Hotspot driven air pollution during crop residue burning season in the Indo-Gangetic Plain, India.

Intensive crop residue burning (CRB) in northern India triggers severe air pollution episodes over the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) each year during October and November. We have quantified the contribution of hotspot districts (HSDs) and total CRB to poor air quality over the IGP. Initially, we investigated the spatiotemporal distribution of CRB fire within the domain and pinpointed five HSD in each Punjab and Haryana. Furthermore, we have simulated air quality and quantified the impact of CRB using the Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with Chemistry (WRF-Chem), incorporating recent anthropogenic emissions (EDGAR v5) and biomass burning emissions (FINN v2.4) inventories, along with MOZART-MOSAIC chemistry. The key finding is that HSDs contributed ∼80% and ∼50% of the total fire counts in Haryana and Punjab, respectively. The model effectively captured observed PM2.5 concentrations, with a normalized mean bias (NMB) below 0.2 and R-squared (R2) exceeding 0.65 at the majority of validation sites. However, some discrepancies were observed at a few sites in Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, and West Bengal. The National Capital Region experienced the highest PM2.5 concentrations, followed by Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and West Bengal. Moreover, HSDs were responsible for about 70% of the total increase in CRB-induced PM2.5 in the western, central, and eastern cities, and around 50% in the northern cities. By eliminating CRB emissions across the domain, we could potentially save approximately 18,000 lives annually. Policymakers, scientists, and institutions can leverage the framework to address air pollution at national and global scales by targeting source-specific hotspots. This approach, coupled with appropriate technological and financial solutions, can contribute to achieving climate change and sustainable development goals.

Development of amine-functionalized fluorescent silica nanoparticles from coal fly ash as a sustainable source for nanofertilizer.

Scaling up the synthesis of fluorescent silica nanoparticles to meet the current demand in diverse applications involves technological limitations. The present study relates to the hydrothermal synthesis of water-soluble, crystalline, blue-emitting amine-functionalized silica nanoparticles from coal fly ash sustainably and economically. This study used tertiary amine (trimethylamine) to prepare amine-functionalized fluorescent silica nanoparticles, enhancing fluorescence quantum yield and nitrogen content for nanofertilizer application. The TEM and FESEM studies show that the silica nanoparticles have a spherical morphology with an average diameter of 4.0 nm. The x-ray photoelectron and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy studies reveal the presence of the amine group at the surface of silica nanoparticles. The silica nanoparticles exhibit blue fluorescence with an emission maximum of 454 nm at 370 nm excitation and show excitation-dependent emission properties in the aqueous medium. With the perfect spectral overlap between silica nanoparticle emission (donor) and chlorophyll absorption (acceptor), fluorescent silica nanoparticles enhance plant photosynthesis rate by resonance energy transfer. This process accelerates the photosynthesis rate to improve the individual plant's quality and growth. These findings suggested that the fly ash-derived functionalized silica nanoparticles could be employed as nanofertilizers and novel delivery agents.

A Sustainable and Regenerative Process for the Treatment of Textile Effluents Using Nonphotocatalytic Water Splitting by Nanoporous Oxygen-Deficient Ferrite.

Water is crucial for life. Being the world's third-largest industry, the textile industry pollutes 93 billion cubic meters of water each year. Only 28% of textile wastewater is treated by lower- to middle-income countries due to the costly treatment methods. The present work demonstrates the utilization of surface oxygen defects and nanopores in Mg0.8Li0.2Fe2O4 (Li-MgF) to treat textile effluents by a highly economical, scalable, and eco-friendly process. Nanoporous, oxygen-deficient Li-MgF splits water by a nonphotocatalytic process at room temperature to produce green electricity as hydroelectric cell. The adsorbent Li-MgF can be easily regenerated by heat treatment. A 70-90% reduction in the UV absorption intensity of adsorbent-treated textile effluents was observed by UV-visible spectroscopy. The oxygen defects on Li-MgF surface and nanopores were confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) measurements, respectively. To analyze the adsorption mechanism, three known organic water-soluble dyes, brilliant green, crystal violet, and congo red, were treated with nanoporous Li-MgF. The dye decolorization efficiency of Li-MgF was recorded to be 99.84, 99.27, and 99.31% at 250 µM concentrations of brilliant green, congo red, and crystal violet, respectively. The results of Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy confirmed the presence of dyes on the material surface attached through hydroxyl groups generated by water splitting on the surface of the material. Total organic carbon analysis confirmed the removal of organic carbon from the dye solutions by 82.8, 77.0, and 46.5% for brilliant green, Congo red, and crystal violet, respectively. Based on the kinetic and isotherm models, the presence of a large number of surface hydroxyl groups on the surface of the material and OH- ions in solutions generated by water splitting was found to be responsible for the complete decolorization of all of the dyes. Adsorption of chemically diverse dyes by the nanoporous, eco-friendly, ferromagnetic, economic, and reusable Li-MgF provides a sustainable and easy way to treat textile industry effluents in large amounts.

