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Objectives: To report the outcomes of pediatric patients who underwent allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) in single rooms without high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters, laminar air flow or positive pressure at our centre and discuss the adaptations of a high-volume government centre. Methods: Data of the first 20 children who underwent allogeneic HSCT between May 2019 and July 2023 in adaptive settings were reviewed retrospectively. All patients were managed in in single rooms without HEPA filters, positive pressure or laminar air flow. Supportive care in the form of antimicrobial prophylaxis, veno-occlusive disease prophylaxis, anti-epileptics (with busulfan) and irradiated blood products were provided. Trained manpower including multi-specialty consultations were readily available. All complications including infections were managed as per standard guidelines. Results: The median (range) of children included was 6 (1–20) years. For eight patients we used alternate donors. The mean (SD) time to neutrophil and platelet engraftment were 17.0 (8.07) days and 18.8 (10.1) days, respectively. The mean (SD) time to discharge from the hospital was 30.9 (10.04) days. There were no deaths within 30 days. Six children each developed acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). The overall survival at a median follow-up of 292 days was 70% (n = 14). Conclusions: With certain adaptations in the existing infrastructure in resource-limited settings, allogeneic HSCT can be performed with good outcomes, provided experienced, dedicated and adequate personnel, comprehensive supportive care, multidisciplinary consultative support and isolation are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This present investigation unveils a novel insight into the dominant airmass flows originating from both continental and maritime sources, shaping the characteristics of the raindrop size distribution (DSD), atmospheric instabilities, and cloud effective radius over Delhi (28.62°N, 77.17°E), the capital city of India. The investigation employs the Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory model to analyze airmass back trajectories corresponding to days featuring rain events within the study area. An observable pattern emerges: days with rainfall driven by continental (maritime) activities experience higher (lower) atmospheric instabilities, which is validated by radiosonde measurements. This enhanced atmospheric instability leads to the prevalence of larger raindrops during continental-influenced rain events, in contrast to days marked by maritime airflow, as estimated from surface-based disdrometer measurements. Furthermore, observations from the INSAT 3D/3DR satellite indicate a tendency towards a smaller cloud effective radius associated with continental airmass inflow, as opposed to maritime inflow. Notably, a category of rain events characterized by ambiguous airmass back trajectories, referred to as mixed types, is identified. These mixed events showcase intermediary variations in the investigated atmospheric parameters, positioning them between the continental and maritime scenarios. The discernible differences in DSD characteristics between rain events influenced by continental and maritime activities yield fluctuations in the radar reflectivity-rain rate (Z-R) power law relations, which bear significance for the application of rain radar remote sensing. Hence, this investigation underscores the critical implication of incorporating airmass source information while characterizing rain features and related atmospheric parameters over a capital metropolis like Delhi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reversible airflow fixed bed dryer (RAFBD) is an energy‐efficient, cost‐effective, and dependable dryer for using renewable energy sources in parboiling mills. In this study, a medium‐sized and high‐moisture parboiled paddy, ASD‐16, was dried in the RAFBD to determine its deep drying characteristics and thermodynamic properties. The chosen paddy variety is a commonly cultivated paddy in the southern region of Tamil Nadu, India. The RAFBD experimental setup was designed to dry 30 kg of parboiled paddy. For the statistical analysis, the experimental data for the deep‐bed drying at hot air temperatures 50–80°C and velocities of 0.1 and 0.15 m/s were used at constant specific humidity. To predict drying characteristics, 12 drying models were compared. Based on their statistical parameters, the Midilli et al. model was selected. For the tested conditions, the coefficients for effective moisture diffusion, heat transfer, and mass transfer were between 9.82 × 10−8 and 2.13 × 10−7 m2/s, 0.3802 and 1.325 W/m2 K, and 0.375 × 10−4 and 1.26 × 10−4 m/s, respectively. Furthermore, the determined activation energy ranged from 20.4964 to 20.4390 kJ/mol. Practical Applications: ASD‐16 is one of the popular paddy varieties cultivated and used in parboiling mills in the study region. The outcome of this research can contribute to the application of a cost‐effective dryer for drying high‐moisture paddy. Furthermore, the drying time and bed height proposed in this work can reduce the drying time in the mills and improve energy efficiency. The drying kinetics and suitability of the models found in this study will contribute to the design and development of low‐cost dryers for the local parboiling industries. As rice husk, which