Numerical simulation of a rare winter hailstorm event over Delhi, India on 17 January 2013

This study analyzes the cause of the rare occurrence of a winter hailstorm over New Delhi/NCR (National Capital Region), India. The absence of increased surface temperature or low level of moisture incursion during winter cannot generate the deep convection required for sustaining a hailstorm. Consequently, NCR shows very few cases of hailstorms in the months of December-January-February, making the winter hail formation a question of interest. For this study, a recent winter hailstorm event on 17 January 2013 (16:00–18:00 UTC) occurring over NCR is investigated. The storm is simulated using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model with the Goddard Cumulus Ensemble (GCE) microphysics scheme with two different options: hail and graupel. The aim of the study is to understand and describe the cause of hailstorm event during over NCR with a comparative analysis of the two options of GCE microphysics. Upon evaluating the model simulations, it is observed that the hail option shows a more similar precipitation intensity with the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) observation than the graupel option does, and it is able to simulate hail precipitation. Using the model-simulated output with the hail option; detailed investigation on understanding the dynamics of hailstorm is performed. The analysis based on a numerical simulation suggests that the deep instability in the atmospheric column led to the formation of hailstones as the cloud formation reached up to the glaciated zone promoting ice nucleation. In winters, such instability conditions rarely form due to low level available potential energy and moisture incursion along with upper level baroclinic instability due to the presence of a western disturbance (WD). Such rare positioning is found to be lowering the tropopause with increased temperature gradient, leading to winter hailstorm formation

Studies on genetic variability and relationship of bael (Aegle marmelos (L) Correa) using morphological and molecular markers

Bael (Aegle marmelos (L) Correa) is an important underutilized fruit crop of India. A total of 25 bael trees were selected from 356 bael trees of Sakharayapattana in Chikkamagalur district, Karnataka, India based on the fruit morphological traits (fruit weight, pulp weight, skull thickness, seed weight per fruit, No. of seeds per fruit, No. of locules per fruit, No. of seeds per locule, pulp wt. : seed wt.). These 25 trees were evaluated for phenotypic and genotypic variations using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and inter-simple sequence repeats (ISSR) markers. RAPD and ISSR markers showed significant polymorphism among the trees. Jaccard’s genetic similarity value of RAPD and ISSR was found in the range of 0.00–0.95 and 0.06–0.56, respectively suggesting a moderate level of genetic diversity. The present study revealed that molecular markers can be successfully utilized for determining genetic diversity and relationship of bael trees for further varietal improvement

A global clean cooking fuel initiative

This article calls for engaging the public and private sectors of developing and industrialized countries in a global clean cooking fuel initiative (GCCFI) to bring about a worldwide shift to clean fluid fuels for cooking and heating in 10-15 years' time - with an emphasis on providing clean fuel to the poorest households. This initiative is crucial to implementation of the Millennium Development Goals and the Plan of Implementation of the World Summit on Sustainable Development. The article builds on (1) analyses in this special issue of Energy for Sustainable Development of challenges to sustainable development posed by use of solid fuels for cooking and water heating (and for space heating in temperate climates) and opportunities for addressing them by bringing about a shift to clean fluid fuels, and (2) an extensive and compelling literature on the problems posed by this reliance on solid fuels