Chemical characteristics, morphology and source apportionment of PM10 over National Capital Region (NCR) of India.

The present study frames the physico-chemical characteristics and the source apportionment of PM10 over National Capital Region (NCR) of India using the receptor model's Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) and Principal Momponent Mnalysis/Absolute Principal Component Score-Multilinear Regression (PCA/APCS-MLR). The annual average mass concentration of PM10 over the urban site of Faridabad, IGDTUW-Delhi and CSIR-NPL of NCR-Delhi were observed to be 195 ± 121, 275 ± 141 and 209 ± 81 µg m-3, respectively. Carbonaceous species (organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC) and water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC)), elemental constituents (Al, Ti, Na, Mg, Cr, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Br, Ba, Mo Pb) and water-soluble ionic components (F-, Cl-, SO42-, NO3-, NH4+, Na+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+) of PM10 were entrenched to the receptor models to comprehend the possible sources of PM10. The PMF assorted sources over Faridabad were soil dust (SD 15%), industrial emission (IE 14%), vehicular emission (VE 19%), secondary aerosol (SA 23%) and sodium magnesium salt (SMS 17%). For IGDTUW-Delhi, the sources were SD (16%), VE (19%), SMS (18%), IE (11%), SA (27%) and VE + IE (9%). Emission sources like SD (24%), IE (8%), SMS (20%), VE + IE (12%), VE (15%) and SA + BB (21%) were extracted over CSIR-NPL, New Delhi, which are quite obvious towards the sites. PCA/APCS-MLR quantified the similar sources with varied percentage contribution. Additionally, catalogue the Conditional Bivariate Probability Function (CBPF) for directionality of the local source regions and morphology as spherical, flocculent and irregular were imaged using a Field Emission-Scanning Electron Microscope (FE-SEM).

Emission inventory of inorganic trace gases from solid residential fuels over the National Capital Territory of India.

In developing nations, solid residential fuels are the major sources of primary energy for various domestic activities. To date, the emission inventory of inorganic trace gases over National Capital Territory (NCT) was prepared using either default or country-specific emission factors. In this paper, we report (for the first time) the spatial variation of emission factors (EFs) of inorganic trace gases (SO2, NO, NO2, CO, CO2, and CH4) from the residential fuels used in slums and rural areas of NCT determined using dilution chamber in the laboratory. 147 residential fuel samples, including fuelwood, dung cake, crop residues, coal, etc., were collected at 149 NCT locations out of 675 slum clusters and 146 rural villages. The range of EF(s) of SO2 (0.02 ± 0.01 to 0.04 ± 0.01 g kg-1), CH4 (0.10 to 0.34 g kg-1), NO2 (0.01 to 0.02 g kg-1) is lower than the CO (3.55 ± 1.72 to 6.07 ± 1.53 g kg-1) and CO2 (0 to 129.45 ± 46.94 g kg-1). The north and north west districts of NCT are emission hotspots for CH4, NO, and NO2 emissions, whereas, the southern and northern areas of NCT are for CO2. These citywide emission inventories (0.05° × 0.05°) of inorganic trace gases are prepared using laboratory-determined EFs and available consumption data determined by recent survey information. Among solid residential fuels, fuel wood, and dung cake are two major contributors to inorganic trace gases in NCT.