is a waste from paddy processing, is used for the heating process, industries can reduce the cost of energy for closed‐roof drying. This study provides a clear insight to the researchers and designers in standardizing the capacity of the dryer, drying temperature, and airflow rate for any similar kind of paddy variety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High temperature and humidity of many reason of India in the summer season is the major challenge for human comfort also in the drying. In the present work, experiments have been performed to examine the cooling and dehumidification process in the summer season for human comfort and industrial application with the help of calcium chloride (CaCl2) based desiccant material solid desiccant wheel integrated with solar heating arrangements. In this study experimental findings are also evaluated by the mathematical model. During the dehumidification of air in the process unit humidity changes from 17.75 to 29.03 g H2O/kg dry air to 2.8–3.9, 6.8–8.15, 8.92–10.9 & 9.79–11.87 g H2O/kg dry air for flow rate at 1, 2, 3 & 4 m/s, respectively. The process air outlet temperature is increased in the range of 2.58–3.53 K for all air flow rates. After humidification of process outlet air, human comfort condition (HCC) is produced with temperature and humidity in the range of 30–33 °C and 7.77–12.47 g H2O/kg dry air for different air flow rates. Overall airflow for velocity 2–4 m/s can be recommended for the HCC condition. The proposed modelled expression indicates less than 10 % error between the actual and modelled value for different sections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar air heaters are extensively being used to heat air, but has low thermal efficiency because of poor heat transfer between the solar absorber plate and the air in transient through it, and also due to availability of solar radiation only during the day time and an increase in demand during the night. In the present study, the thermal performance of a solar air heater with pin fin absorber plate with pin immersed in paraffin wax as phase change material has been investigated experimentally. The proposed solar air heater has been designed, fabricated and tested under the weather conditions of Dhanbad, Jharkhand, India (latitude 23° 65'N and longitude 86° 47'E). The effects of varying the mass flow rate of air on the performance of the solar air heater have been further analysed. Experimental investigation shows that the average daily efficiency of the proposed solar air heater increases with an increase in the mass flow rate of air. Also, pin fin absorber plate with pin immersed in paraffin wax further enhances its performance with an increase in heat transfer rate from the absorber plate to Phase Change Material (PCM) bed during charging, and also from the PCM to the absorber plate during discharging, resulting an increase in the performance of the solar air heater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A sand-coated solar air collector (SCSAC) is simulated and optimized using an integrated expert technique fuzzy C-Means Takagi–Sugeno–Kang fuzzy logic technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (FCM-TSK-FL-TOPSIS) for climatic conditions of Bangalore rural, Southern part of India. In this study, the FCM method was used to cluster the experimental dataset, and TSK-FL is used to predict the optimal experimental data, while TOPSIS is applied in order to optimize SAC input and output parameters. Different governing characteristics are taken into account as input parameters, such as air mass flow rate, collector tilt angle, solar radiation, and ambient temperature, while thermal efficiency, temperature rise, and pressure drop are output parameters. Initially, the input parameters of a sand-coated SAC are varied in order to conduct experiments. Finally, results are revealed from the integrated method for sand-coated SAC experimental optimal input setting as 0.010 kgs−1 mass flow rate, 933.7 Wm−2 solar radiation, 35.33 °C temperature inlet and corresponding output optimal parameters such as temperature rise is 61.4 °C, energy efficiency 34.48%, and pressure drop of 6.86 Pa. This integrated method is beneficial for researchers who are engaged in the optimization of solar thermal systems and industries applications which involve drying, heating, etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was conducted at College of Agricultural Engineering, Bapatla, Andhra Pradesh, India during the month of January, 2021 to develop photovoltaic power assisted forced circulation solar greenhouse dryer and to evaluate its performance for drying of paddy. A free standing greenhouse structure with arch roof was selected to have high light transmission and low cost of construction. To get adequate and uniform light inside the greenhouse east-west orientation was selected. A frame of solar greenhouse dryer having 4.467 m length, 2.134 m width and 2.591 m height was constructed and was covered with twin wall polycarbonate sheet of 6 mm thickness. Freshly harvested paddy was filled in perforated tray with size 142.5×80×12.5 cm up to 10 cm height the trays were placed in drying chamber consists of three tires and two columns. Forced ventilation was provided with four 40 W DC fans which were powered with two 150 W photovoltaic panels. During drying, the green house and ambient air temperature, relative humidity data was collected at every 1 h interval using data logger, the