A Comprehensive Correlation of Clinicopathologic Prognostic Factors in Malignant Adult Renal Tumors: A Single Institutional Study.

OBJECTIVE: To study the clinicopathologic prognostic parameters of malignant adult renal tumors as these have poor over-all survival (OS) and show frequent metastasis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This was a retrospective analysis of the clinical and pathologic features of malignant renal tumors in adult patients from January 2011 to December 2020. All the tumors were studied with respect to age, clinical presentation, tumor type/subtype, histologic grade (WHO/ISUP grading system), TNM stage and presence of necrosis. Correlation of histopathologic features and survival analysis was done using Kaplan-Meier survival curves and Cox-regression analysis. RESULTS: A total of 257 cases were included in the study period including 253 renal cell tumors of which clear cell renal cell carcinoma accounted for 69.3%. The age of the patients ranged from 20 to 87 years (median-52 years). The overall survival significantly reduced with increasing histologic grade, stage, and presence of necrosis. The comparison between the histological subtypes was not statistically significant. Univariate Cox-regression analysis found significant hazard ratio with increasing age, size, histologic grade (G4 vs G1), stage, and presence of necrosis. The correlation of OS with histological subtypes was not significant. Multivariate analysis also showed increased hazard ratio with increasing age, size, grade, and stage. However, the P-value was significant only for age. CONCLUSION: Clear cell renal cell carcinoma was the commonest type of adult renal tumor. Older age at presentation, larger tumor size, presence of necrosis, and higher histologic grade and stage were associated with poor prognosis in these patients.

Black carbon over tropical Indian coast during the COVID-19 lockdown: inconspicuous role of coastal meteorology.

Black carbon (BC) aerosols critically impact the climate and hydrological cycle. The impact of anthropogenic emissions and coastal meteorology on BC dynamics, however, remains unclear over tropical India, a globally identified hotspot. In this regard, we have performed in situ measurements of BC over a megacity (Chennai, 12° 59' 26.5″ N, 80° 13' 51.8″ E) on the eastern coast of India during January-June 2020, comprising the period of COVID-19-induced strict lockdown. Our measurements revealed an unprecedented reduction in BC concentration by an order of magnitude as reported by other studies for various other pollutants. This was despite having stronger precipitation during pre-lockdown and lesser precipitation washout during the lockdown. Our analyses, taking mesoscale dynamics into account, unravels stronger BC depletion in the continental air than marine air. Additionally, the BC source regime also shifted from a fossil-fuel dominance to a biomass burning dominance as a result of lockdown, indicating relative reduction in fossil fuel combustion. Considering the rarity of such a low concentration of BC in a tropical megacity environment, our observations and findings under near-natural or background levels of BC may be invaluable to validate model simulations dealing with BC dynamics and its climatic impacts in the Anthropocene.