Prashant Kumar

Bio: Prashant Kumar is an academic researcher from University of Surrey. The author has contributed to research in topics: Air quality index & Medicine. The author has an hindex of 54, co-authored 363 publications receiving 11561 citations. Previous affiliations of Prashant Kumar include Southeast University & Dr. B. R. Ambedkar National Institute of Technology Jalandhar.

Measurement of changes in glacier extent in the Rimo glacier, a sub-range of the Karakoram Range, determined from Landsat imagery

Abstract: Accurate estimation of the spatiotemporal surface dynamics is very important for natural resource planning. This paper discusses a novel approach for the study of the surface patterns of a particular glacier Rimo located at 35?21'21?N77?22'05?E, about 20km northeast of the snout of Siachen. Change detection in multiple images of the same location taken at different time intervals are of widely circulated use due to a large number of applications in various disciplines such as climate change, remote sensing and so on. The proposed technique uses image processing to derive regression models of selected glacier segments, these models are then used to measure area under the curve to estimate the surface area changes of the glacier. The surface area changes thus obtained have also been validated by standard method of pixel counting. With the rise in the global warming, the net change in the surface area of the concerned glacier is estimated using statistical analysis from 1998 to 2011. The results obtained show a fair degree of accuracy as compared to the standard method of pixel counting. We also discuss important pre-processing methods used in extracting the final concerned region of interest from a large satellite imagery of fairly average resolution.

Evaluating Nature-Based Solution for Flood Reduction in Spercheios River Basin under Current and Future Climate Conditions

Abstract: Nature-based solutions (NBS) are being deployed around the world in order to address hydrometeorological hazards, including flooding, droughts, landslides and many others. The term refers to techniques inspired, supported and copied from nature, avoiding large constructions and other harmful interventions. In this work the development and evaluation of an NBS applied to the Spercheios river basin in Central Greece is presented. The river is susceptible to heavy rainfall and bank overflow, therefore the intervention selected is a natural water retention measure that aims to moderate the impact of flooding and drought in the area. After the deployment of the NBS, we examine the benefits under current and future climate conditions, using various climate change scenarios. Even though the NBS deployed is small compared to the rest of the river, its presence leads to a decrease in the maximum depth of flooding, maximum velocity and smaller flooded areas. Regarding the subsurface/groundwater storage under current and future climate change and weather conditions, the NBS construction seems to favor long-term groundwater recharge.

Air quality and fossil fuel driven transportation in the Metropolitan Area of São Paulo

Abstract: In this paper, we use origin and destination mobility surveys and high-resolution assignment and emission models to study air quality and short-lived climate pollutant impacts related to on-road transportation in the Metropolitan Area of Sao Paulo (MASP). To begin with, we calculate transport carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from fossil fuel-driven vehicles (light and heavy-duty) at spatial and temporal resolutions of 500 m and one hour, by means of traffic demand forecasting. These estimates, carry out for 2007 and 2012, are based on passenger and freight trips and the height of the atmospheric boundary layer, among other variables. These proxies depend also on ancillary parameters as particulate matter concentrations and dilution rates. In the second place, we evaluate the changes in CO2 emissions from the MASP (3%/year). Transport emission inventories combine mobility surveys and road network assignments with air quality data. In spite of using different methodologies, bottom-up road link assignments versus top-down vehicle activity-based and fuel consumption approaches, the estimated CO2 emissions are consistent with the Official Sao Paulo State's Inventory. This work found that the CO2 emissions in MASP were 10,044 and 11,503 t Ceq./day in 2007 and 2012 (73% light and 27% heavy vehicles), respectively. On-road emission patterns agree with the spatial-temporal variation of transportation journeys and corresponding passenger and freight network assignments. Temporal patterns, diurnal, weekly and monthly, were determined using traffic counts and congestion surrogates. The patterns were also crosschecked with average CO2 measurements, available for 2014 at the road (western area of MASP) and background sites (Jaragua Peak). Kerbside road measurements showed two prominent peaks associated to the morning (437 ± 45 ppm) and night rush hours (435 ± 49 ppm), coupled to low values of boundary layer height (313 m) and dilution rate (329 m2/h). Background values (414 ± 2 ppm) were subtracted from on-road measurements to estimate excess CO2 (12 ± 8 ppm) directly attributed to vehicles. The inventory reflects the relationships between traffic patterns and emissions, and the developed methodology could be used to evaluate the impacts of forthcoming urban transport and emission control policies. In the future, our estimates will be verified with ground measurements of CO2 concentrations over a bigger monitoring network in the MASP.