moisture content of the paddy was determined at every 2 h interval. The paddy was dried till getting 12% (w.b.) final moisture content. The highest greenhouse dryer temperature of 48.1°C was recorded as compared with highest ambient temperature of 34.2°C. Moreover, the air flow rate achieved was varied between 75.52‒34.25 m³m-1. In this dryer the paddy was dried from 25.3‒12.0% (w.b.) moisture content in 21 h whereas open sun drying took 28 h of drying time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Common walls between houses are a major reason for improper ventilation in apartment buildings. They make a compulsion for improper positioning of doors/windows. The shape of the house also affects the airflow distribution patterns inside the house. In this work, the effect of various shapes of the house on the ventilation inside the rooms is investigated with a cross-flow ventilation configuration, where the total floor area of the house is maintained as 1000 square feet. Moreover, work also has been performed to investigate the airflow inside a square-shaped house with different door/window configurations for various inlet airflow directions. Besides that, the impact of inlet airflow velocity on the ventilation process has also been investigated. From the investigation, it has been observed that with an increase in air volume flow rate, the area covered with low-velocity air (< 1 m/s) decreases and the area covered with high-velocity air ( > 2 m/s) increases irrespective of the shape of the house but does not follow any pattern for the comfort condition airflow velocity. The airflow pattern is not changed significantly with increase in inlet airflow velocity, but the airflow velocity regions are changed significantly. For a square shape house, 78% area is covered with a low air velocity region (< 1 m/s) is the highest with N & E door/window configuration. 62% area covered with high air velocity region (> 2 m/s) is the highest with N & S door/window configuration. 26% area covered with comfort flow condition (between 1-2 m/s) is the highest with N & S door/window configuration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: In India smoking is a common habit prevalent in both urban and rural areas irrespective of mode of smoking i.e., cigarettes, bidis, pipes, cigar, hookah etc., Spirometry can be helpful to determine effects of smoking on pulmonary functions. We aimed to study the effect of smoking on the pulmonary function tests. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted on 300 subjects including 150 smokers and 150 non-smokers aged between 25 and 60 years attending a tertiary health care center in northern part of our country. Quantification of tobacco smoking was performed by calculating smoking index. All the study subjects underwent spirometry. Results: All the spirometric variables (FVC, FEV1, PEFR, FEF 25-75%) were lower in smokers as compared to non-smokers and this difference was statistically significant. 76% of the smokers had obstructive, 10.7% had normal, 6.7% had restrictive, and 6.7% had mixed pattern on spirometry. 65.3% of the non-smokers had normal, 28.7% had obstructive and 6% had restrictive pattern on spirometry. Conclusion: Almost all the pulmonary function parameters were significantly reduced in smokers compared to non-smokers and obstructive impairment was common amongst smokers. As early quitting is associated with improved survival, it is important that these asymptomatic smokers are identified early and helped to quit. Primary care physicians being the first point of contact, can play a major role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The social well-being and health of the occupants of low-income housing depends not just on improved infrastructure and security of tenure but also on neighbourhood and apartment design characteristics. This study compares 14 best-practice habitat design models for low-income mass housing in nine Indian states, with Dharavi slum and slum rehabs in Mumbai paying particular attention to the drivers of natural ventilation which impacts the spread of airborne and aerosol-borne diseases and thermal comfort amongst other drivers of occupant health and subjective well-being. Simulations of neighbourhood and indoor airflow reveal the significance of built-environment parameters that should serve as prerequisites for well-being in low-income mass housing in forthcoming slum rehab housing planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As per the objective of the present experimental investigation, influence of various configurations of manifolds for optimum flow distribution in concentric glass tube solar air collector (CGTSAC) has been analyzed for transient conditions. Based on the previous studies it was found that the performance of solar air collector is robustly dependent on the flow distribution and decreases with non-uniform flow distribution. For evaluating four different flow distribution arrangements, the experimental setup of CGTSAC is installed at N.I.T., Kurukshetra (29°58′ (latitude) North and 76°53′ (longitude) East), India, and tested with various configurations of manifolds at different operating conditions. The experimental data have been recorded and found that the maximum exit air temperature is 53.1 and 52.9 °C, and the average values of COPt are 0.2731 and 0.2943 at air mass flow rate of 26.6 and 34.2 kg/h respectively with series flow arrangement. Also, the circular fin is introduced in CGTSAC to enhance