Uttarakhand Region Of India Research Articles

Thalassemia and Hemoglobinopathy Screening in Women Attending Antenatal Clinic at a Tertiary Care Center in Uttarakhand, India: A Re-look at the Laboratory Parameters Mandating High-Performance Liquid Chromatography Workup.

Thalassemia and hemoglobinopathies are the most common inherited hematological disorders. Of these, β thalassemia is the commonest disorder reported in India, followed by certain hemoglobinopathies encountered in different regions of the country. The data pertaining to the incidence of these disorders in the Uttarakhand region of India are sparse. To ascertain the prevalence and spectrum of thalassemia/hemoglobinopathies amongst antenatal women in Uttarakhand. The study also aimed to analyze the ability of red cell indices in differentiating beta thalassemia trait (BTT) from mild iron deficiency anemia (IDA). A total of 460 pregnant women in the first trimester of pregnancy were screened by cation exchange high-performance liquid chromatography. Retention time and proportions of normal/abnormal hemoglobin peaks were documented in all cases. Hemoglobin A2 (HbA2) values of ≥4% were taken as a cut-off for diagnosing BTT. Blood samples were also collected for complete blood counts, reticulocyte counts, and serum ferritin. The ability of the various discriminatory indices to differentiate between IDA and BTT was also assessed. The prevalence of BTT and hemoglobin D-Punjab trait amongst pregnant women was found to be 2.6% and 0.2%, respectively. RBC count, mean corpuscular volume (MCV), and mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) were found to be moderately strong predictors of BTT, with an area under the curve of 0.860, 0.857, and 0.842, respectively, which were comparable to the discriminatory indices found to be most useful in this study. In view of the 2.6% prevalence of BTT in antenatal women in this region of Uttarakhand, a routine screening will be helpful in detecting carriers early in the antenatal period. Careful interpretation of red cell indices is crucial to the distinction between BTT and IDA. Discriminatory indices are reasonably accurate in differentiating BTT from mild iron deficiency, but for practical purposes, MCV and MCH provide equivalent information to identify cases that require further workup.

A neural network-based approach for prediction of PGA and significant duration parameters in the Uttarakhand region of India

A neural network-based approach for prediction of PGA and significant duration parameters in the Uttarakhand region of India

Characterizing aerosols during forest fires over Uttarakhand region in India using multi-satellite remote sensing data

Confirmed rise in average surface temperature and consequent prolonged dry days in tropical Himalayan foothills (tarai region) favors frequent wildfire event which make susceptible to the local forest vegetation and ecology. Recent improvement in spatio-temporal resolution of space-borne sensors provides an opportunity to routinely map these wildfires and estimate the consequence. Utilizing both active and passive space-borne multi-sensors, this study presents the active fire counts, columnar and vertical distribution of aerosol during 2013–2018 over Uttarakhand region of India. Our analysis shows maxima in active fire counts during April to late June months while minima in monsoon over the region. Particularly owing to the high temperature, low moisture, drying up of natural spring and availability of fuel materials in summer and scare precipitation in winter. Some limited spatio-temporal scale fire episodes are also marked in winter. The AOD values with maximum of 3.2 (0.5 mean) observed during the April 2016, while for the successive next two months, AOD of 2.0 and 1.2 are found over the fire burning regions. The Normalized Burn Ratio Thermal (NBRT) index are also found to be much higher for April and May 2016 with respect to 2015 and 2017. The comparative analysis of NBRT shows a positive difference towards the western side of Uttarakhand. Vertical feature mask and aerosol subtype profile details about the polluted dust and elevated smoke aerosols from surface to 10 km range during the intense fire events smoke were elevated and trapped within 3 to 10 km. The results demonstrate the potential of earth’s observing satellites for characterization of emissions and in air quality management.

Molecular characterisation of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae clinical isolates: preliminary experience from a tertiary care teaching hospital in the Himalayas.

