ultrasound biomicroscopy. Results: Postoperative visual acuity was better in group B: uncorrected, logMAR 0.89 ± 0.22 versus 0.72 ± 0.24 (P = 0.046); best-corrected, logMAR 0.51 ± 0.18 versus 0.37 ± 0.26 (P = 0.016). No significant difference was found in postoperative retinoscopy and astigmatism between groups. IOL tilt (>100 µm) occurred in 8 cases in group A and in 9 cases in group B; 87% in group A and 100% in group B were well centered. Complications in both groups were minimal. Conclusions: In our small study cohort, both sutureless flanged IOL fixation and Gore-Tex sutured scleral IOL fixation resulted in excellent visual rehabilitation of patients with aphakia and subluxated lenses. Patients who underwent Gore-Tex suture fixation experienced better postoperative visual acuity, IOL centration, and stability.

Insights into aerosol chemical composition and optical properties at Lulin Atmospheric Background Station (2862 m asl) during two contrasting seasons.

Continental outflows from peninsular Southeast Asia and East Asia dominate the widespread dispersal of air pollutants over subtropical western North Pacific during spring and autumn, respectively. This study analyses the chemical composition and optical properties of PM10 aerosols during autumn and spring at a representative high-altitude site, viz., Lulin Atmospheric Background Station (23.47°N, 120.87°E; 2862 m a.s.l.), Taiwan. PM10 mass was reconstructed and the contributions of major chemical components were also delineated. Aerosol scattering (σsp) and absorption (σap) coefficients were regressed on mass densities of major chemical components by assuming external mixing between them, and the site-specific mass scattering efficiency (MSE) and mass absorption efficiency (MAE) of individual components for dry conditions were determined. NH4NO3 exhibited the highest MSE among all components during both seasons (8.40 and 12.58 m2 g-1 at 550 nm in autumn and spring, respectively). (NH4)2SO4 and organic matter (OM) accounted for the highest σsp during autumn (51%) and spring (50%), respectively. Mean MAE (mean contribution to σap) of elemental carbon (EC) at 550 nm was 2.51 m2 g-1 (36%) and 7.30 m2 g-1 (61%) in autumn and spring, respectively. Likewise, the mean MAE (mean contribution to σap) of organic carbon (OC) at 550 nm was 0.84 m2 g-1 (64%) and 0.83 m2 g-1 (39%) in autumn and spring, respectively. However, a classification matrix, based on scattering Ångström exponent, absorption Ångström exponent, and single scattering albedo (ω), demonstrated that the composite absorbing aerosols were EC-dominated (with weak absorption; ω = 0.91-0.95) in autumn and a combination of EC-dominated and EC/OC mixture (with moderate absorption; ω = 0.85-0.92) in spring. This study demonstrates a strong link between chemical composition and optical properties of aerosol and provides essential information for model simulations to assess the imbalance in regional radiation budget with better accuracy over the western North Pacific.

Distinct transport mechanisms of East Asian dust and the impact on downwind marine and atmospheric environments.

East Asian dust episodes have a multitude of impacts, including on human health, environment, and climate over near-source and receptor regions. However, the mechanistic understanding of the synoptic conditions of these outbreaks at different altitude layers, and their eventual environmental impacts are less studied. The present study analyzed the synoptic transport patterns of East Asian dust during multiple dust generation episodes that occurred over only a few days apart in northern China, and which eventually delivered high PM10 concentrations to surface level and high-altitude locations in Taiwan. Whether the dust plume was uplifted ahead of or behind the 700 hPa trough over East Asia determined its trajectory and eventual impact on the environment downwind. The total dust (iron) deposition over the ocean surface preceding arrival to Taiwan was 2.4 mg m-2 (0.95 µg m-2) for the episode impacting the surface level and 5.0 mg m-2 (4.6 µg m-2) for the episode impacting high-altitude Taiwan. Dust deposition in marine areas east of China was more intense for the higher altitude transport event that was uplifted behind the 700 hPa trough and resulted in twice higher marine Chl-a concentrations. Furthermore, we estimated a dust-induced direct radiative effect over a high mountainous region in Taiwan of -6.2 to -8.2 W m-2 at the surface, -1.9 to -2.9 W m-2 at the top of the atmosphere and +3.9 to +5.3 W m-2 in the atmosphere. This dust-induced atmospheric warming and surface cooling are non-negligible influences on the atmospheric thermal structure and biogeochemical cycle over the western North Pacific. Overall, this study highlights the significant impacts of dust particles on the marine ecosystem and atmospheric radiation budget over the downwind region, thus lays the foundation for linking these impacts to the initial synoptic conditions in the source area.