the performance of the series flow arrangement by increasing the heat transfer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the effect of ventilation parameters on the 222Rn inhalation dose in an underground uranium mine located in east Singhbhum of Jharkhand, India. This study reveals that the airflow rate variable statistically significantly predicts the 222Rn dose variable in the mine. On the other hand, no significant effect of other ventilation parameters such as barometric pressure, dry-bulb, and wet-bulb temperatures on 222Rn inhalation dose in the stopes was observed due to negligible variations in their values. Therefore, the airflow rate plays a significant role in reducing the effective radiation dose level in mines. In this study, the Equivalent Equilibrium Radon concentration (EER) and total effective radiation dose received by the miners involved in different mining activities in the various locations of the mine were found to be in ranges of 130–420 Bq m−3 and 0–3.17 mSv y−1, respectively. It also reveals that the miners involved in the stope preparation and timbering were exposed to more radiation than other mining activities. Under the existing ventilation conditions, the total effective radiation dose was far below the safe limit of 20 mSv y−1 recommended by the International Commission of Radiological Protection. • Ventilation plays a significant role in reducing the radon dose in the mine. • Radiation dose was determined using a solid-state nuclear track-based dosimeter. • Radiation doses received by the miners were far below the limit value of 20 mSv y−1. • Miners involved in the stope preparation were exposed to more radiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Secondary aerosols constitute a significant fraction of atmospheric aerosols, yet our understanding of their formation mechanism and fate is very limited. In this work, the secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation and aging of ambient air of Delhi are studied using a potential aerosol mass (PAM) reactor, an oxidation flow reactor (OFR), coupled with aerosol chemical speciation monitor (ACSM), proton transfer reaction time of flight mass spectrometer (PTR-ToF-MS), and scanning mobility particle sizer with counter (SMPS + C). The setup mimics atmospheric aging of up to several days with the generation of OH radicals. Variations in primary volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and oxygenated volatile organic compounds (OVOCs) as a function of photochemical age were investigated. Primary VOCs such as benzene, toluene, xylene, trimethyl benzene, etc. decrease and OVOCs like formic acid, formaldehyde, acetone, ethanol, etc. increase substantially upon oxidation in OFR. The highest organic aerosol (OA) enhancement was observed for the 4.2 equivalent photochemical days of aging i.e., 1.84 times the ambient concentration, and net OA loss was observed at very high OH exposure, typically after 8.4 days of photochemical aging due to heterogeneous oxidation followed by fragmentation/evaporation. In ambient air, OA enhancement is highest during nighttime due to the high concentrations of precursor VOCs in the atmosphere. SMPS + C results demonstrated substantial new particle formation upon aging and decrement in preexisting aerosol mass. This is the first experimental study conducting an in-situ evaluation of potential SOA mass generated from the ambient aerosols in India. [Display omitted] • The OA concentration first increases and then decreases at high OH exposure. • Concentration of Primary VOCs decreases and OVOCs increases upon aging. • Elevated O:C ratios highlights the formation of more oxidized compounds during aging. • Aging increases the new particle formation and decreased the mass of pre-existing aerosols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In warm and hot climates, ceiling fans and/or air conditioners (ACs) are used to maintain thermal comfort. Ceiling fans provide air movement near the skin, which enhances the evaporation of sweat, reduces heat stress, and enhances thermal comfort. This is also called the cooling effect. However, AC usage behaviour and the effects of elevated air speed through the use of ceiling fans on indoor operative temperature during AC usage are not widely studied. This study investigated the optimum AC (cooling) set point temperature and air velocity necessary for maintaining thermal comfort while achieving energy conservation, in mixed-mode buildings in India, through field studies by using used custom-built Internet of Things (IOT) devices. In the current study, the results indicate a 79% probability that comfort conditions can be maintained by achieving a temperature drop of 3K. If this drop can be achieved, as much as possible, through passive measures, the duration of AC operation and its energy consumption are reduced, at least by 67.5 and 58.4%, respectively. During the air-conditioned period, there is a possibility that the cooing effect is reduced because of increase in operative temperature due to ceiling fan operation. Therefore, the optimum solution is to maintain the highest AC set point and minimum fan speed setting that are acceptable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coal mining plays a significant role in the economy of India. The health and safety of miners working in underground mines is a serious concern. One of the risk factors is with regard to the ventilation systems. Computational fluid dynamics is one of