Morphological Pattern of Cutaneous Adverse Drug Reactions due to Antiepileptic Drugs in Eastern India.

Abstract: Introduction: Cutaneous manifestations of adverse drug reactions are a common occurrence and need to be differentiated from other causes of similar manifestations. Antiepileptic drugs (AED) usually are responsible for severe cutaneous adverse drug reactions (CADR) like Stevens-Johnson Syndrome/Toxic epidermal necrolysis (SJS/TEN) and drug rash with eosinophillia and systemic symptoms (DRESS). There is paucity of published research regarding morphological pattern of CADR due to various antiepileptic drugs AED. Objective: To study the morphological patterns of CADR due to AED and common anticonvulsant drugs implicated particularly in severe CADR such as SJS/TEN and DRESS in a tertiary care teaching hospital in eastern India. Materials and Methods: A prospective, observational study was conducted over a period of 4 years from August 2009 to July 2013 after the approval of the Institutional Ethics Committee using self-reporting method for selection of cases. Settings: All patients with CADR after AED consumption for various conditions presenting to the Dermatology outpatient department (OPD) and Pediatric OPD and Indoor patients of a tertiary care teaching hospital located in Rohtas district of Bihar were included in this study. Results: During the study period, 64 cases of severe CADRs were included in this study. Out of 64 patients, 28 were male and 36 were female with mean age 36.1 years (range 6 years to 72 years). Most common AED implicated for CADR was Phenytoin. Maculopapular rash was the most common cutaneous manifestation of ADRs (42.85%). Serious CADR like TEN and SSJS were more likely in patients prescribed Phenytoin and Carbemazepine simultaneously. Conclusion: CADRs are a common occurrence and awareness about the same is essential for diagnosis and prevention. This study identified combined use of phenytoin and carbamezepine as a most important risk factor for serious CADR like SJS and TEN.

Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis.

Abstract: Cause, conseguenze e strategie di mitigazione Proponiamo il primo di una serie di articoli in cui affronteremo l’attuale problema dei mutamenti climatici. Presentiamo il documento redatto, votato e pubblicato dall’Ipcc - Comitato intergovernativo sui cambiamenti climatici - che illustra la sintesi delle ricerche svolte su questo tema rilevante.

2019 ESC Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of chronic coronary syndromes.

Abstract: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a pathological process characterized by atherosclerotic plaque accumulation in the epicardial arteries, whether obstructive or non-obstructive. This process can be modified by lifestyle adjustments, pharmacological therapies, and invasive interventions designed to achieve disease stabilization or regression. The disease can have long, stable periods but can also become unstable at any time, typically due to an acute atherothrombotic event caused by plaque rupture or erosion. However, the disease is chronic, most often progressive, and hence serious, even in clinically apparently silent periods. The dynamic nature of the CAD process results in various clinical presentations, which can be conveniently categorized as either acute coronary syndromes (ACS) or chronic coronary syndromes (CCS). The Guidelines presented here refer to the management of patients with CCS. The natural history of CCS is illustrated in Figure 1.

Climate change 2014 - Mitigation of climate change

Abstract: The talk with present the key results of the IPCC Working Group III 5th assessment report. Concluding four years of intense scientific collaboration by hundreds of authors from around the world, the report responds to the request of the world's governments for a comprehensive, objective and policy neutral assessment of the current scientific knowledge on mitigating climate change. The report has been extensively reviewed by experts and governments to ensure quality and comprehensiveness.