Size-distribution and driving factors of aerosol oxidative potential in rural kitchen microenvironments of northeastern India.

This study reports size-resolved dithiothreitol (DTT)-based oxidative potential (OP: total and water-soluble) in rural kitchens using liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), firewood (FW), and mixed biomass (MB) fuels in northeastern (NE) India. In comparison to LPG, volume-normalized total OP (OPtotal(v)DTT) was enhanced by a factor of ∼5 in biomass-using kitchens (74 ± 35 to 78 ± 42 nmol min-1 m-3); however, mass-normalized total OP (OPtotal(m)DTT) was similar between LPG and FW users and higher by a factor of 2 in MB-using kitchens. The water-insoluble OP (OPwi(v, m)DTT) fraction in OPtotal(v, m)DTT was greater than 50% across kitchens. Size distributions across kitchens and OPDTT categories ranged from unimodal to trimodal. OPws(v)DTT was driven by metals as well as organics across size fractions while OPwi(v)DTT was majorly constrained by metals with an increasing importance of organics in fine particles of biomass-using kitchens. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that Cu and Ba explained 71% of the OPtotal(v)DTT variability in LPG-using kitchens, while water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC) and Ba were responsible for 44% variability in FW-using kitchens. Finally, the high internal dose of OPtotal(v)DTT (28-31 nmol min-1 m-3) in biomass-using kitchens established the severity of oxidative stress on the exposed population.

Comprehensive advances in the synthesis, fluorescence mechanism and multifunctional applications of red-emitting carbon nanomaterials.

Red emitting fluorescent carbon nanomaterials have drawn significant scientific interest in recent years due to their high quantum yield, water-dispersibility, photostability, biocompatibility, ease of surface functionalization, low cost and eco-friendliness. The red emissive characteristics of fluorescent carbon nanomaterials generally depend on the carbon source, reaction time, synthetic approach/methodology, surface functional groups, average size, and other reaction environments, which directly or indirectly help to achieve red emission. The importance of several factors to achieve red fluorescent carbon nanomaterials is highlighted in this review. Numerous plausible theories have been explained in detail to understand the origin of red fluorescence and tunable emission in these carbon-based nanostructures. The above advantages and fluorescence in the red region make them a potential candidate for multifunctional applications in various current fields. Therefore, this review focused on the recent advances in the synthesis approach, mechanism of fluorescence, and electronic and optical properties of red-emitting fluorescent carbon nanomaterials. This review also explains the several innovative applications of red-emitting fluorescent carbon nanomaterials such as biomedicine, light-emitting devices, sensing, photocatalysis, energy, anticounterfeiting, fluorescent silk, artificial photosynthesis, etc. It is hoped that by choosing appropriate methods, the present review can inspire and guide future research on the design of red emissive fluorescent carbon nanomaterials for potential advancements in multifunctional applications.

Development of fluorescent carbon nanoparticles from Madhuca longifolia flower for the sensitive and selective detection of Cr6+: a collective experimental-computational approach.

Herein, blue-emitting carbon nanoparticles (CNPs) were synthesized using the Madhuca longifolia flower for the highly selective and sensitive detection of Cr6+ ions in aqueous media using a simple, green, and cost-effective approach, and computational experiments were also performed. The prepared CNPs were well-dispersed in water with an average diameter of 12 nm and functionalized with carbonyl, hydroxyl and carboxylic acid groups. The decrease in the fluorescence intensity of the CNPs with an increase in the content of Cr6+ provided an important signal for the sensitive and selective detection of Cr6+ in aqueous media. The limit of detection for Cr6+ in an aqueous medium was found to be 103 ppb, which is more sensitive in comparison with the previously reported study. Furthermore, the validation of the proposed higher sensing feature and more selective nature of the CNPs towards Cr6+ was also explained using an in silico approach. The results from the theoretical calculations based on the DFT approach demonstrated that the binding energy (BE) of the CNPs with three transition metal (TM) cations (Cr6+, Fe3+, and Hg2+) follows the order of Cr6+ > Fe3+ > Hg2+, where the Cr6+ TM cation associated with the CNPs possesses the highest valence state, showing the highest sensing feature and highest selectivity among the investigated ions, as expected. The metal ions associated with the CNPs having a higher charge and a smaller radius indicated a higher BE and larger degree of deformation of the CNPs. Moreover, to achieve new insights into the structural, stability/energetics, and electronic features, some useful tools, such as NCI-plot, HOMO-LUMO gap, MESP, and QTAIM analysis were employed, which facilitated noteworthy outcomes.

