Extreme Cold Climate Research Articles

Phytochemical composition of selected endangered medicinal plants used in traditional Amchi system of medicine in Ladakh region of the western Himalayas: A comprehensive review

Abstract Plants secrete secondary metabolites for purposes like defense, protection from herbivores, tolerance towards stress conditions, etc. These metabolites have been reported to be in high concentration in plants growing in stress conditions. Ladakh, (34 ° 12’ 34.2540” N and 77 ° 36’ 54.4032” E) a union territory in India in the Western Himalayas, experiences a extreme cold and dry climate and harbors an unique biota in the form of medicinal plants. These plants were used by the locals in traditional medicine since ages in what largely known as the Tibetan system of medicine, locally called the Amchi system. Recent studies have shown that these plants have a promising content of secondary metabolites and antioxidants. The plants or natural source could be a good source for alternative medicine as they have low side effects. Till date few of these plants were scientifically studied in relation to their phytochemical constituents. It has been found that these plants are rich in phytochemicals like flavonoids, phenols, alkaloids, tannins, terpenes, etc. These phytochemicals were then reported to have antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anticancer activities, etc. Therefore these plants could be exploited for the treatment of various ailments ranging from gastric, liver, microbial infection and even cancer. Further, in the long run more plants which are yet to be studied need to be reported extensively in the scientific arena in order to make these natural products more beneficial for mankind. The current review focuses only on selected medicinal plants that occur in Ladakh and whose phytochemical constituents were reported in depth. The study tries to have a correlation between traditional Amchi and the plant chemical constituents that reinforces Amchi system as alternative medicine.

Clinico-epidemiological Profile of Frostbite Cases in High Altitude Region of Northern India

Abstract Objectives: The objective of the study was to study the clinico-epidemiological profile of frostbite cases in high altitude region of Northern India. Study Design: This study involves a descriptive study. Materials and Methods: A descriptive study was undertaken in service hospitals situated in the northernmost region of India receiving frostbite cases from December 1, 2019, to Mar 30, 2020, to assess their clinico-epidemiological profile. A semi-structured questionnaire was designed comprising demographic characteristics and clinical and epidemiological characteristics of the frostbite cases. Frostbite cases were classified based on grades of injury and were studied for any association with age, physical activity, and temperature extremes. Results: A total of 29 cases of frostbite were reported during the study period with the majority of cases being <25 years of age. All cases were reported at altitudes of above 12,000 ft. and maximum cases gave a history of direct exposure to extreme weather conditions or other predisposing factors. The most common complaint at the onset of the symptoms was discoloration of the skin followed by swelling of digits and pain with most of the cases falling under first and second grade of injury. Protective clothing and footwear were adequate during induction/de-induction/stay in extreme climate regions. Conclusions: Exposure to extreme cold climates, high altitude, personal clothing, and physical exertion plays an essential role in the occurrence of frostbite cases as well as their severity. With the rising number of cases of frostbite, understanding of multiple factors which predisposes to frostbite injury is essential.

Performance assessment of residential heat pumps operating in extreme cold climates using zeotropic mixtures

Extremely cold climates subject residential heat pumps to significant temperature differences between the heat source and the ambient being heated, which may lead to system failure and reduced compressor performance. The present study considers the possibility of improving the performance of heat pump systems that are simultaneously used for residential space and domestic water heating while subjected to climates varying from -25 °C to 5 °C by exploring the use of zeotropic mixtures. CO2-based binary mixtures composed of low-GWP (global warming potential) refrigerants are considered – R32, R1234yf, and R290 – aiming to benefit from environmentally friendly and flame suppressants characteristics of CO2, as well as the improved thermal efficiency granted by the addition of a secondary refrigerant. A thermodynamic model was developed for a standard vapor-compression heat pump cycle and used to maximize the coefficient of performance limited by the minimum pinch point in the heat exchangers. Our analysis explores the effect of several parameters, such as, the mixture components, mass fractions, space and water heating demands, and heat source temperature on the heat pump's performance. For cold climates, the mixture of R32 (90%)/CO2 (10%) yields the highest COP and CO2-rich mixtures exhibit the lowest. However, by increasing the mass fraction of CO2 within the zeotropic mixture, the pressure ratio of the heat pump was improved. When considering combined performance criteria, such as the volumetric heating effect and the total heat delivered related to heat pump size, CO2-rich mixtures tend to allow more compact systems, especially in colder climates.