Energy efficiency from the perspective of developing countries

Energy efficiency improvements are particularly important for developing countries. In most developing countries, the costs of reducing energy use by one kWh with more efficient technology are invariably much lower than the costs of increasing energy supply by one kWh through investments in new energy supply equipment. In fact, if the unit cost of energy supply increases is taken as the reference for comparison, then the relative costs of energy-efficient technologies can turn out to be negative. Thus, capital can be saved by investing in energy efficiency compared to investing in energy supply. Energy needs in the South are different from those of the North because of differences in climate (e.g., space heating is not required in most of the South) and because satisfaction of basic human needs and infrastructure building must be given paramount attention in the South. Consequently, the innovations necessary are also different. For example, innovations in the processing of basic materials (e.g., steel, cement, glass, etc.) are needed in developing countries because these materials are needed for infrastructure-building. Yet innovations in the basic materials-processing industries will come only slowly from the industrialized countries because the infrastructure-building era is largely over there and the demand for basic materials is largely saturated. Because such industries are energy-intensive, innovations would result in less energy-intensive, less costly and cleaner technologies with beneficial implications for energy futures in developing countries. Such opportunities for technological leapfrogging should be identified and utilized. The technical and economic potential for energy saving is 20–50% in the case of efficiency improvements in existing installations and 50–90% in the case of new installations. The potential for further efficiency improvements through continued research and development is large because fundamental physical constraints on efficiency are remote. The pursuit of energy efficiency improvement should be carried out in parallel with improvements in institutions, entrepreneurship management and human resource development. A key policy is to bring more energy-efficient technologies to the market, and to focus market attention on energy efficiency performance. Several successful approaches have been tried. The incentive structures in the markets are fundamental, as illustrated by integrated resource planning and utility demand side management that took off in the US only after the regulations of the power industry were changed to make it possible for utilities to earn profits on demand side energy efficiency investments. There is a need for an integrated view of the concept and role of energy efficiency revealing its structure and interconnections. Energy efficiency should be an integral characteristic of any product or activity. Emphasis on energy efficiency would liberate resources that can then be used for socio-economic development

The impact of ADHD on the health and well-being of ADHD children and their siblings

Childhood attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been associated with reduced health and well-being of patients and their families. The authors undertook a large UK survey-based observational study of the burden associated with childhood ADHD. The impact of ADHD on both the patient (N = 476) and their siblings (N = 337) on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and happiness was quantified using multiple standard measures [e.g. child health utility-9D (CHU-9D), EuroQol-5D-Youth]. In the analysis, careful statistical adjustments were made to ensure a like-for-like comparison of ADHD families with two different control groups. We controlled for carers' ADHD symptoms, their employment and relationship status and siblings' ADHD symptoms. ADHD was associated with a significant deficit in the patient's HRQoL (with a CHU-9D score of around 6 % lower). Children with ADHD also have less sleep and were less happy with their family and their lives overall. No consistent decrement to the HRQoL of the siblings was identified across the models, except that related to their own conduct problems. The siblings do, however, report lower happiness with life overall and with their family, even when controlling for the siblings own ADHD symptoms. We also find evidence of elevated bullying between siblings in families with a child with ADHD. Overall, the current results suggest that the reduction in quality of life caused by ADHD is experienced both by the child with ADHD and their siblings

Exploring the importance of millets in reference to NEH region in India: A key to food and nutritional security

Millets is a collective term used for several small-seeded grasses such as sorghum, pearl millet, finger millet, foxtail millet and little millet. Millets play a crucial role in Indian subcontinent as they provided food security, nutrition, cultural significance, livelihoods and environmental sustainability. India holds global leadership in promoting the benefits of millets. The success of the International Year of Millets depended on the active participation of role of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and Farmer-Producer Organizations (FPOs). Millets have gained attention in recent years not only in India but also in other countries owing to their incredible nutritional composition and potential health-promoting properties. This review highlights status of millets, their importance, effects on health, nutritional value and their distribution in India, particularly in the Northeastern Himalayan (NEH) region. The review also discusses the association of millets with culture, culinary diversity and therapeutic versatility with scope for entrepreneurship via value addition. Additionally, the article also provided information on policies for millet improvement, expansion of area for cultivation, development of improved varieties and conservation of local landraces. Moreover, it emphasized the need for accelerating millet-based enterprises through SHGs and FPOs, linking them to markets etc. In conclusion, the review highlights the status of millet in the NEH region and need for efforts to increase their production

Indian summer monsoon onset forecast skill in the UK Met Office initialized coupled seasonal forecasting system (GloSea5-GC2)