Optical source apportionment of aqueous brown carbon (BrC) on a daytime and nighttime basis in the eastern Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) and insights from 13C and 15N isotopic signatures.

This study reports day-night and seasonal variations of aqueous brown carbon (BrCaq) and constituent humic-like substances (HULIS) (neutral and acidic HULIS: HULIS-n and HULIS-a) from the eastern Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) of India during 2019-2020. This is followed by the application of the receptor model positive matrix factorization (PMF) for optical source apportionment of BrCaq and the use of stable isotopic ratios (δ13C and δ15N) to understand atmospheric processing. Nighttime BrCaq absorption and mass absorption efficiencies (MAE) were enhanced by 40-150 % and 50-190 %, respectively, compared to the daytime across seasons, possibly as a combined effect from daytime photobleaching, dark-phase secondary formation, and increased nighttime emissions. MAE250 nm/MAE365 nm (i.e., E2/E3) ratios and Angstrom Exponents revealed that BrCaq and HULIS-n were relatively more aromatic and conjugated during the biomass burning-dominated periods while BrCaq and HULIS-a were comprised mostly of non-conjugated aliphatic structures from secondary processes during the photochemistry-dominated summer. The relative radiative forcing of BrCaq with respect to elemental carbon (EC) was 10-12 % in the post-monsoon and winter in the 300-400 nm range. Optical source apportionment using PMF revealed that BrCaq absorption at 300, 365 and 420 nm wavelengths in the eastern IGP is mostly from biomass burning (60-75 %), followed by combined marine and fossil fuel-derived sources (24-31 %), and secondary processes (up to 10 %). Source-specific MAEs at 365 nm were estimated to be the highest for the combined marine and fossil fuel source (1.34 m2 g-1) followed by biomass burning (0.78 m2 g-1) and secondary processing (0.13 m2 g-1). Finally, δ13C and δ15N isotopic analysis confirmed the importance of summertime photochemistry and wintertime NO3--dominated chemistry in constraining BrC characteristics. Overall, the quantitative apportionment of BrCaq sources and processing reported here can be expected to lead to targeted source-specific measurements and a better understanding of BrC climate forcing in the future.

Role of South Asian outflow on the oxidative potential of marine aerosols over the Indian Ocean.

Oxidative potential (OP) of fine marine aerosols (PM2.5) over the northern Indian Ocean (N_IO) and equatorial Indian Ocean (E_IO) were studied using shipborne measurements conducted as part of the Integrated Campaign for Aerosols, gases and Radiation Budget (ICARB-2018). During the study, an enhanced concentration of PM2.5 was found over N_IO (27.22 ± 14.29 µg.m-3) compared with E_IO (15.91 ± 2.58 µg.m-3), as N_IO experiences continental outflow from anthropogenically dominated South Asian region. However, E_IO received pristine air masses from the middle of the Arabian Sea, implying a reduced concentration. The OP of PM2.5 was evaluated using a dithiothreitol (DTT) assay. The mass (DTTm or intrinsic OP) and volume (DTTv or extrinsic OP) normalized DTT exhibited a significant spatial variation over the Indian Ocean (IO). Intrinsic OP showed ∼2 times higher values over N_IO than E_IO, indicating aging of aerosols during long-range transport impacts OP of marine aerosol. Similarly, increased concentrations of anthropogenic species such as non-sea sulfate (nssSO42-), nitrate (NO3-), ammonium (NH4+), non-sea potassium ion (nssK+), water-soluble transition metals (Fe, Ti, Zn, Cu, Mn, Cr), elemental carbon (EC), organic carbon (OC), water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC), were also observed over N_IO compared with E_IO. Pearson correlation and multiple linear regression (MLR) analysis revealed that combustion sources, chemical processing and co-transportation of anthropogenic species during long-range transport are the main drivers of intrinsic OP in the outflow region.

