Region Of Uttarakhand Research Articles

Length-weight relationships of Schistura scaturigina (McClelland, 1838) from Kumaun Himalaya region of Uttarakhand, India

Length-weight relationships of Schistura scaturigina (McClelland, 1838) from Kumaun Himalaya region of Uttarakhand, India

Phytochemical screening and GC-MS analysis of Skimmia laureola Decne. leaves from the Kumaon Region of Uttarakhand, India

Phytochemical screening and GC-MS analysis of Skimmia laureola Decne. leaves from the Kumaon Region of Uttarakhand, India

Assessment of Clinicopathological Profile and Receptor Status of Breast Cancer Patients at a Tertiary Care Centre in Uttarakhand, India: A Prospective Cohort Study

Introduction: Breast carcinoma has become a major public health problem among both urban and rural populations in India. The management of breast carcinoma depends on hormone receptor status and the pathological properties of the tissue, which serve as important prognostic markers. Aim: The aim of this study was to analyse the clinicopathological parameters and receptor status in breast cancer patients in the Garhwal Region of Uttarakhand. Materials and Methods: This prospective cohort study involved 51 patients who underwent modified radical mastectomy for breast carcinoma at the Department of General Surgery, Government Doon Medical College, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India. The study was conducted over a period of two years and seven months, from May 2018 to December 2020. Various parameters such as age, side and quadrant of breast involvement, TNM stage, histological grade, receptor status, molecular subtypes, and axillary lymph node status were evaluated. The data was tabulated using Microsoft Excel 2007. The distribution of various receptors in tumour specimens was compared with clinicopathological variables and expressed as percentages. Results: The mean age of the study participants was 52.54±13.24 years, with a male to female ratio of 2:98. In this study, the majority of females (62.74%) belonged to the age group of 40 to 60 years. Left breast carcinoma showed a slightly higher prevalence (52.94%) than right breast carcinoma (47.05%), and the upper outer quadrant was the most commonly involved (50.98%). Infiltrating ductal carcinoma, not otherwise specified, was the most common histological type observed in all patients. The majority of patients (84.31%) had tumour sizes less than 5 cm. Grade-II tumours were the most frequent grade, observed in 34 cases (66.66%). Among the tumour stages, T2 stage accounted for the highest frequency (67%), followed by T3. The authors found that the highest frequency of tumours belonged to N0 stage (29.41%), followed by N1, N2, and N3, respectively. The corresponding rates of luminal A, luminal B, triple-negative, and Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 (HER-2)/neu enriched subtypes were 5 (14.7%), 3 (8.82%), 11 (32.5%), and 3 (8.82%), respectively. The cases negative for Oestrogen Receptor (ER) and Progesterone Receptor (PR) were found to have high-grade disease on histological evaluation. Conclusion: The higher percentage of Grade-II and III tumours observed in this study highlights the need to increase health awareness in this area in order to decrease morbidity and mortality. The study recommends that Immunohistochemistry (IHC) classification serves as an important prognostic factor in breast cancer patients.

Alien Species of Family Asteraceae and their Indigenous Uses in Tarai and Bhabar Region of Uttarakhand

Alien Species of Family Asteraceae and their Indigenous Uses in Tarai and Bhabar Region of Uttarakhand

Geothermal resource estimation of Uttarakhand region, India

With many countries dependent on imported fuels, governments and industries are diversifying energy sources, including geothermal energy. Geothermal energy, derived from the Earth's internal heat, holds significant potential as a renewable energy source. The present work focuses on the geothermal resource estimation of the Uttarakhand region in India. Critical subsurface reservoir parameters for geothermal extraction and estimates of potential resources are reviewed through an analysis of geological formations, temperature gradients, and rock permeability. Various estimation methods, including surface heat flux, volume methods, and probabilistic methods, are discussed, with a particular emphasis on the Monte Carlo method. Assessment of the resource potential of the Uttarakhand geothermal system using available data estimates the resource potential of the Uttarakhand prospect, revealing an energy estimate of 1.26*10^15 J/kg (P50 case). Correspondingly, for the P90 and P10 scenarios, the estimated heat stands at 2.30*10^15 J/kg and 2.6*10^14 J/kg, respectively. However, successful exploitation requires a thorough understanding of subsurface reservoir parameters and careful resource estimation. This comprehensive analysis offers valuable insights for policymakers, researchers, and industry stakeholders interested in harnessing geothermal energy for sustainable development.