Quantifying and Rating the Energy Resilience Performance of Buildings Integrated with Renewables in the Nordics under Typical and Extreme Climatic Conditions

The future buildings and society need to be resilient. This article aims to propose a novel concept of the energy resilience framework and implement a color-based rating system to quantify and rate the energy resilience performance of buildings in Nordic climates. The objective is to conduct a comparative analysis between old (1970s) and new (2020s) single-family buildings integrated with renewable energy sources and storage, assessing their energy resilience performance for heating during power outages, under extreme and typical climatic conditions. The study utilizes dynamic simulation of the buildings and renewable energy systems, conducting parametric studies to calculate proposed resilience indicators and rate their resilience performance, employing both passive and active methods. The total costs of the design variables are also calculated for economic evaluation. Given the complexities arising from climate change, the article uses a simplified method to synthesize regional climate to consider extreme climate change impacts on energy resilience performance. For the old building lacking PV, the robustness duration increased from 1 h to 3 h, and the degree of disruption (DoD) varied from 0.545 to 0.3 in extreme cold to warm climate scenarios, with the higher DoD number indicating worse performance. The impact of the season within the same climate scenario is also evident, as the habitability and robustness durations increased during spring compared to winter. The resilience improved with PV and battery. The new building showed that the robustness duration increased from 3 to 15 h, habitability durations increased, and the DoD varied from 0.496 to 0.22 from extreme cold to warm climates without renewables and storage. With the integration of PV and battery, the new building was able to achieve a lower DoD and better performance with lower PV and battery capacity, compared to the old building. Furthermore, utilizing the color grading method (red to green), optimal technical solutions and corresponding design variables were identified for each building type and climate scenario that could support decision-making. The total cost of the optimal solutions varied, as new buildings required lower costs to reach optimal performance. However, for optimal resilience performance during extreme cold climate scenarios, higher costs are required for each building type. The proposed resilience framework, indicators, color grading system, and costing could potentially support improvements in building regulations, ensuring the development of optimally resilient buildings, particularly in the face of extreme climatic conditions.

Thermal performance of a wooden pipe-embedded building envelope using a low-grade heat source in extreme cold climate conditions

A pipe-embedded wall can effectively reduce building energy consumption in winter. Most of the research on this concept to date has used traditional building materials such as concrete and brick. This paper reports on a wooden pipe-embedded wall allowing more flexible pipe locations, which can be used to reduce heat load in winter. An experimental assessment was developed to investigate the building assemblies thermal performance and the results were used to develop an understanding of its thermal energy saving potential, and as an input for the validation of a numerical model of same. A 3D computational fluid dynamics model of the pipe-embedded wall was developed and applied to assess the thermal performance of the wall under boundary conditions beyond the capabilities of the experimental assessment. Further, the influence of five parameters including the outdoor temperature and pipe positions were studied. A method was proposed for selecting the pipe layer's optimal location. The results show dual thermal impacts of the pipe layer: active heating and passive insulation. Using 8 °C water reduces internal surface heat transfer by 42.5 % under −20 °C outdoor temperature conditions. This is akin to an 18 °C outdoor temperature rise. Furthermore, another interesting result is that increasing the wall material thermal resistance can sometimes increase energy consumption. This study provides a reference for designing and optimizing net zero energy buildings in extreme cold climate conditions.

Assessing Hygrothermal Performance in Building Walls Engineered for Extreme Cold Climate Environments

Buildings located in extreme cold climates encounter challenges (e.g., heat loss, condensation, and frozen utilities), especially within their wall envelopes. These challenges also play a pivotal role in occupant health, comfort, and the structural integrity of the building. While the existing literature has primarily focused on thermal performance, this study underscores the importance of evaluating hygrothermal performance within wall envelopes, given the existence of mold growth even in cases of high thermal resistance. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the hygrothermal performance of an adaptable house wall (AHW) panel that incorporates composite infill panels paired with vacuum-insulated panels to endure harsh cold conditions in Alaska. Therefore, three steps were proposed to: (1) collect the material and thermal properties of the AHW; (2) model the hygrothermal performance of the AHW in WUFI® PRO v6.7 software; and (3) analyze the results. The results revealed a moderate risk of mold growth in the inner plywood layer of the AHW, whereas the outer plywood layer showed zero risk, indicating an acceptable condition. The findings aid decisionmakers in recognizing potential mold-related issues in building walls before advancing to the construction phase.