Reassessing the availability of crop residue as a bioenergy resource in India: A field-survey based study.

Second-generation bioenergy, a carbon neutral or negative renewable resource, is crucial to achieving India's net-zero emission targets. Crop residues are being targeted as a bioenergy resource as they are otherwise burned on-field, leading to significant pollutant emissions. But estimating their bioenergy potential is problematic because of broad assumptions about their surplus fractions. Here, we use comprehensive surveys and multivariate regression models to estimate the bioenergy potential of surplus crop residues in India. These are with high sub-national and crop disaggregation that can facilitate the development of efficient supply chain mechanisms for its widespread usage. The estimated potential for 2019 of 1313 PJ can increase the present bioenergy installed capacity by 82% but is likely insufficient alone to meet India's bioenergy targets. The shortage of crop residue for bioenergy, combined with the sustainability concerns raised by previous studies, imply a need to reassess the strategy for the use of this resource.

Surgical outcomes after re-operation for excision of choledochal cyst with delayed biliary complications: A retrospective study on 40 patients.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to review our experience in patients who underwent re-operation for delayed biliary complications after choledochal cyst (CDC) excision. METHODS: All the patients who underwent re-operation. for delayed biliary complications after CDC excision between August 2007 and July 2020 were included in this retrospective study. The outcomes of these patients were compared with those who underwent primary surgery (CDC excision) at our institution. RESULTS: Of the total 40 patients with delayed biliary complications, 25 (62.5%) were female. Thirty-seven (92.5%) patients had a history of cholangitis. The median interval between CDC excision and the reoperation was 70 (4-216) months. The median duration of symptoms before reoperation was 12 (2.5-84) months. Re-do hepaticojejunostomy and direct hepaticojejunostomy were performed in 34 and in 6 patients respectively. Median operative time and blood losses were 219 min and 150 ml respectively. The median postoperative stay was 9 days. Postoperative complications developed in 10 (25%) patients. There was no operative mortality. Over a median follow-up of 71 months, a satisfactory outcome was achieved in 86% of patients. Restricture and intrahepatic stones developed in three and two patients respectively. Incidence of type IV cyst, cholangitis before operation, and operative blood loss were significantly more in the re-operative group. Clinical outcomes like the incidence of recurrent cholangitis, re-stricture, and postoperative hospital stay were comparable between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Surgery affords excellent results for majority of the patients with delayed biliary complications after CDC excision. Type IV cysts are more commonly associated with the development of delayed biliary complications.

Insights into seasonal-variability of SVOCs, morpho-elemental and spectral characteristics of PM2.5 collected at a dense industrial site: Faridabad, Haryana, India.

The development-oriented anthropogenic activities have led to intensive increase in emission of various organic pollutants, which contribute considerably to human health risk. In the present study, chemical, physical and spectral characterisation of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), collected at Faridabad city, in northern India, were examined. Seasonal variation of organic compounds [n-alkanes, polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and phthalic acid esters (PAEs)], and potential health risk of Polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) exposure using toxic equivalency potential (TEQ) approach had been assessed. These showed seasonal average values ranging from 156.4 ± 57.0 ng/m3 to 217.6 ± 72.9 ng/m3, 98.0 ± 21.4 ng/m3 to 177.8 ± 72.8 ng/m3, and 30.9 ± 11.9 ng/m3 to 82.5 ± 29.2 ng/m3, respectively, with the highest value for winter. It is noteworthy that unlike, n-alkanes and PAEs, PAHs were least during spring. The high molecular weight PAHs (BaP, BkF, DahA and IcdP) were found to exhibit higher TEQ values (ranging from 0.7 to 9.7) despite of their lower concentrations. The PAH diagnostic ratio, carbon preference index and total index revealed the enhanced impact of biogenic sources of emissions in comparison to diesel emission sources during winter.