Biodiversity in agricultural and food systems of jhum landscape in the West Garo Hills, North-eastern India.

Jhum is a swidden agriculture agroforestry system indigenous to India. It enriches crop diversity and dietary diversity, helping to ensure food security and nutrition. However, jhum is now being rapidly abandoned in favour of intensive agriculture, often involving monoculture. Such changes in land use are a major threat to local food security. Based on a survey of 97 households in four villages of the West Garo Hills in the state of Meghalaya in north-eastern India, jhum and the corresponding food diversity (as maintained by the Garo indigenous communities) were examined. We used a mixed-methods approach to quantify the contribution to dietary diversity, and food and nutritional security. The jhum system of farming comprised of 39 crops and four indigenous breeds of livestock, which were categorized into five core food groups that sustain nutritional security and the food culture of indigenous people. The traditional food basket is supplemented with wild edible plants collected from fringes of forest and jhum fallows that are part of the system. The traditional foods of Garo communities, that are drawn almost entirely from locally available sources, are a significant part of local culture, and serve to reinforce conservation of biodiversity. The traditional food diversity guarded by indigenous people can serve as a basis for designing and implementing public policies aimed at ensuring food security of those regions that practise such systems, and more widely. Given this close interdependence between agrobiodiversity, culture, and livelihoods prevailing in the community, the present study recommended for keeping some area under traditional land use, supplemented with fresh measures to ensure its economic viability. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12571-021-01251-y.

Humic-like substances (HULIS) in springtime aerosols at a high-altitude background station in the western North Pacific: Source attribution, abundance, and light-absorption.

Atmospheric humic-like substances (HULIS) are important components of biomass-burning (BB) emissions and highly associated with light-absorbing organic aerosols (often referred to as brown carbon). This study highlights the importance of BB-emitted HULIS aerosols in peninsular Southeast Asian outflow to the subtropical western North Pacific. We determined various key light-absorbing characteristics of HULIS i.e. mass absorption cross-section (MACHULIS), absorbing component of the refractive index (kHULIS), and absorption Ångström exponent (AAEHULIS) based on ground-based aerosol light absorption measurements along with HULIS concentrations in springtime aerosols at Lulin Atmospheric Background Station (LABS; 2862 m above mean sea level), which is a representative high-altitude remote site in the western North Pacific. Daily variations of HULIS (0.58-12.92 µg m-3) at LABS were mostly linked with the influence from incoming air-masses, while correlations with BB tracers and secondary aerosols indicated the attribution of primary and secondary sources. Stronger light absorption capability of HULIS was clearly evident from MACHULIS and kHULIS values at 370 nm, which were about ~1.5 times higher during BB-dominated days (1.16 ± 0.75 m2 g-1 and 0.05 ± 0.03, respectively) than that during non-BB days (0.77 ± 0.89 m2 g-1 and 0.03 ± 0.04, respectively). Estimates from a simple radiative transfer model showed that HULIS absorption can add as much as 15.13 W g-1 to atmospheric warming, and ~46% more during BB-dominated than non-BB period, highlighting that HULIS light absorption may significantly affect the Earth-atmosphere system and tropospheric photochemistry over the western North Pacific.

Assessment of an Intra-Articular Drain in Arthroscopy-Assisted Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction.