There is a lack of whole-genome sequencing (WGS) data on multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria from the Uttarakhand region of India. The aim of this study was to generate WGS data of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) isolates recovered from patients in Uttarakhand's tertiary care centre. A cross-sectional study included 29 MDR K. pneumoniae test isolates obtained from various clinical samples submitted to the bacteriology laboratory for culture and sensitivity testing from July 2018 to August 2019. After preliminary identification and antibiotic susceptibility testing, these isolates were subjected to WGS. A total of 27 of 29 isolates were CRKP. ST14 was the most common sequence type (n=8 [29.6%]). Carbapenem resistance was mainly encoded by OXA-48-like genes (21/27 [77.8%]). All isolates had a varied arsenal of resistance genes to different antibiotic classes. KL2 (9/27 [33.3%]) and KL51 (8/27 [29.6%]) were dominant K loci types. O1 and O2 together accounted for 88.9% (n=27) of CRKP isolates. Genes encoding yersiniabactin (ybt) and aerobactin (iuc) were identified in 88.9% (24/27) and 29.6% (8/27) of isolates. The predominant plasmid replicons present were ColKP3 (55.5%), IncFII(K) (51.8%) and IncFIB(pQil) (44.4%). This study emphasises the need for continued genomic surveillance of MDR bacteria that could be instrumental in developing treatment guidelines based on integrating phenotypic and molecular methods.

Phytochemical and Medical Perspective of an Endangered Plant Angelica glauca: Review on its Current Status and Future Research

Angelica glauca is an important medicinal plant commonly distributed in Himalayan region of Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand region of India. Plant possesses immense medicinal potential and is utilized in traditional and modern medicine systems for the treatment of several aliments. The plant has become endangered due to unrestricted harvesting from natural resources, poor germination rate and lack of adequate commercial cultivation. Inspite of inherent medicinal potential there exist a wide research gap to analyze and validate biochemical activities along with isolation, purification and structural elucidation of secondary metabolites. Considering the present endangered status micropropagation studies are required not only with an objective of conservation of A. glauca, but also to felicitate mass propagation of the plant. Micropropagation as well as vegetative propagation processes are required to be optimized to develop protocol which are easily reproducible, efficient and can be simultaneously employed for commercial cultivation. Their also exits potential of analytical studies such as HPLC, FTIR, NMR, LC-MS (plant oil as well as plant extract) to provide complete biochemical profiling of the plant, as at present comparatively insufficient literature is available pertaining to biochemical and metabolic characteristics features and properties of the plant. The present review provides an insight into scientific studies conducted so far and research potential pertaining to biochemistry and medicinal properties of A. glauca.

NORMATIVE DATA OF COGNITIVE ASSESSMENT BY AUDITORY P300 EVENT RELATED POTENTIAL, MONTREAL COGNITION ASSESSMENT AND CHOICE REACTION TIME AND ITS VARIATION WITH AGE AND GENDER IN UTTARAKHAND REGION OF INDIA.

Background: Tests like auditory P300 event related potential, neuro-psychometric pen pencil Montreal Cognition Assessment Test (MOCA) and Choice reaction time have been used as indexes of cognitive function. Thus this study has been planned with the aim to evaluate cognitive ability of a normal adult to nd out normative data and its, variation with age and gender in Uttarakhand region of India. Materials and Method: This cross-sectional study was carried out in the department of Physiology of AIIMS, Rishikesh on 52 healthy with ages ranging from 20 to 40 years, equal number of male & female volunteers with the ability to understand test procedures. Following tests were performed in the given order for uniformity during 11-1 pm timing of a day: 1. Event Related Potential-P300 2. Neuro-psychometric assessment (Hindi Montreal Cognitive Assessment -HMOCA test) and 3. Choice Reaction Time. Results and Conclusion: Mean of P300 Latency is 310 ± 37.14 msec, mean of P300 Amplitude is 14 ± 7.5 uv (from Cz electrode site), mean of Montreal Score is 24.81±3.25, and mean of CRT is 584.5 ±84.06 ms in all the subjects. All the parameters are better in younger age group. All the parameters are better in male except MOCA score

Assessment of phytochemical screening by Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopic analysis of peach (Prunus persica) seed biomass from Uttarakhand region of India