Predictors of 90-day morbidity and mortality after Frey procedure for chronic pancreatitis.

BACKGROUND: The literature on predictors for postoperative complications after Frey procedure (FP) is sparse. The aim of this study is to report our experience with 90-day complications of FP and predictors for complications. METHODS: All patients with chronic pancreatitis (CP), who underwent a FP between August 2007 and July 2021, were retrospectively reviewed. Univariate and multivariate analysis were used to identify predictors of 90-day morbidity and mortality. RESULTS: Of the total 270 patients, 84 (31%) patients developed at least one postoperative complication. Major complications occurred in 32 (12%) patients. Most common complication was wound infection and it was significantly more common in stented patients (p = 0.017). Pancreatic fistula and post pancreatectomy hemorrhage (PPH) developed in 7.4% of patients. Thirteen patients (4.8%) required early re-operation and the most common cause of re-exploration was PPH. 90-day mortality was 1% (n = 3) and all 3 patients required re-exploration for PPH. Median postoperative hospital stay was 9 (5-51) days. Perioperative blood transfusions was the only independent predictor of postoperative complications after FP. CONCLUSIONS: Frey procedure is an acceptable treatment modality with low rates of mortality and reasonable perioperative morbidities. Minimizing blood transfusions may further improve 90-day outcomes.

Clinical Profile of Hepatoblastoma: Experience From a Tertiary Care Centre in a Resource-Limited Setting.

Background Hepatoblastoma (HB) is a rare neoplasm of the liver, accounting for about 1% of all pediatric cancers. The aim of the present study is to report our experience with HBs over a period of five years from a tertiary center in Eastern India. Methodology This is a retrospective observational study. The data of all patients who were diagnosed with HB between August 2015 and December 2020 was reviewed. Results Twenty-three patients who were diagnosed and treated for HB at our center were included in the study. Sixteen (69.5%) of them were male. The median age of presentation was 14 (range, 3-58) months. An abdominal lump (n=23, 100%) and abdominal pain (n=11, 47.8%) were the most common presenting symptoms. The median level of serum alpha-fetoprotein at the time of initial evaluation was 8000 (878-1,280,000) ng/dL. The mean size of the largest focus in its largest dimension was 12.03±3.77 cm. The epithelial variant (n=22, 95.7%) was the most common histological subtype. One (4.3%), 10 (43.4%), 11 (47.8%), and one (4.3%) patient were found to have pre-treatment extent of tumor (PRETEXT) stages 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively. Fifteen (65.2%) children were classified as standard risk and seven (34.7%) children as high risk. All the patients received neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT). The most commonly performed surgery was right hepatectomy (n=12, 52.1%). There were three (13%) cases of perioperative mortality. Four postoperative complications developed in three (13%) patients. Four (17.3%) patients developed chemotherapy-related complications. The median duration of follow-up was 31 (range, 0-58) months. Three (13%) patients developed relapses of the disease. Overall, five-year survival in our series was 73.9%. Conclusion This study shows that the overall outcomes of HB in a resource-limited setting such as ours are good with the adoption of multi-modality treatment. Managing chemotherapy-induced complications and making liver transplantation more feasible will improve the results further.

Clinical profile and outcome of solid pseudopapillary neoplasm of the pancreas: A retrospective study on 28 patients.