Introduction The use of a drain after various types of arthroscopic surgeries has long been debated. Whether a drain offers an advantage in terms of pain, swelling, and functional outcome after arthroscopy-assisted reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) needs to be investigated. This study was designed to assess the validity of the use of an intra-articular drain after routine arthroscopic ACL reconstruction and to assess the various complications associated with its use. Material and methods Forty-four patients (group I included patients for whom an intra-articular drain was used and group II included patients for whom an intra-articular drain was not used) diagnosed with ACL injury were included in the study. The patients in group I had a drain placed inside the joint, while those in group II had a drain placed outside the joint cavity but the drain placement was such that there remained no patient or observer bias. Results Outcome assessment was performed on days one, two, and three followed by weeks one, four, and eight, and six months after surgery by determining a visual analog pain (VAS) score. The assessment was also done for the range of motion (ROM) in terms of loss of flexion and extension with a hand-held goniometer, knee hemarthrosis, and thigh circumference. Although there was a difference in both the groups in terms of the above-mentioned parameters in the early post-operative period, the difference becomes insignificant at the final follow-up at six months. Conclusion From this study, we conclude that putting an intra-articular drain after ACL reconstruction offers no advantage in terms of functional outcome in the long term.

The Validation of Clinical Examination and MRI as a Diagnostic Tool for Cruciate Ligaments and Meniscus Injuries of the Knee Against Diagnostic Arthroscopy.

BACKGROUND: This study was conducted to compare the accuracy of MRI findings and clinical examination of ligamentous and meniscal injuries of the knee, taking arthroscopy as a standard diagnostic tool in knee injuries.  Methods: All patients with knee injuries attending the outpatient department or emergency of our hospital underwent clinical examination. Out of them, 60 patients with knee injuries were subjected to clinical examination, MRI, and then arthroscopy. The findings of these diagnostic tools in respect to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), and meniscus injuries were validated, compared, and analyzed using various statistical tools. The accuracy, sensitivity, negative predictive value (NPV), positive predictive value (PPV), and specificity were calculated and an agreement between various tests was established using kappa statistics. RESULTS: The accuracy of clinical examination in our study was 88% for ACL tears, 85% for meniscal tears, and 100% for PCL tears. The kappa measure of agreement between arthroscopy and clinical finding and MRI for ACL was 0.610 and 0.698, respectively, which was statistically significant. MRI (98.1) was found to be a more sensitive test for detecting ACL injury than clinical examination (90.4%) resulting in higher diagnostic accuracy (98.3%), while diagnostic accuracy of clinical examination and MRI was found to be 100% for PCL injuries. Hence, MRI is an excellent screening tool for ligamentous and meniscal injuries of the knee joint. We can avoid diagnostic arthroscopy in patients with knee injuries having equivocal clinical and MRI examinations and can proceed for therapeutic arthroscopy to deal with such injuries.  Conclusions: For the assessment of ligamentous and meniscal injuries, MRI is an accurate and noninvasive modality. It can be used as a first-line investigation but arthroscopy remains the gold standard.

Brown carbon light absorption over an urban environment in northern peninsular Southeast Asia.