Climate and its variability over Tarai region of Uttarakhand

The study is conducted for the Tarai region of Uttarakhand regarding the trend analysis of the weather parameters, namely maximum temperature, minimum temperature, rainfall, sunshine hours and evaporation on an annual basis over the periods from 1981-2020. The moving average for 5-year, 10-year intervals and the pentadal, decadal variations has been studied for the above stated parameters. The results revealed that there is an increasing trend in the maximum and minimum temperature of about 0.0004°C/year and 0.0180°C/year respectively. The decreasing trend in the rainfall, sunshine hours and evaporation is observed of about 1.461 mm/year, 0.042 hr/year and 0.028 mm/year respectively.

Growth and productivity of traditional scented rice in organic cultivation

Utilizing the production potential of scented rice verieties via organic farming methods is a viable option to support the increasing population's food needs. Employing organic nutrient sources like Sesbania and vermicompost has the potential to significantly enhance rice yield and positively impact soil quality, presenting a promising approach. In order to study the effect of organic mode of cultivation on ten different scented rice varieties namely Kubri Mamhani, Kudrat-5, Chinar-20, Kesho Pohu, DRK, Kudrat-5, Pusa-1121, Type-3, Taraori and Tilak Chandan in tarai region of Uttarakhand, India, a field experiment was conducted at the Norman E. Borlaug Crop Research Centre, located within G. B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology in Pantnagar, Uttarakhand, during the kharif season of 2020. The varieties were evaluated in Randomized Block Design with three replications. The results revealed that the application of organic source of nutrients significantly improved the growth parameters and yield of scented rice over control. Among the varieties, Kudrat-5 recorded higher values for tiller/m2 (273) and grain yield (42.46 q/ha). Application of organic matter in the form of Sesbania and vermicompost significantly produced higher plant height, tillers/m2, culm height, culm thickness, days to 50% flowering, straw yield and harvest index. So, it is inferred that ten scented rice varieties differ widely among themselves when grown under organic cultivation. In terms of grain yield Kudrat-5 variety performed better under organic production system.

Quantitative Determination and Source Variation of Rutin in Fagopyrum Tataricum

Buckwheat (Fagopyrum sp.) is a traditional crop of Uttarakhand (India) known for its high Rutin content, a bioflavonoid with significant medicinal properties. This study explores the quantitative measurement of Rutin in various buckwheat varieties grown in different regions of Uttarakhand using Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) and High-Performance Thin Layer Chromatography (HPTLC). Twelve seed sources of Fagopyrum tataricum from the Garhwal and Kumaon regions, along with Fagopyrum esculentum seeds for comparison, were collected. Preliminary phytochemical screening of the extracts revealed the presence of flavonoids, alkaloids, tannins, and carbohydrates, with methanolic extracts showing higher concentrations. TLC analysis was employed to determine the most effective solvent system for Rutin separation, leading to the identification of three samples with substantial Rutin content. HPTLC was then used for quantitative Rutin assessment, with a calibration curve established using standard Rutin solutions. The three selected samples, along with the standard, were applied to HPTLC plates, and the Rutin content was measured based on peak areas and peak heights. The sample collected from Joshimath, Uttarakhand, known as "JOG," exhibited the highest Rutin content. This study provides valuable insights into the phytochemical composition of buckwheat varieties in Uttarakhand, which can inform the development of high-quality functional foods. Rutin, a potent antioxidant with various health benefits, underscores the significance of buckwheat as a naturally occurring functional food source. The results contribute to understanding the Rutin-rich potential of buckwheat grown in Uttarakhand and its applications in functional foods and nutraceuticals. Further research in this field can promote the cultivation and utilization of buckwheat as a source of this valuable bioactive compound with numerous health benefits.