BACKGROUND: Solid pseudopapillary neoplasms (SPN) of the pancreas are rare tumors accounting for 0.9-2.7% of all exocrine pancreatic tumors. Very few studies comprising of more than 10 patients have been published. The aim of the present study is to report on our experience with SPNs over a period of 14 years from a tertiary center of Eastern India. METHODOLOGY: Data of all patients whose histopathology reports of surgically resected specimen confirmed SPN were retrospectively reviewed in the present study. RESULTS: Twenty-eight patients had a pathologically confirmed diagnosis of SPN. Twenty-five (89.3%) patients were females with a median age of 26 (15-45) years. Abdominal pain (89.2%) was the most common presenting symptom. Abdominal mass was palpable in 12 (42.8%) patients. The mean size of the tumor was 9.03 cm (range, 4-25 cm). The most common location of the tumor was in the body and tail of pancreas (35.7%). The most commonly performed operation was distal pancreaticosplenectomy (n = 17, 60.7%), followed by Whipple's procedure (n = 8, 28.5%). Thirty postoperative complications developed in 23 (82.1%) patients. The operative mortality was 3.5% (n = 1). The median hospital stay was 10 (5-25) days. Over a median follow-up period of 36 months (range), no patient developed recurrence. CONCLUSION: Although the size of tumor was quite large at the time of initial presentation, complete surgical resection was possible in all the patients. In experienced hand, surgery can be performed with acceptable perioperative mortality and excellent long-term outcomes.

The role of particulate matter in reduced visibility and anionic composition of winter fog: a case study for Amritsar city.

Severe fog events during winter months in India are a serious concern due to the higher incidence of road accidents, flight delays and increased occurrence of respiratory diseases. The present paper is an attempt to study the twenty fog samples collected from the rooftop of an academic building of Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, India from November 2017 to January 2018. Fog samples were analysed for various parameters viz. pH, electrical conductivity (EC), chloride (Cl-), nitrate (NO3 -) and sulphate (SO4 2-) levels. The pH, EC, and Cl-, NO3 - and SO4 2- levels in the fog samples were estimated as 6.3-7.9, 240-790 µS cm-1, 108-2025 µeq L-1, 105-836 µeq L-1 and 822-5642 µeq L-1, respectively. It was noticed that sulphate was the dominant anion in fog samples. The SO4 2- to NO3 - molar ratio in the fog was estimated as 7.6 which suggests the burning of fossil fuel as the major pollutant from vehicular exhausts. Multiple regression analysis was performed to evaluate the effect of PM2.5/PM10 ratio and relative humidity (RH) on visibility. A box-cox plot of power transformation produced better model fitting, employing a square root transformation of the visibility which indicated that the PM2.5/PM10 and RH have an exponential effect on visibility.

Outcome of surgery for chronic pancreatitis related pancreatic ascites and pancreatic pleural effusion.

BACKGROUND: An internal pancreatic fistula involves an abnormality in the way that the pancreas communicates with organs and spaces within the body. This is usually due to a disrupted pancreatic duct or psuedocyst leakage (Ascitic or pleural fluid amylase level >1000 S units/dl and fluid protein level >3 g/dl). The study aims to report our experience with surgery for chronic pancreatitis-related pancreatic ascites and pancreatic pleural effusions. METHODS: All the patients, who underwent surgical intervention for pancreatic ascites and pancreatic pleural effusion between August 2007 and December 2020 in the Department of Surgical gastroenterology, Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Kolkata, India were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: Of the total 14 patients, 10 (71.4%) were men with a median age of 40 (4-49) years. The median interval between onset of symptoms of CP and diagnosis of IPF was 27 (3-60) months. All patients had a history of chronic abdominal pain and 5 (35.7%) had a prior history of hospitalization for pain. Eleven patients (78.5%) presented with abdominal distension and 3 (21.4%) patients had respiratory distress. Six (42.8%) patients had undergone endotherapy before surgery. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography detected pancreatic pseudocyst in 10 (71.42%) patients. The most commonly performed operation was lateral pancreaticojejunostomy (n = 11, 78.5%). Seven postoperative complications developed in 4 (28.5%) patients. After a median follow-up of 60 (6-86) months, no patient developed recurrence of pancreatic ascites or pleural effusion. CONCLUSION: In the experienced hand, surgery can be performed with acceptable perioperative morbidity and mortality and long-term satisfactory outcomes.

Surgical Outcome of Brunner's Gland Hamartoma: A Single-Centre Experience.