the major tools used to study the air-flow distribution. It helps in understanding the blind galleries which may need adequate ventilation. It also helps suppress the spontaneous heating of poorly ventilated workings and in generating heat-stress plots inside the galleries to ensure the safety of mineworkers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Midline diastema in children is a prevalent developmental entity, and this pathological condition may remain in many children due to various factors. Nonetheless, the evidence on etiological factors of the midline diastema in children is minimal. Purpose: To evaluate the etiological factors of midline diastema causes in children below 12 years of age from the published data. Methods: A literature search was confined to the English language using MeSH terms conferring to PICO format in PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Ovidsp covering the period from January 1960 to December 2019. Search in Google Scholar, grey literature, and hand search on references were performed to find additional data. Suitable studies were selected based on the predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Quality analysis of the chosen studies conducted using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) adapted for cross-sectional studies. Results: Only eight studies were available for final analysis among those four studies from India, two studies from Korea, one study from Brazil, and another study from Canada. The most common etiology for midline diastema was supernumerary teeth followed by morphology labial frenum and nasal airflow condensation. The quality analysis of these studies based on NOS showed one study with unsatisfactory, four studies with satisfactory, and three with good quality. Conclusion: Morphology of frenum, pre-maxillary supernumerary teeth, and nasal airflow condensation seem to be the most common causes of midline diastema in children below 12 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To compare the five-year incidence of acute post-operative endophthalmitis following cataract surgery, between centers with and without laminar air flow and high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters in operating rooms.Methods: Retrospective analysis of medical records of patients operated in a single network of a tertiary and four secondary hospitals across north India. Cases of endophthalmitis were identified from the records between January 2013 and June 2018. Protocols and consumables were standardized across all hospitals. The only infrastructural difference being the presence of laminar air flow and high energy particulate air filters in operating rooms of the tertiary center. The type of surgery, along with the demographic and socio-economic details, were captured and analyzed, using z-test for proportions and logistic regression.Results: Out of 88,297 cataract surgeries conducted, 36 cases of endophthalmitis were reported. The incidence of endophthalmitis across the network was estimated to be 0.041%, (95% CI: 0.027 to 0.054). There was no statistically significant difference between the incidence of POE at the tertiary (0.042%) and secondary centers (0.039%). Certain risk factors for high endophthalmitis incidence were identified, namely patients undergoing small incision cataract surgery and belonging to lower socio-economic status. However, for both factors the difference was not statistically significant.Conclusion: The five-year incidence of acute post-operative endophthalmitis in our network was found comparable to the best reported in literature. Incidence at secondary centers, without laminar air flow and high energy particulate air filters was found comparable to that in the tertiary center having these facilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the Life-cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA) and Energy Payback Time (EPBT) of Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) thermal systems with reference to Indian weather conditions. The insolation and optimum tilt angle values are based on modified HDKR ( Hay , Davies , Klucher , Reindl ) model which accounts for hourly insolation considering shadow effect. Electrical and thermal performance of semi-transparent BIPV thermal system is evaluated for different mass flow rate of air through the duct with series combinations. EPBT and LCC of BIPV thermal systems are evaluated for three different orientations of PV modules i.e., optimum tilt angle, horizontal and vertical orientations by considering adverse effect of shadow. The cost of energy produced by the system ranges between 1.61 and 3.61 US$/kW h depending on the climatic conditions of the place and the EPBT of the system is found to be ranging between 7.30 years and 16.9 years which is lower than the expected service life (30 years) of the modules. Both LCCA and EPBT are increased because of shadow effect but these values are decreased due to air flow through the duct which is provided below the PV module. Thus, the BIPV thermal system is viable both financially and environmentally and this may be used as a major renewable energy source. A contour map of EPBT and LCA is presented for all state capital of India for BIPV thermal system oriented with optimum tilt angle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates how fan-induced non-uniform air movement affects thermal comfort conditions and productivity at different seats in different parts of a lecture