Enhancing biomass and seed production in Kalmegh [Andrographis paniculata (Burm. F.) Wall ex. Nees] through optimal plant spacing and nutrients under the Western Himalayan region of India

The field experiment was conducted during the winter (kharif) seasons of 2021-22 and 2022-23 at CSIR-Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Research Centre Purara, Bageshwar, Uttarakhand. The study's objective was to investigate the most effective combinations of plant spacing configurations and NPK levels to enhance biomass and seed yield of kalmegh [Andrographis paniculata (Burm. F.) Wall ex. Nees] under the Western Himalayan region of Uttarakhand. The experiment consisted of nine treatments, comprising three different plant spacing (60x30 cm, 60 x45 cm, 60x60 cm) and three NPK levels (40:30:20, 80:60:30, 120:90:40), arranged in factorial randomised block design. The results indicated that treatment T3 (120:90:40 NPK) and spacing S3 (60x60 cm) consistently demonstrated superior performance, resulting in the highest plant height, number of branches, LAI, total dry matter weight, dry seed weight, and leaf stem ratio. Treatment T2 (80:60:30 NPK) and spacing S2 (60x 45 cm) displayed intermediate results, while treatment T1 (40:30:20 NPK) and spacing S1 (60 x 30 cm) exhibited relatively lower values for most parameters.

Safety impact of highway geometrics and pavement parameters on crashes along mountainous roads

Having the capability of estimating both the number of crashes and their severity levels, crash prediction models are a precious tool in highway safety. However, there hasn't been any research on predicting traffic crashes on Indian mountainous rural highways. The primary objective of this research is to develop safety performance functions (SPFs) for traffic crashes occurring on rural roads located in the mountainous region of Uttarakhand, India.For analysis, the study utilized five years of crash data collected from different types of rural roads. The road network was divided into constant segments of 500m each, and separate models were developed for single (TSVC) and multi-vehicle (TMVC) crashes using the negative binomial regression approach. These SPFs highlight important significant variables in terms of positive and negative association and a potential change in subject crash frequencies. The results concluded that different types of risk factors impact both types of crashes, with horizontal (HC) and vertical curves (VC) in common. For instance, spot speed increases TSVC crashes by 3.87 %, whereas HC and VC tend to increase subject crashes by 8.32 % and 29.95 %, respectively.Similarly, TMVC is influenced by carriageway (CW) and shoulder width (SW). The result proposed that an increase in CW and SW can decrease frequencies by 0.668 times and 0.819, respectively. Additionally, the model highlighted the importance of rut-depth and the presence of pavement markings in the road safety analysis. At last, further research scope is suggested based on the limitations of this study.

Morbidity Profile and Healthcare Service Utilization Pattern Among Geriatric Population in the Rural Himalayan Region of Uttarakhand, India: A Cross-Sectional Study.

The increasing elderly population, along with their health problems, is a matter of concern, especially in the difficult terrains of the hilly Himalayan region of northern India. Hence, the present study was conducted to assess the healthcare-seeking behavior of the elderly and adherence to medication. The present community-based cross-sectional study was conducted on 250 elderly participants by a consecutive sampling method. Data were collected during the months of July 2021 to October 2021 after obtaining institutional ethical clearance. Bivariate logistic regression was done to assess factors associated with healthcare services utilization patterns and adherence to medications in chronic diseases. Significant factors were then analyzed with a multivariate logistic regression model. Variables with p-value <0.05 on multivariate analysis were considered statistically significant. The mean age of the study participants was 67.2 (±8.09) years, and 52% were males. Chronic illness was diagnosed in 45.6% participants. Only 121 (48.4%) participants were aware of health insurance schemes among whom95 (38%) were registered. Appropriate healthcare-seeking behavior for acute illness episodes was seen in 68.9% of participants. A government healthcare facility was the most preferred facility.Low adherence to chronic disease medication was seen in 41.2%. Participants registered under any health insurance scheme had higher adherence to medications (OR=0.36; 95% CI, 0.15-0.86; p-value=0.02). The majority of the participants preferred government healthcare facilities. Registration under any health insurance scheme was found to significantly influence adherence to medications. Further qualitative studies can be of paramount importance in understanding the perspectives of the geriatric population in the study area.