Accurate and precise forecasting of the Indian monsoon is important for the socio-economic security of India, with improvements in agriculture and associated sectors from prediction of the monsoon onset. In this study we establish the skill of the UK Met Office coupled initialized global seasonal forecasting system, GloSea5-GC2, in forecasting Indian monsoon onset. We build on previous work that has demonstrated the good skill of GloSea5 at forecasting interannual variations of the seasonal mean Indian monsoon using measures of large-scale circulation and local precipitation. We analyze the summer hindcasts from a set of three springtime start-dates in late April/early May for the 20-year hindcast period (1992-2011). The hindcast set features at least fifteen ensemble members for each year and is analyzed using five different objective monsoon indices. These indices are designed to examine large and local-scale measures of the monsoon circulation, hydrological changes, tropospheric temperature gradient, or rainfall for single value (area-averaged) or grid-point measures of the Indian monsoon onset. There is significant correlation between onset dates in the model and those found in reanalysis. Indices based on large-scale dynamic and thermodynamic indices are better at estimating monsoon onset in the model rather than local-scale dynamical and hydrological indices. This can be attributed to the model's better representation of large-scale dynamics compared to local-scale features. GloSea5 may not be able to predict the exact date of monsoon onset over India, but this study shows that the model has a good ability at predicting category-wise monsoon onset, using early, normal or late tercile categories. Using a grid-point local rainfall onset index, we note that the forecast skill is highest over parts of central India, the Gangetic plains, and parts of coastal India - all zones of extensive agriculture in India. El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) forcing in the model improves the forecast skill of monsoon onset when using a large-scale circulation index, with late monsoon onset coinciding with El Niño conditions and early monsoon onset more common in La Niña years. The results of this study suggest that GloSea5's ensemble-mean forecast may be used for reliable Indian monsoon onset prediction a month in advance despite systematic model errors

Therapeutic impact of cytoreductive surgery and irradiation of posterior fossa ependymoma in the molecular era: a retrospective multicohort analysis

PURPOSE: Posterior fossa ependymoma comprises two distinct molecular variants termed EPN_PFA and EPN_PFB that have a distinct biology and natural history. The therapeutic value of cytoreductive surgery and radiation therapy for posterior fossa ependymoma after accounting for molecular subgroup is not known. METHODS: Four independent nonoverlapping retrospective cohorts of posterior fossa ependymomas (n = 820) were profiled using genome-wide methylation arrays. Risk stratification models were designed based on known clinical and newly described molecular biomarkers identified by multivariable Cox proportional hazards analyses. RESULTS: Molecular subgroup is a powerful independent predictor of outcome even when accounting for age or treatment regimen. Incompletely resected EPN_PFA ependymomas have a dismal prognosis, with a 5-year progression-free survival ranging from 26.1% to 56.8% across all four cohorts. Although first-line (adjuvant) radiation is clearly beneficial for completely resected EPN_PFA, a substantial proportion of patients with EPN_PFB can be cured with surgery alone, and patients with relapsed EPN_PFB can often be treated successfully with delayed external-beam irradiation. CONCLUSION: The most impactful biomarker for posterior fossa ependymoma is molecular subgroup affiliation, independent of other demographic or treatment variables. However, both EPN_PFA and EPN_PFB still benefit from increased extent of resection, with the survival rates being particularly poor for subtotally resected EPN_PFA, even with adjuvant radiation therapy. Patients with EPN_PFB who undergo gross total resection are at lower risk for relapse and should be considered for inclusion in a randomized clinical trial of observation alone with radiation reserved for those who experience recurrence

Coupled Effect of Granite Sand and Calcium Lignosulphonate on the Strength Behavior of Cohesive Soil

This paper assesses the significance of stabilizing clay soil with calcium lignosulphonate (CLS) and granite sand (GS). Unconfined compressive strength ( (Formula presented.) ) and hydraulic conductivity (K) are taken as performance indicators and the effect of varying dosages of GS (30%, 40%, and 50%) and CLS (0.5%, 1%, 1.5%, and 2%) at different curing periods on (Formula presented.) and K are examined. The best fit regression equations have been proposed to relate (Formula presented.) and K of untreated clay soil and stabilized clay using GS and CLS. The proposed nonlinear regression equations provide details of experimental data and aid in estimating (Formula presented.) and K very efficiently and reliably for targeted geotechnical applications from a sustainable perspective. © 2022 by the authors