hall. A four-month-long field study was conducted, involving 11 naturally ventilated lecture halls, 828 samples from the students, monitoring thermal environments, and measuring air movement at every seat. Thermal comfort conditions and productivity at every seat were obtained through questionnaire survey. During the study, outdoor temperature varied between 24.7 °C and 36.7 °C. From ANCOVA and cluster analysis, it was found that students seated farther from the fan experience less air velocity, resulting in a significant difference in comfort conditions and productivity. The thermal sensation of the students was found to be comparatively less in Zone-1 (Mean = 0.2, SE = 0.06) than Zone-2 (Mean = 0.53, SE = 0.05). In the zone near the fan, 8.1% of students voted hot sensation at 33°C–34 °C, whereas in the zone far from the fan, this number increased to 35.9%. The slope of the regression line plotted between thermal sensation and indoor operative temperature was found to be 0.368/°C. Regression analysis revealed that thermal comfort could be achieved up to 33.8 °C with an air velocity of 1.2 m/s. The acceptable temperature limit for 80% of students was between 23.4 °C and 29.7 °C. A narrower comfort band was observed compared to ASHRAE-55 and the Indian standard, indicating limited adaptive opportunities in lecture halls. An adaptive comfort model is proposed that includes the effect of air velocity. • Influence of non-uniform fan air flow on comfort in lecture halls was investigated. • Significant variations found in thermal comfort and productivity in different zones. • An indoor operative temperature of 29.7 °C was found as neutral temperature. • At 0.3 and 1.2 m/s air speed, comfort achieved till 31.8 and 33.8 °C respectively. • Adaptive model is proposed for lecture halls which includes effect of air speed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The major rains and floods over southeast India (during October through to December 2015) are addressed in the context of atmospheric scale interactions in the frequency domain. Some of the salient observational features of this period include: (i) the major El Niño of 2015, (ii) the stretch of lower tropospheric easterlies from the region of the warm sea-surface temperature anomalies westwards to the east coast of India, (iii) presence of shear flow instability, in the presence of convection, along a long stretch of the easterly wind belt from the eastern Pacific Ocean to the eastern Bay of Bengal, (iv) large conversions of horizontal shear vorticity to curvature vorticity along this stretch of easterly trades, where these rain-producing storms were forming, (v) an active IntraSeasonal Oscillation ( ISO) time-scale oscillation in the wind field that alternated between cyclonic and anticyclonic phases over southeast India during this period of heavy rains, and (vi) an active quasi-biweekly oscillation that provides alternating onshore and offshore winds during this same period. The ISO and the quasi-biweekly components contribute to the enhancement of the moisture supply from the Bay of Bengal during the extreme rain events. The synoptic scale receives its energy largely from organized convection within these disturbances on horizontal scales of the order of 2500 km. Other aspects such as the role of the sea-surface temperatures of the Bay of Bengal and the role of Gill's antisymmetric heat source of the El Niño are also examined in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Columnar aerosol properties retrieved from MICROTOPS II Sun Photometer measurements during 2010–2013 over Pune (18°32′N; 73°49′E, 559 m amsl), a tropical urban station in India, are analyzed to identify aerosol types in the atmospheric column. Identification/classification is carried out on the basis of dominant airflow patterns, and the method of discrimination of aerosol types on the basis of relation between aerosol optical depth (AOD 500 nm ) and Ångström exponent (AE, α). Five potential advection pathways viz., NW/N, SW/S, N, SE/E and L have been identified over the observing site by employing the NOAA-HYSPLIT air mass back trajectory analysis. Based on AE against AOD 500 nm scatter plot and advection pathways followed five major aerosol types viz., continental average (CA), marine continental average (MCA), urban/industrial and biomass burning (UB), desert dust (DD) and indeterminate or mixed type (MT) have been identified. In winter, sector SE/E, a representative of air masses traversed over Bay of Bengal and Eastern continental Indian region has relatively small AOD (τ pλ = 0.43 ± 0.13) and high AE (α = 1.19 ± 0.15). These values imply the presence of accumulation/sub-micron size anthropogenic aerosols. During pre-monsoon, aerosols from the NW/N sector have high AOD (τ pλ = 0.61 ± 0.21), and low AE (α = 0.54 ± 0.14) indicating an increase in the loading of coarse-mode particles over Pune. Dominance of UB type in winter season for all the years (i.e. 2010–2013) may be attributed to both local/transported aerosols. During pre-monsoon seasons, MT is the dominant aerosol type followed by UB and DD, while the background aerosols are insignificant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India is striving hard to meet its energy and mineral needs for maintaining desired pace of development. This has led to pressure on boosting the production from mines. Unfortunately this growth was lopsided as almost all the growth in production was from opencast mines which was mainly due