Abiotic factors improving fatty acid profiling of freshwater indigenous microalgae isolated from Kumaun region of Uttarakhand, India.

Microalgae have grabbed huge attention as a potential feedstock for biofuel production in response to the rise in energy consumption and the energy crisis. In the present study, indigenous microalgal strains were isolated from four freshwater lakes in the Kumaun region, Uttarakhand, India. Based on growth and lipid profiles, the four best-performing isolates were selected for further experiments. Initial identification of isolates was done by morphological observations, which were further validated by molecular identification using ITS sequencing. The screened cultures were subjected to abiotic stress conditions (varying concentrations of nitrogen and different temperatures) to monitor the biomass, lipid accumulation, and biochemical compositions (chlorophyll and carotenoids). The quantification of fatty acids was checked via gas chromatographic analysis. The strains were identified as KU_MA3 Chlamydopodium starrii, KU_MA4 Tetradesmus nygaardii, KU_MA5 Desmodesmus intermedius, and KU_MA6 Tetradesmus nygaardii. KU_MA3 Chlamydopodium starrii showed the best results in terms of growth and lipid production at 21 °C and 0.37 g/L NaNO2 concentration. The percentage of fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) attained >80% and met the standard for biodiesel properties. The strain has the potential to attain higher biomass and accumulate higher lipid content, and after some more studies, it can be used for upscaling processes and large-scale biodiesel production.

Language Model for Translating the English Language to Garhwali Language

The main aim of this paper is to develop a language model for translating the English language to Garhwali, a language spoken in the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand, India. The model will use state-of-the-art natural language processing techniques, including machine learning and neural networks, to enable accurate and efficient translation of English sentences into Garhwali and vice versa. The model will be trained on a large dataset of parallel English-Garhwali text to ensure high accuracy and fluency of the translations. The successful development of this language model will help bridge the language barrier between English speakers and Garhwali speakers, facilitate communication and exchange of ideas, and promote cultural exchange and understanding. Local language conversion system can help to improve the user experience by providing content in the language that the user is most comfortable with. It can help to reduce confusion and frustration, and make the user experience more enjoyable. Keywords: Statistical Machine Translation, Mathematical model, English-Garhwali, Evaluation.

Anticancer Potential of Ferns from Uttarakhand Region

The current study deals with the anticancer potential of ferns in Uttarakhand region. The ferns are widely used by the local people of the Uttarakhand Himalaya. The present study documents anticancer and antioxidant activity of some fern plants, which are prevalent in study area along with botanical name, family, chemical constituents and their activity for medicinal use. Among all the pteridophytes examined taxa from the Pteridaceae, Polypodiaceae, and Adiantaceae exhibited significant medicinal activity. Based on our review, many pteridophytes have properties that could be used in alternative medicine for treatment of cancer.&#x0D; Keywords: Anti-cancer, Anti-oxidants, Ferns, Uttarakhand.