Introduction Brunner's gland hamartomas (BGH) are rare benign lesions with an incidence of <0.01%, accounting for 5 to 10% of all benign tumors of the duodenum. It requires expeditious management by a multidisciplinary team. The aim of the study is to report our experience with surgery for BGH. Methodology Data of all patients who underwent surgical intervention for duodenal polypoidal mass between August 2007 and March 2020 were retrieved from our prospectively maintained gastrointestinal (GI) surgery database. All patients whose histopathology report of the resected specimen confirmed BGH ( n = 9) were included in the present study. Other pathological diagnosis like duodenal lipoma ( n = 2), ganglioneuroma ( n = 1), adenoma ( n = 10), and adenocarcinoma ( n = 4) were excluded. Results Nine patients had confirmatory histopathological diagnosis of BGH and met our inclusion criteria. Three (33.3%) of them were men with a median age of 45 (range: 24-61) years. The median interval between onset of symptoms and diagnosis of duodenal polyp was 14 (range: 4-180) days. Five patients (55.5%) presented with upper GI hemorrhage. Three (33.3%) patients presented with abdominal pain, and one (11.1%) patient presented with episodes of bilious vomiting. Diagnostic endoscopy could detect the lesion in all (100%) patients. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography detected duodenal polypoidal lesion in five (55.5%) patients. The mean size of tumor was 4.78 ± 1.36 cm. These lesions were symptomatic in all the patients and warranted intervention. In view of failed endoscopic intervention ( n = 7, 77.7%), or extramural extension of the tumor ( n = 2, 22.2%), surgical intervention was considered. Most commonly performed operation was duodenal polypectomy ( n = 6, 66.6%). Three postoperative complications developed in two (22.2%) patients. There was no surgery-related mortality. After a median follow-up of 60 (12 -78) months, no patient developed GI bleed or intestinal obstruction. Conclusion In this study, the clinical profile of BGH was explored from the surgeon's point of view. Although endoscopic management is the first-line treatment, surgery plays an important role, particularly, if this fails or is not feasible. In experienced hand, surgery can be performed with acceptable perioperative morbidity and mortality and long-term satisfactory outcomes.

Chemical properties of emissions from solid residential fuels used for energy in the rural sector of the southern region of India.

In the present study, we have estimated the emission factors (EFs) of particulate matter (PM), organic and elemental carbon (OC and EC), oxide of sulfur and nitrogen, and water-soluble ionic species emitted from residential fuels (fuelwood, crop residue, dung cake) used in the rural sector of five states (Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu) of the southern region of India. Average EFs of PM, OC, and EC from fuelwood (FW), crop residues (CR), and dung cakes (DC) from southern region of India are estimated as follows: PM: 6.35 ± 5.64 g/kg (FW), 6.99 ± 5.46 g/kg (CR), 9.69 ± 3.73 g/kg (DC); OC: 1.60 ± 1.72 g/kg (FW), 1.50 ± 1.52 g/kg (CR), 3.54 ± 0.75 g/kg (DC); and EC: 0.46 ± 0.53 g/kg (FW), 0.29 ± 0.17 g/kg (CR), 0.21 ± 0.11 g/kg (DC), respectively. Similarly, the average EFs of SO2, NOx from FW, CR, and DC are determined to be as follows: SO2: 0.40 ± 0.37 g/kg (FW), 1.17 ± 0.25 g/kg (CR), and 0.18 ± 0.10 g/kg (DC); NOx: 1.11 ± 1.22 g/kg (FW), 0.69 ± 0.37 g/kg (CR), and 0.91 ± 0.54 g/kg (DC), respectively. PO43- shows the highest EF from FW (646.02 ± 576.35 mg/kg), CR (531.06 ± 678.29 mg/kg) among all anions followed by Cl- (FW: 512.91 ± 700.35 mg/kg, CR: 661.61 ± 865.46 mg/kg and DC: 104.16 ± 54.01 mg/kg); whereas, Na+ shows highest EF from FW (254.05 ± 298.50 mg/kg) and CR (249.36 ± 294.85 mg/kg) among all cations. The total emissions of trace gases, PM, and their chemical composition from FW, CR, and DC have been calculated using laboratory-generated EFs over the southern region of India. CR (1595.58 ± 14.24 Gg) contributes to higher emission of PM as compared to FW (218.78 ± 53.93 Gg), whereas the contribution from DC is negligible.