to obvious reason of availability of easy and shallow deposits. This may result in a sharp fa ll in production after the shallow deposits are exhausted. It is therefore desirable to increase the share of underground production by improving its financial viability so that the share of underground mines increases and a sustained production can be ensured. Providing fresh air to a working place at deep and remote place is a cost intensive process accounting for as much as 50% total energy consumption o f the mine. This paper presents a case for introduction of ventilation on demand (VOD) in Indian mines for improving the energy efficiency o f ventilation system of underground mines. The paper describes its essential component of VOD system, continuous airflow measuring system and its suitability for Indian mines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Increased airflow resistance, hyperinflation, air trapping are the main pathophysiologic features of COPD. A more rigorous of the normal variation in diaphragm position and shape, based on easily recognised anatomic landmarks, and analysis of factors that might contribute to this variation, such as age and weight, may provide a more reliable basis for this assessment. Purpose of the study: To find out the variation in diaphragm position and shape (costo - phernic angle) in COPD patients. Method: 30 COPD subjects were selected randomly from Dhiraj general hospital, Vadodara, Gujarat with 30 counterpart normal subjects with same age group and both sex. Their PA chest radiographs had been taken for the measurement of costo - phernic angle and it was measured. Costo - phernic angle of COPD subjects was compared with normal subjects. Results: p values were get through analysis of data by using independent sample 't'test with spss version 11.0. the values were p<0.000 for right side and p<0.258 for left side when costo - phernic angle of COPD was compared with normal subjects. Conclusion: There were variation in position and shape of diaphragm in COPD subjects to normal subjects by means of high level significance in same age group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For better use of evaporative cooling techniques in humid climate, a desiccant cooling system (DCS) can be an alternative option in place of a conventional cooling system. This paper presents a theoretical comparative study of the performance of a DCS for four different climatic conditions of India (i.e. hot and dry, warm and humid, moderate and composite climates). From the analysis, it was found that the performance of a DCS is suitable in warm and humid climate. The thermodynamic equations of intermediate states of the desiccant cooling cycle are also presented. Effects of some parameters such as outdoor specific humidity, R/P ratio (regeneration air flow/process air flow) and power required to regenerate the desiccant wheel have been studied. The theoretical minimum R/P ratio has been computed for the maximum coefficient of performance (COP) of a DCS and its value was found to be 0.55 in Mumbai (warm and humid climate) for the 80% effectiveness of ECW. This paper also presents the relationship between COP and regeneration power with the different values of R/P ratios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The low-volatile medium coking coal fines from the eastern part of the Indian coalfield was used for this study. The proximate analysis of the composite sample designates that the fines contain about 25% ash, 21.4% volatile matter, and 52.4% fixed carbon. The ash in the size fraction of −0.5 + 0.15 mm is lower (21.9%) than the −0.15 mm fraction (29.7%). The flotation characteristic of the composite coal reveals that recoverable combustible at 15% ash is 27% and 43% at the 17% ash level. The low yield of the concentrate is due to the presence of fines comprising high ash. To enhance the yield, the −0.5 + 0.15 mm and −0.15 mm fractions were subjected to flotation separately. The effects of reagent dosage and aeration rate were studied with a composite and the −0.5 + 0.15 mm fraction to produce low-ash clean coal. Release analysis carried out with −0.5 + 0.15 mm coal improves the recovery of combustibles to 42% at 15% ash%. The spilt flotation of −0.5 + 0.15 mm feed at the lower frother dosage and lower aeration favors generating the clean coal with low ash. The −0.15 mm fraction was floated with collector using sodium silicate as a depressant. The products having different ash levels could be used in specific purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Thermal comfort studies on traditional residential buildings of Kerala that is known for its use of natural and passive methods for a comfortable indoor environment, are under progress. Scientific analyses of the environmental parameters determining thermal comfort have already been reported. Similar studies on modern residential buildings are underway. In order to compare the results of the scientific analysis with the user responses from the residents of traditional as well as modern residential buildings, a questionnaire survey was conducted during various seasons such as winter, summer and monsoon. A questionnaire was prepared in detail to understand the effect of factors which affect thermal comfort such as temperature, humidity and air flow in the evaluation of thermal comfort. This paper is based on the compilation of responses from the conducted survey. A comparison of the study results with that of scientific analysis already reported is also incorporated at the end of this paper. This study further confirms that Kerala traditional residential buildings are very effective in providing comfortable indoor environment irrespective of various seasons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A rule of thumb for indirect evaporative cooler has been derived in terms of the size of floor area to be cooled and design parameters of tube type IEC, viz. process stream air flow rate and number of tubes; the three Indian climate zones, namely hot–dry, composite and warm–humid, represented by three cities of Jodhpur, Delhi and Madras, respectively, have been considered. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigates the airflow over the Kashmir Valley for a summer day using a numerical mesoscale model. Factors which influence the development of atmospheric circulation; Observations which can be used to predict local weather conditions; Features of the numerical model employed in experiments.

Recently, some high-skilled workers tend to escape from areas with severe air pollution. The phenomenon is more prominent in two emerging economies, China and India, and they are facing the brain drain caused by air pollution. This paper establishes a partial equilibrium model about the relationship of air pollution and the flow of technological innovative professionals (TIP), and for the first time, examines the effect of air pollution on the accumulation of technological innovative human capital based on cross-country data from China and India. We find that air pollution will reduce the stock of TIP in some regions. The estimation results show that a 1% increase in the PM 2.5 concentration of China's cities leads to an approximate 146 people decrease in the stock of TIP, while a 1% increase in the PM 10 concentration of Indian states leads to a 0.127% decrease in the stock of TIP. Further analysis of regional differences indicates that air pollution has a significant negative effect on the stock of TIP in economically developed areas of China, but has little effect on that in underdeveloped areas of China. Moreover, the results of robustness tests prove the stability of the findings in this study. This paper concludes with suggestions on how the country, local governments, enterprises, and research institutions could better deal with air pollution, attract and retain TIP, and effectively reduce brain drain. • Air pollution negatively affects the accumulation of innovative human capital. • Air pollution will reduce the stock of technological innovative professionals (TIP). • A 1% increase in PM 2.5 in China's cities decreases the stock of TIP by 146 people. • A 1% increase in PM 10 in Indian states reduces the stock of TIP by 0.127%. • TIP in economically developed areas are more sensitive to air pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The measurements of a monoterpene (α -pinene) were performed by the PTR-TOF-MS instrument at an urban site of India from mid-January to March 2014. The daytime concentration increased from 0.15 ppb in the second-half of January to 0.40 ppb in the second-half of March. Both the nighttime and daytime ratios of α -pinene/benzene in the second-half of March were 2–3 times higher their respective values from mid-January to first-half of February. The ratios of α -pinene/benzene increased from ∼0.27 ppb ppb−1 at lower temperatures to ∼0.51 ppb ppb−1 at higher temperatures indicating the increase of biogenic emissions in March. The concentration of α -pinene exhibited exponential decline with wind speed, but the rate of decrease in February was about twice that for March. The nighttime ratios of α -pinene/isoprene were greater than those measured in the daytime, suggesting temperature-dependent biogenic emissions of α -pinene. From mid-January to March, the increase of ∼53% in the biogenic contributions of α -pinene were associated with the change in meteorological conditions. Our analysis suggests that the combined effect of the northwest wind flow and higher air temperatures in March favored the emissions of BVOCs from local vegetation. The exceptionally high concentrations of α -pinene up to 6 ppb were measured during the Holi bonfire festival. This is the first study reporting the change in α -pinene during winter-summer transition over India. In the urban regions of developing countries, high emissions of BVOCs from vegetation and of NOx from anthropogenic sources can act as a source of ozone. Diurnal pattern of α -pinene/benzene ratio indicating dependence of biogenic emissions to solar radiation flux and atmospheric temperature during the transition from winter to summer conditions at a semi-arid urban site of India. Image 1 • High mass- and time-resolved measurements of α -pinene using a sensitive PTR-TOF-MS. • Strong dependence of α -pinene concentration on wind parameters and temperature. • Large increase in biogenic emission associated with transition from winter to summer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Southern India numbers among the most promising regions on the subcontinent. During recent years, an efficient textile industry has developed in Tirupur, which is also home to the production facilities of Exim Knits Private Ltd., Mumbai. This vertically structured company has developed into an important exporter of quality textiles and has a spotless dyehouse, fully equipped with modern Then-Airflow machines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]