Black gram [Vigna mungo (L.) Hepper]: A new host plant of Fusarium humuli, F. chlamydosporum and F. nanum causing pod rot in India

Black gram [Vigna mungo (L.) Hepper] an ancient legume crop native to South Asia, has been highly esteemed in India for centuries as one of the most prized pulses. In August 2022, characteristic symptoms of pod rot were observed in major black gram growing regions of Uttarakhand, India. In this study, Fusarium species associated with pod rot disease were investigated using comprehensive in vitro phenotyping, multilocus phylogeny analysis, and pathogenicity assays. A total of fifteen Fusarium like isolates were isolated from symptomatic black gram pods and grouped into three distinct groups based on morphological features. Molecular assays identified the isolates as Fusarium humuli, F. nanum, and F. chlamydosporum. Subsequent pathogenicity tests confirmed these isolates' ability to induce pod rot symptoms. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of F. humuli, F. nanum, and F. chlamydosporum as causative agents of pod rot in black gram in India. The occurrence of these pathogens in India highlights the need for implementing effective disease management strategies to mitigate economic losses in black gram production.

Bakrichhap Agro Tourism and Natural Products Private limited (BATNPPL): a case for community based entrepreneurship promoting integrated rural development

Learning outcomes The learning outcome of this study is to bring to the table of a wider intellectual audience, a unique model of community-based entrepreneurship, which is working wonders with its unique selling points (USPs) in promoting sustainability and conserving the ethos of villages and, at the same time, generating livelihoods through traditional farming techniques adopted by the rural population residing in the Himalayan region of India.The proposed case study can be used as a replicable model in other parts of rural India and other emerging economies to start and scale up a similar “integrated rural development model” through effective policy advocacy and public–private partnerships and to develop sustainable farmlands and livelihoods for rural India. It has a definite potential to be used as a pedagogical tool in postgraduate programmes offering courses in microfinance, financial inclusion, social and community entrepreneurship, sustainability, entrepreneurship, community development finance and rural immersions and public policy. Case overview This case study is set in the backdrop of 2023 having been declared by the UN as the International Year of Millets and India being the homeland for millet cultivation. The objective of the case study is to bring to the table of a wider intellectual audience, a unique model of community-based entrepreneurship operating in the Himalayan region of rural India. The community-based entrepreneurship model works on the USP of promoting sustainability and conserving the ethos of villages and generating livelihoods through traditional farming techniques. This case study traces the journey of Roopesh Rai (protagonist and the founder of Bakrichhap), the community-based entrepreneur and his challenges in setting up the enterprise. The narrative is built in the light of a series of interviews with Rai, the main protagonist and the founder of Bakrichhap, as well as the people of Goat village by Komal, a post-doctoral fellow in the area of community-based enterprises (CBEs). Through this narrative, the case writers’ endeavour was to understand how CBEs such as Bakrichhap were providing a means of integrated rural development in the hilly region of Uttarakhand, India. Also, how such enterprises were thereby curbing distress migration, unemployment and a large-scale erosion of the cultural heritage and traditional and indigenous farming techniques of the land. In the first seven years of the operations of this uniquely curated CBE, Rai endeavoured to iron out many bottlenecks. This case study also highlights the gamut of challenges faced by community-based entrepreneurs like Rai in designing strategy for growth and expansion. What strategy should Bakrichhap follow for expansion to the other regions of the country? Should all the three existing verticals of the enterprise be scaled up parallelly or should each individual vertical be expanded one after the other in a phased manner? Stemming out from the main dilemma of strategic expansion were the related issues of funding (finance) and the formation of an effective team (HR). Study level/applicability This case study can be used in undergraduate, graduate and executive programmes offering courses in microfinance, financial inclusion, social and community entrepreneurship, sustainability, entrepreneurship, community development finance and rural immersions and public policy. Research methods This comprehensive case study is written by using the triangulation of data collected through a series of personal interviews, website information, news articles, personal observation and field visits. The research design used is single case (holistic; Yin, 2003, 3rd edition). The timeline of this case study is 2021 to 2022 and place is Nag Tibba, Uttarakhand, a Himalayan state in North India. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Case code CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.

Epiphytic Lichens and Lichenicolous Fungi with New Records from Garhwal Region of Uttarakhand

Epiphytic Lichens and Lichenicolous Fungi with New Records from Garhwal Region of Uttarakhand

Identification of novel inhibitors from Urtica spp against TNBC targeting JAK2 receptor for breast cancer therapy.