АРХИТЕКТУРА МНОГОФУНКЦИОНАЛЬНОГО КОМПЛЕКСА ДЕЛОВОГО ТУРИЗМА В УСЛОВИЯХ АРКТИЧЕСКОГО КЛИМАТА

The article discusses the challenge of creating public spaces in the harsh conditions of the Far North. The proposed solution is a multifunctional complex with a spatial organization that addresses this challenge. To support this solution, the article examines the experience of designing business tourism centers in extreme cold climates. It analyzes multifunctional complexes that include a business tourism block and draws conclusions about the advantages of this type of complex. The article presents the results of the analysis as a conclusion about the use of multifunctional complexes that meet the basic needs of residents of northern cities. The article proposes an optimal spatial organization for a business tourism complex that can withstand the harsh climatic conditions of the Far North of Russia, using the city of Salekhard as a case study

Impact of heating and cooling loads on battery energy storage system sizing in extreme cold climates

Efficient operation of battery energy storage systems requires that battery temperature remains within a specific range. Current techno-economic models neglect the parasitic loads heating and cooling operations have on these devices, assuming they operate at constant temperature. In this work, these effects are investigated considering the optimal sizing of battery energy storage systems when deployed in cold environments. A peak shaving application is presented as a linear programming problem which is then formulated in the PYOMO optimization programming language. The building energy simulation software EnergyPlus is used to model the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning load of the battery energy storage system enclosure. Case studies are conducted for eight locations in the United States considering a nickel manganese cobalt oxide lithium ion battery type and whether the power conversion system is inside or outside the enclosure. The results show an increase of 42% to 300% in energy capacity size, 43% to 217% in power rating, and 43% to 296% increase in capital cost dependent on location. This analysis shows that the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning load can have a large impact on the optimal sizes and cost of a battery energy storage system and merit consideration in techno-economic studies.

Exploring view access for biophilic arctic architecture through immersive visualization of integrative lighting

This research addresses biophilic design opportunities in Arctic indoor environments through a comprehensive methodology that incorporates architectural features, extreme cold climate conditions, and integrative lighting attributes. The paper presents lighting and thermal conditions of higher latitudes and the potential challenges of biophilic window design in Arctic buildings. It discusses building standards and develops state-of-the-art techniques for analyzing quality views and lighting thresholds that support human health. It moreover proposes an innovative visualization framework to support decision-making in the design of indoor Arctic environments. A visualization process was developed and applied in environmental survey conducted through image-based and sensor-based techniques during an expedition in Iqaluktuuttiaq (Cambridge-Bay, 69°07′02″N 105°03′11″W), Nunavut in March 2020. The surveys combine the visualization of view access ratios in the 360° field of view (FOV), the intensity of melanopic/photopic luminance, and Equivalent Melanopic Lux (EML) through HDR imaging and radiometric measurements from several interior points at the Canadian High Arctic Research Station building. The paper also proposes 360° captures of surface temperatures as a compatible metric for the immersive visualization of physical ambiences in extreme cold climates. It compares view access ratios with human centric lighting potentials for 360° captures for each survey point. Results highlight the method's potential to support biophilic design in Arctic indoor spaces. It demonstrates how 360° FOV visualization of human responses to lighting conditions can provide a biophilic perspective of a space and its architectural properties.

Survival Time of Humans in Extreme Cold Climate: Experimental, Numerical and Parametric Study on Ambient Temperature, Fabric Insulation and Metabolic Heat

Abstract Prior knowledge of the survival time of a person clothed with extreme cold-weather clothing would be useful in designing an appropriate fabric ensemble. The survival time may depend on ambient temperature, fabric insulation, and metabolic heat and can be evaluated by designing a suitable experiment. To study the effect of different parameters on the survival time of humans, one such experiment is designed in an in-house developed guarded hot plate instrument placed inside a cold chamber capable of maintaining the ambient temperature between 210 K and 310 K. The experiments were performed at three different subzero temperatures, three different fabric insulation, and selecting three metabolic heats. The transient temperature profiles at different locations of the fabric assembly were measured continuously. Further, a one-dimensional heat transfer model was developed to carry out the numerical simulation. The experimental and numerical transient temperature profiles across the fabric assembly agree well. The correlations developed for theoretically predicted survival times compare well with actual experimental data. The parametric analysis has shown that the ambient temperature is the most influencing parameter affecting the survival time followed by fabric insulation. The metabolic heat does not have a significant effect on survival time.