Light-absorbing organic carbon (or brown carbon, BrC) has been recognized as a critical driver in regional-to-global climate change on account of its significant contribution to light absorption. BrC sources vary from primary combustion processes (burning of biomass, biofuel, and fossil fuel) to secondary formation in the atmosphere. This paper investigated the light-absorbing properties of BrC such as site-specific mass absorption cross-section (MACBrC), absorption Ångström exponent (AAEBrC), and the absorbing component of the refractive index (kBrC) by using light absorption measurements from a 7-wavelength aethalometer over an urban environment of Chiang Mai, Thailand in northern peninsular Southeast Asia (PSEA), from March to April 2016. The contribution of BrC to total aerosol absorption (mean ± SD) was 46 ± 9%, 29 ± 7%, 24 ± 6%, 20 ± 4%, and 15 ± 3% at 370, 470, 520, 590, and 660 nm, respectively, highlighting the significant influence of BrC absorption on the radiative imbalance over northern PSEA. Strong and significant associations between BrC light absorption and biomass-burning (BB) organic tracers highlighted the influence of primary BB emissions. The median MACBrC and kBrC values at 370 nm were 2.4 m2 g-1 and 0.12, respectively. The fractional contribution of solar radiation absorbed by BrC relative to BC (mean ± SD) in the 370-950 nm range was estimated to be 34 ± 7%, which can significantly influence the regional radiation budget and consequently atmospheric photochemistry. This study provides valuable information to understand BrC absorption over northern PSEA and can be used in model simulations to reassess the regional climatic impact with greater accuracy.

Long-term (2003-2018) trends in aerosol chemical components at a high-altitude background station in the western North Pacific: Impact of long-range transport from continental Asia.

This study examined the long-term trends in chemical components in PM2.5 (particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter ≤2.5 µm) samples collected at Lulin Atmospheric Background Station (LABS) located on the summit of Mt. Lulin (2862 m above mean sea level) in Taiwan in the western North Pacific during 2003-2018. High ambient concentrations of PM2.5 and its chemical components were observed during March and April every year. This enhancement was primarily associated with the long-range transport of biomass burning (BB) smoke emissions from Indochina, as revealed from cluster analysis of backward air mass trajectories. The decreasing trends in ambient concentrations of organic carbon (-0.67% yr-1; p = 0.01), elemental carbon (-0.48% yr-1; p = 0.18), and non-sea-salt (nss) K+ (-0.71% yr-1; p = 0.04) during 2003-2018 indicated a declining effect of transported BB aerosol over the western North Pacific. These findings were supported by the decreasing trend in levoglucosan (-0.26% yr-1; p = 0.20) during the period affected by the long-range transport of BB aerosol. However, NO3- displayed an increasing trend (0.71% yr-1; p = 0.003) with considerable enhancement resulting from the air masses transported from the Asian continent. Given that the decreasing trends were for the majority of the chemical components, the columnar aerosol optical depth (AOD) also demonstrated a decreasing trend (-1.04% yr-1; p = 0.0001) during 2006-2018. Overall decreasing trends in ambient (carbonaceous aerosol and nss-K+) as well as columnar (e.g., AOD) aerosol loadings at the LABS may influence the regional climate, which warrants further investigations. This study provides an improved understanding of the long-term trends in PM2.5 chemical components over the western North Pacific, and the results would be highly useful in model simulations for evaluating the effects of BB transport on an area.

Association of COVID-19 pandemic with meteorological parameters over Singapore.

Meteorological parameters are the critical factors affecting the transmission of infectious diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), and influenza. Consequently, infectious disease incidence rates are likely to be influenced by the weather change. This study investigates the role of Singapore's hot tropical weather in COVID-19 transmission by exploring the association between meteorological parameters and the COVID-19 pandemic cases in Singapore. This study uses the secondary data of COVID-19 daily cases from the webpage of Ministry of Health (MOH), Singapore. Spearman and Kendall rank correlation tests were used to investigate the correlation between COVID-19 and meteorological parameters. Temperature, dew point, relative humidity, absolute humidity, and water vapor showed positive significant correlation with COVID-19 pandemic. These results will help the epidemiologists to understand the behavior of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus against meteorological variables. This study finding would be also a useful supplement to help the local healthcare policymakers, Center for Disease Control (CDC), and the World Health Organization (WHO) in the process of strategy making to combat COVID-19 in Singapore.

Black carbon over an urban atmosphere in northern peninsular Southeast Asia: Characteristics, source apportionment, and associated health risks.