Breast cancer is the most prevalent form of cancer in women globally, and TNBC (triple-negative breast cancer) is its aggressive type since it lacks the usual targets. JAK2/STAT3 pathway can be an important lead in anticancer drug discovery, as restraining the downstream signalling of this pathway results in the induction of cell apoptosis. Moreover, various limitations associated with chemotherapy are the reason to find an alternative herbal-based therapy. For this study, we collected Urtica dioica and U. parviflora from different regions of Uttarakhand, followed by preparation of their leaf and stem extracts in different solvents. The GC-MS analysis of these extracts revealed a total of 175 compounds to be present in them. Further, by molecular docking approach, we studied the interaction between these compounds and JAK2, and 12 major compounds with better binding energy than the control Paclitaxel were identified. In addition, the selected hits were also reported to display better pharmacokinetic properties. Moreover, extracts from both the Urtica spp. displayed significant anticancer activity against MDA-MB-231(TNBC cell line) and exhibited lower cytotoxicity in healthy cell lines, i.e. HEK293T, indicating that these extracts were safer to use. Hence, the findings in our study can be crucial in the area of herbal-based target-specific drug development against breast cancer.

A study on some dynamical aspects of Uttarakhand heavy rainfall events

In recent years, heavy rainfall events have been increasing over the Uttarakhand region. Improvement in the prediction of such events crucially dependent on the inclusion of the physical &amp; dynamical processes responsible for such events, in the NWP model. This again, in turn depends on the understanding of such processes. In this study an attempt has been made to understand parts of these processes and some of the dynamical aspects of these heavy rainfall events. For this different important derived NWP products, viz., differential vorticity advection (DVA), differential thermal advection (DTA), Differential moisture advection (DMA), Precipitable water (PW), non-dimensional stability index (NDSI) have been computed using ECMWF high-resolution gridded reanalysis data sets. Heavy rainfall events are defined using IMD high resolution gridded daily rainfall data set. Preliminary analysis revealed that there was a steady increase in DVA, decrease in DTA, increase in PW and decrease in DMA before the heavy rainfall event. An enhanced DVA results in an enhancement in LLC, a decrease in DTA along with a decrease in DMA results in an enhancement of lapse rate. Combined effect of these results in the increase in the low-level convergence at Uttarakhand region along with the rising motion are the major dynamical processes resulted in the heavy rainfall event.

Quantification of Diverse Local Germplasm of Pumpkin Through Genetic Variability Components in Garhwal Region of Uttarakhand

An experiment was conducted at Horticultural Research Center, Department of Horticulture, H.N.B Garhwal University, Srinagar (Garhwal), Uttarakhand, India, during summer season 2019, to study “Quantification of diverse local germplasm of Pumpkin through genetic variability components in Garhwal regions of Uttarakhand”. Experimental material for the study consisted of 25 genotypes. The experiment was conducted using a Randomized Block Design with three replications. The genotypes have been collected from different regions of Uttarakhand and other parts of India. Observations were recorded on 23 economic traits. Each of the traits under study, genetic variability analysis revealed that the phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) and genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) were nearly identical. Highest coefficient of variability both at phenotypic and genotypic level was observed for yield per vine (50.48% and 50.33%) and lowest for days to 1st fruit harvest (5.49% and 5.49%). Maximum heritability was found in number of seeds per fruit (100%) and moderate was found for number of ridges per fruit (40.10%). Highest genetic advance was observed for number of seeds per fruit (79.26) and lowest for rind thickness (0.15mm). In terms of percentages above the mean, vine length, number of primary branches/vine, number of nodes upto first male flower and female flower, number of fruits / vine, percent of fruits setting, average fruit weight and yield/vine all demonstrated high genetic advance. In order to continue crop development programs for pumpkin in the Garhwal Region of Uttarakhand, factors like vine length, percent of fruit setting, average fruit weight, and yield per vine could be taken into consideration through selection.