Energy Conservation Studies in an Air-Conditioning System of a Battery-Operated Electric Bus using CFD

Battery-Electric Buses (BEBs) are expensive compared to diesel buses and the biggest problem in the battery operated electric vehicle is always the range. The electric consumption is very high during extreme cold and extreme hot climates. Around the world, the developing economies are deploying BEBs on a large scale with the idea of sustainable green mobility. In this context it is required to reduce the energy consumption required for BEBs during extreme cold and hot weather. For this purpose, it is required to implement energy conservation procedures to prevent the heat entry and heat loss in the HVAC system of the BEBs. For simulating the transient effect of external solar load on the air-conditioning system of the vehicle, commercial Computational Fluid Dynamics software is used. In this project, simulation of energy consumption in a BEB is carried out using ANSYS FLUENT software. An energy conservation parametric study with different types of glass and wall materials has been carried out. There is a reduction in energy consumption of 20.52 % when using hard-coated solar glass and 26.07 % reduction when polyethylene insulation is used.

Effect of ambient temperature, metabolic heat and clothing insulation on the required external active heating for the survival of humans exposed to sub-zero temperatures

Active heating in extremely cold weather clothing would be useful to save the life of an injured or sick person due to low metabolic rate. A fully dressed thermal manikin is useful in evaluating the performance of the active heating ensemble. The thermal manikin tests are time-consuming and could be done only after making the complete ensemble. An experiment that is designed to evaluate the performance of an active heating fabric fixed to a set of layers of extreme cold climate clothing using a guarded hot plate instrument would save a lot of time as it skips the processes of garmenting and subsequent evaluation on the thermal manikin. In this work, a guarded hot plate placed inside a cold chamber is used to investigate the external heating required for the prolonged comfort of the wearer at various sub-zero ambient temperatures, clothing insulation and metabolic heat. A plain woven active heating fabric sandwiched between a knitted fabric and nonwoven of different insulation/thickness is used to perform experiments. The external heat required to keep the test plate (representing the human skin) at 307 ± 1 K (34 ± 1 °C) is measured at different experimental conditions. Further, a one-dimensional numerical model based on coupled conduction–radiation heat transfer with heat generation was developed and validated with experimental results. The experimental temperature profiles match well with the numerical temperature profiles at different locations, justifying the numerical methodology adopted in this work. This suggests that the developed numerical model would also be useful to estimate the required active heating as per the wearer’s requirement and an available power source. Both the experimental and numerical results suggest that the external active heating required to maintain test plate (skin) temperatures within the human skin comfortable range is a function of ambient temperature, metabolic heat and clothing (nonwoven) insulation.

Experimental study on a new type of precast beam-column joint

In this study, a new type of dry-connection precast beam-column joint is proposed. The dry connection is easy to assemble, which can greatly reduce the labor intensity of the construction site. At the same time, it is easy to disassemble, which is conducive to the upgrading of components and the replacement of seismic damaged components during the lifetime of the building. It is conducive to the industrialization and seismic resilience of the building. It is suitable for the construction in extreme cold climate and high seismic intensity regions. In order to evaluate the seismic performance of the dry connection, a precast joint model and a cast-in-situ joint model were constructed, and pseudo-static tests were carried out. The test results show that the bearing capacity of the precast joint is approximately equal to the cast-in-situ joint. The failure mode of the precast joint satisfies the principle of strong column and weak beam, and beam damage is concentrated on the steel connectors. Finally, the finite element model of the precast joint is established, and the analysis results show that it can well simulate the mechanical behavior of the joint.

Onychomadesis following frostbite: Hitherto unknown

Onychomadesis is an anomaly of nails characterized by shedding of nail plates due to temporary arrest in the activity of the nail matrix. Systemic or local factors ranging from acute febrile illnesses, auto-immune diseases, drugs, chemotherapy, trauma, etc., have been known to cause onychomadesis. We report a unique case of onychomadesis following frostbite in a serving soldier posted at high altitude and extreme cold climate area.