Black carbon (BC) has been demonstrated to pose significant negative impacts on climate and human health. Equivalent BC (EBC) measurements were conducted using a 7-wavelength aethalometer, from March to May 2016, over an urban atmosphere, viz., Chiang Mai (98.957°E, 18.795°N, 373 m above sea level), Thailand in northern peninsular Southeast Asia. Daily variations in aerosol light absorption were mainly governed by open fire activities in the region. The mean mass-specific absorption cross-section (MAC) value of EBC at 880 nm was estimated to be 9.3 m2 g-1. The median EBC mass concentration was the highest in March (3.3 µg m-3) due to biomass-burning (comprised of forest fire and agricultural burning) emissions accompanied by urban air pollution within the planetary boundary layer under favorable meteorological conditions. Daily mean absorption Ångström exponent (AAE470/950) varied between 1.3 and 1.7 and could be due to variations in EBC emission sources and atmospheric mixing processes. EBC source apportionment results revealed that biomass-burning contributed significantly more to total EBC concentrations (34-92%) as compared to fossil-fuel (traffic emissions). Health risk estimates of EBC in relation to different health outcomes were assessed in terms of passive cigarette equivalence, highlighting the considerable health effects associated with exposure to EBC levels. As a necessary action, the reduction of EBC emissions would promote considerable climate and health co-benefits.

Exposure to respirable and fine dust particle over North-Central India: chemical characterization, source interpretation, and health risk analysis.

This study enhances the understanding of the particulate matters (PM2.5 and PM10) and their physical and chemical behavior over the Taj Mahal, Agra, in North-Central India. The mass concentration was determined, and the shape and size of the particles and chemical characterizations have been carried out using SEM-EDX. The high level and significant variation of PM10 (162.2 µg m-3) and PM2.5 (83.9 µg m-3) were observed. The exceedance factor of the present study region is in critical and moderate condition. Morphological characterization reveals the particles of different shapes and sizes, while elemental analysis shows the presence of Si, Al, Fe, Ca, K, Cl, Mg, Na, Cu, and Zn. The dominance of Si indicated the contribution of natural sources, i.e., soil over this region. Three significant sources, viz. soil/road paved dust/vegetative emissions, vehicular/industrial emissions, and intermingling of dust and combustion particles, have been identified using principal component analysis over North-Central India. Health risk analysis of particulate matter identified carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic metals in the present study, which comes in contact with human beings during inhalation. The non-carcinogenic risk was much higher than the acceptable level. The high carcinogenic risks were found in Zn in PM10 and Cu in PM2.5 for both children and adults.

High Prevalence of Hepatitis C Virus Infection in Primitive Tribes of Eastern India and Associated Sociobehavioral Risks for Transmission: A Retrospective Analysis.

Purpose: The primitive tribal groups (PTGs) need special attention because of their low population growth: declining population size with high mortality rates. Scanty reports are available on the prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in primitive tribes of the country emphasizing their cultural and social practices associated with transmission of the disease. Methods: The study was conducted on 1765 tribal individuals covering 5 PTGs, namely Lodha, Saora, Khadia, Juanga, and Mankidia, from 6 districts of Odisha. Serum samples were tested for the anti-HCV antibody using commercially available enzyme immunoassays. HCV RNA was detected based on the 5' NCR region and genotyping was done by direct sequencing of the core region. Potential risk factors for HCV transmission were collected using a questionnaire and subjected to regression analysis through SPSS, version 17.0. Results: Antibody to HCV was detected in 0%, 3.3%, 5.7%, 8.5%, and 13.4% in Saora, Lodha, Khadia, Juanga, and Mankidia tribes, respectively. HCV RNA was detected in 8.6% (11/127) of the samples tested. Genotyping of HCV isolates in all HCV RNA-positive samples revealed genotype 1b. Sharing of razors and shaving by the village barber were found to be significantly (p<0.05) associated with HCV transmission in males, whereas tattooing and multiple injections were found to be significant risk factors for females. Conclusion: This study indicated a high prevalence of HCV infection in Mankidia and Juanga tribes in comparison with the national scenario, which needs public health attention.