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Background: The initial stage in the cascade of care for Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infection involves the identification of infected individuals, which enables the initiation of the care sequence. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of HCV infection and estimate its burden. Study design: This retrospective study was conducted in a hospital setting. Materials and Methods: All consecutive samples received by the Microbiology department between February 2019 and December 2022 were subjected to HCV infection testing using ELISA to detect Ag/Ab, and were included in the study. Results: Out of the 82,614 samples tested for HCV infection, 1,580 were found positive, resulting in a seroprevalence rate of 1.9%. More than half of the seropositive individuals fell within the 19-40-year age group. Conclusion: The implementation of widespread HCV infection screening programs in the community, coupled with awareness initiatives on HCV transmission and prevention, is crucial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India aims to reduce pollution from solid residential fuel use and promote clean energy through the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) scheme launched in 2016. The scheme targeted below-poverty-line (BPL) families using traditional stoves by providing free LPG connections. BPL families in urban slums and village dwellers of Delhi are major users of solid residential fuel. This study investigates the overlying reasons by surveying ∼6500 households from ∼700 urban slums and villages and identifying high consumption areas and fuel use patterns. The urban slums and villages of Delhi reported a total usage of 0.415 Mt. residential fuels annually for the year 2019 (72 % fuelwood, 27 % dung cake, 0.002 % crop residue, and 0.001 % coal). An interrelation of household energy consumption patterns, socio-economic demographics, and kitchen characteristics is also presented in the study. The energy-ladder hypothesis was found to be validated in slums while the linearity of the hypothesis was contradicted in rural areas as the use of traditional stoves was driven by food preferences rather than economic constraints. Predictive models were developed to estimate residential fuel usage for space heating and water heating during winters, which are not reported by NSSO annual reports. The study also calculated the gross calorific values of biomass fuels to assess their energy content. This information aids in further understanding biomass combustion efficiency and the importance of transitioning to cleaner energy sources like LPG for sustainable practices. This study estimated an additional annual $10.04 million in Government aid is sufficient to minimize pollutant load emanating from residential fuel combustion by providing free LPG refills to economically weaker households. This action has the potential to reduce residential fuel usage for cooking significantly leading to a decrease in pollution levels across the megacity. • Slums and rural areas of Delhi used 0.415 Mt. solid residential fuels in 2019. • Annual usage of 0.3 Mt. FW, 0.112 Mt. DC, minimal consumption of CR and coal • The energy ladder hypothesis holds in slums but is contradicted in villages. • Two predictive models used for estimating SBFs for space and water heating. • 10 hotspot grids over Delhi accounted 51 % of total solid residential fuel usage. • A simple policy proposed for mitigating solid residential fuels in Delhi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, total suspended particulate matter (TSP) samples were collected at 47 different sites (47 grids of 5 × 5 km2 area) of Delhi during winter (January–February 2019) in campaign mode. To understand the spatial variation of sources, TSP samples were analyzed for chemical compositions including carbonaceous species [organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC), and water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC)], water-soluble total nitrogen (WSTN), water-soluble inorganic nitrogen (WSIN), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (16 PAHs), water-soluble inorganic species (WSIS) (F−, Cl−, SO42−, NO2−, NO3−, PO43−, NH4+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, and K+), and major and minor trace elements (B, Na, Mg, Al, P, S, Cl, K, Ca, Ti, Fe, Zn, Cr, Mn, Cu, As, Pd, F, and Ag). During the campaign, the maximum concentration of several components of TSP (996 μg/m3) was recorded at the Rana Pratap Bagh area, representing a pollution hotspot of Delhi. The maximum concentrations of PAHs were recorded at Udhyog Nagar, a region close to heavily loaded diesel vehicles, small rubber factories, and waste burning areas. Higher content of Cl− and Cl−/Na+ ratio (>1.7) suggests the presence of nonmarine anthropogenic sources of Cl− over Delhi. Minimum concentrations of OC, EC, WSOC, PAHs, and WSIS in TSP were observed at Kalkaji, representing the least polluted area in Delhi. Enrichment factor <5.0 at several locations and a significant correlation of Al with Mg, Fe, Ti, and Ca and C/N ratio indicated the abundance of mineral/crustal dust in TSP over Delhi. Principal component analysis (PCA) was also performed for the source apportionment of TSP, and extracted soil dust was found to be the major contributor to TSP, followed by biomass burning, open waste burning, secondary aerosol, and vehicular emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]