Feminization of surface temperature: Environmental justice and gender inequality among socioeconomic groups

This study seeks answers to whether certain gender groups are overexposed to land surface temperature (LST) and whether or not the levels of such overexposure differ across socioeconomic groups and locations? The results of a geographically weighted regression model on 2400 Dutch residential zones show that LST is feminized. Gender composition alone explains about 10% of LST variations, regardless of other socioeconomic characteristics. For a 1% increase in women's population in a residential zone, LST increases by more than 0.1 °C. When socioeconomic characteristics are considered, the model explains more than 75% of variations. It shows that women living in low-value and relatively-old buildings are more exposed than men in 51% and 41% of the zones. Older-than-65-years and high-income women are more exposed than men in 24% and 22% of zones. Feminization of LST has a spatial pattern, too. It is more likely to occur in a moderate climate than in areas with extreme cold or warm climates. This study discusses the results and offers a series of possible explanations: Women's overrepresentation in urbanised areas, gender imbalance in economic sectors, suburbanisation of poverty, unequal access to green, different life expectancy among gender groups, and high variation of LST in moderate climates.

Geospatial Paradigm of Nucleotide Substitution within the Gene Family Encoding Plasma Membrane H+-ATPase Pumps in Arabidopsis thaliana

The PM H+-ATPase gene family consists of 12 members in Arabidopsis thaliana denoted to Auto-inhibited H+-ATPase 1-12 (AHA1-AHA12). This gene family performs crucial roles in many aspects of plant growth and development such as ion and metabolite transportation, pollen development, stomatal opening, signalling process, and adaptation to abiotic stresses especially thermal changes. The H+-ATPase action dynamically fluctuates during thermal changes in order to enhance adaptation strategies in plants. Based on the fact that surface temperature on average is typically warmer in lower latitudes and cooler in higher latitudes, the association of PM H+-ATPase genetic variants (SNPs) with latitude intervals was studied using chi-square testing of 1001 Genomes project data. The results indicated a significant association between nucleotide substitution and latitude interval, and therefore a geospatial paradigm of PM H+-ATPase nucleotide substitution was established. A>T and T>A substitutions showed a close positive association with higher latitudes (cold climate) and negative association with lower latitudes (warm climate), and vice versa for A>G. Most of the nucleotide substitutions were associated with extreme cold and warm climates while cold climate had more impact. The most significant signal of PM H+-ATPase genes strategy for adaptation to cold climate was A>T nucleotide substitution. Also, the results showed that the most high-impact SNPs were identified in coding regions and related to premature stop codons.

Rumen Microbiota of Tibetan Sheep (Ovis aries) Adaptation to Extremely Cold Season on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is characterized by low temperatures and hypoxia, and this feature is more obvious in the winter. However, it is not clear how Tibetan sheep adapt to extreme cold climates. To address this, we used physiological methods combined with next-generation sequencing technology to explore the differences in growth performance, forage nutrient digestion, serum biochemical indexes, and rumen microbial communities of Tibetan sheep (Ovis aries) between the summer and winter. In the summer, owing to the high nutritional quality of the forage, the Tibetan sheep showed enhanced forage degradation and fermentation though increased counts of important bacteria in the rumen, such as Bacteroidetes, Prevotella_1, Prevotellaceae_UCG-003, Ruminococcus_1, Saccharofermentans, and Ruminococcaceae_UCG-014, to improve the growth performance and increase serum immunity and antioxidant status. In the winter, owing to the low nutritional quality of the forage, the Tibetan sheep presented low values of forage degradation and fermentation indicators. The relative abundance of Firmicutes, the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio, microbial diversity, interactive activity between microorganisms, and metabolism were significantly increased, implying that the rumen microbiota could promote the decomposition of forage biomass and the maintenance of energy when forage nutritional value was insufficient in the winter. Our study helps in elucidating the mechanism by which Tibetan sheep adapt to the high-altitude harsh environments, from the perspective of the rumen microbiota.

Natural deep eutectic systems, an emerging class of cryoprotectant agents

This work aimed at evaluating the potential of using natural deep eutectic systems (NADES) as cryoprotectant agents (CPAs). Several combinations between natural primary metabolites that have been identified in animals that live in extreme cold climates were prepared. All systems showed very little cytoxicity towards L929 cells at concentrations high as 1–2 M. Moreover, this cell line was highly tolerant to 10% (w/v) of NADES when compared to Me2SO. To test NADES as CPAs, two cell lines were used, L929 and HacaT cells. After freeze/thawing cycle, it was possible to observe that for L929 cells, NADES presented similar behaviour to Me2SO. For Hacat cell line a significant improvement on post-thawing recovery was observed. Moreover, the results presented herein showed that NADES do not need to be removed from the freezing media after thawing the cells, which is a great advantage of these materials. Additionally, we have shown that NADES can act as CPA when cells are frozen at −20 °C. In overall, the results demonstrate the high potential of NADES to be used in cryobiology as alternative CPAs.

INFLUENCE OF HINDERED PHENOLIC STABILIZERS ON THE CLIMATIC STABILITY OF RUBBERS BASED ON EPICHLOROHYDRIN CAOUTCHOUC

Hindered phenolic stabilizers are effective inhibitors of oxidation processes of various materials, including elastomeric ones, due to their SHAPE \\* MERGEFORMAT unique chemical structure. The advantages of phenolic stabilizers, especially the hindered ones, in rubber production are low toxicity, non-volatility, and the ability not to stain vulcanizates. The stabilizing efficiency of these stabilizers in real climatic conditions has been studied insufficiently. In this work, for the first time, a study was conducted on the influence of hindered phenolic stabilizers СО-3, СО-4 and Stafen of pilot production of N.N. Vorozhtsov Novosibirsk Institute of Organic Chemistry (NIOCH SB RAS) on the physical-mechanical properties of rubbers based on epichlorohydrin caoutchouc (ECHС) of Hydrin T6000 brand under the influence of the extreme cold climate of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). The amine stabilizer 6PPD (China), widely used in the rubber industry, was selected to compare the properties. Stabilizers were added to the rubber mixture in the amount of 1 wt. p. per 100 wt. p. of caoutchouc. Rubber samples were exposed to the atmospheric conditions for two years at the climatic testing ground of the Institute of Oil and Gas Problems of SB RAS (IPNG SB RAS), as well as the environment of the oil from the Talakan field and I-50A industrial oil in a room where the ambient temper ature varied from minus 3 °C to 1 °C in January and from 17 °C to 20 °C in July. It has been found that hindered phenolic stabilizers of the NIOCH SB RAS pilot production are superior to the 6PPD industrially produced amine stabilizer in terms of the effectiveness of stabilizing properties of rubbers. Rubber containing Stafen stabilizer demonstrated the best retention of properties in the environment of ambient air and I-50A industrial oil regardless of the exposure duration. In the oil environment, rubbers containing СО-4 and Stafen stabilizers showed the best stability of properties throughout the exposure.

Seasonal variation of acute appendicitis: An Armed Forces experience of high altitude

BackgroundLifetime prevalence of Acute Appendicitis is about 6–7%.The seasonal variation is nearly an established fact with most of the studies suggesting that cases are more in summer and during the rainy season. There are few studies globally for evaluating the impact of altitude and temperature on the incidence of acute appendicitis. In India no such study has been reported. With this in view, a study was conducted on the incidence of acute appendicitis to evaluate the effect of absolute temperature in high altitudes >10000 ft. MethodsRetrospective data collected for a period of five years from 2015 to 2019 for the three centres of Armed Forces, located at high altitude 10,500, 11,500 and 12,000 ft respectively and the three temperature categories viz.< 0 °C, 0-20 °C and >20 °C were made to infer if there is any correlation between these parameters. ResultsA total of 317 cases were operated in a period of 05 yrs at the three centres. In the three categories of temperature viz < 0 °C, 0-20 °C and >20 °C the total number of cases were 84,124 and 109 respectively over period of 5 yrs. The proportion of cases were maximum at altitude of 12000 ft. On evaluation of the effect of altitude and absolute temperature positive correlation is found. ConclusionThe analysis of the maiden study that was conducted for high altitude and extreme cold climate in India indicated a positive correlation of the altitude and the effect of absolute temperature on the occurrence of cases of Acute Appendicitis.