Prunus persica (Peach) has several medicinal and nutritive properties such as antioxidant, antimalarial, anticoagulant, antifungal, ant-allergic, etc. The present study focuses on the exploratory for phytochemicals constituents screening of seed extracts of Prunus persica from Uttarakhand region of India by Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis. The extraction of seed was carried out using soxhlet apparatus in different solvents such as petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate, ethanol, and water. The characteristics of physical parameters of dried seed of P. persica were reported as total ash (14.250±0.126 %), acid insoluble ash (6.800±0.036 %), water-soluble ash (11.714±0.123 %), and sulphated ash value (2.274±0.025 %); whereas, the extractive values were also recorded as alcohol soluble extractive (1.917±0.011 %), and water-soluble extractive (10.580±0.048 %). The highest values of nutritive components (366.778±0.257 %) were followed by, carbohydrate (45.500±0.336 %), crude protein (29.360±0.551 %), available carbohydrate content (28.002±0.439 %), moisture content (12.547±0.022 %), crude fibre (11.602±0.123 %), crude fat (7.482±0.068 %), and total nitrogen (4.695±0.032 %). The maximum extraction yield was recorded in the aqueous extract solution (11.15 %), followed by petroleum ether (2.8 %), ethyl acetate (2.1 %), ethanol (1.6 %), and chloroform (0.4 %). Besides, this the most effective chemical bonding groups of FTIR spectra analyzed in a sample of P. persica seed were N-H, O-H (3600-3400 1/cm), C-H (3000-2800 1/cm), N-H, C-C, C=O (1680-1550 1/cm), C-H (1470-1350 1/cm), CO-OR (1400-1000 1/cm), C-H (850-550 1/cm), and C-I (500-400 1/cm), respectively. Therefore, this study provides useful insights into the beneficial properties of P. persica seed biomass from the Uttarakhand region of India, which may be further used for the production of several pharmaceuticals and nutraceutical products.

In vitro antioxidant and anticancer activities of leaf extracts of Rhododendron arboreum and Rhododendron campanulatum from Uttarakhand region of India

Background: Rhododendron arboreum and Rhododendron campanulatum are two important trees of Uttarakhand, known for their ethnopharmacological importance. In the present study, the aqueous and methanolic extracts of leaves of both the plants were analyzed for phytochemical, antioxidant, and antiproliferative activities against cancer cell line and repression of vascular endothelial cell growth factor (VEGF) and hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1α) transcription. Materials and Methods: Aqueous and methanolic leaf extracts of both the plants were prepared through pressurized liquid extraction method. Various assays were performed to analyze phytochemical and antioxidant potential. The antiproliferative activity was determined through 2,3-bis-(2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium-5-carboxy anilide salt (XTT) assay. Further, the effect of plant extracts on the modulation of HIF-1α and VEGF mRNA expression was analyzed through quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results: A significantly high total phenol content, total flavonoid content, free radical scavenging, and reducing power activities were observed in both the plant extracts. High-performance thin-layer chromatography analysis indicated the presence of ascorbic acid, quercetin, gallic acid, and hesperidin in different extracts. XTT reduction assay confirmed the antiproliferative activities of aqueous extracts against cancer cell line, HeLa. Aqueous extract of R. arboreum (RAA), at a concentration of 31.25 μg/ml, inhibited 60.12% and 25.41% proliferation of HeLa and Vero cell lines, respectively. An equal concentration of aqueous extract of R. campanulatum (RCA) inhibited the growth by 48.04% and 15.17% for HeLa and Vero cell lines, respectively. Further, the RAA and RCA have downregulated the expression of two key angiogenic factors responsible for tumor neovascularization, HIF-1α and VEGF to a great extent. Conclusion: The present study affirms that the leaf extracts of R. arboreum and R. campanulatum have enormous potential to be developed as an effective natural antioxidant and anticancer drug. Abbreviations used: PLE: Pressurized liquid extraction; XTT: 2,3-Bis-(2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium-5-carboxy anilide salt; TPC: Total phenol content; TFC: Total flavonoid content.

Essential Oil Composition, Phenolic Constituents, Antioxidant and Pharmacological Activities of Thymus linearis Benth. Collected from Uttarakhand Region of India

sThe essential oil composition of Thymus linearis collected from two different locations (Harinagar; Nainital (TLHEO) & and Dhanachuli Nainital (TLEOD)) were analyzed by combination of GC and GC-MS. Total nine major constituents contributing to 93.6 % were identified in TLHEO and 89.3 % in TLDEO samples. Germacrene-D (65.1 %) and γ-terpinene (19.4 %) were identified as major constituents in TLHEO while thymol (66.8 %) and p-cymene (9.8 %) were identified in TLDEO. The oils and extracts were evaluated for DPPH radical scavenging ability, chelation of Fe2+, and Fe3+ reducing power activities. The oils and extracts both showed good to moderate antioxidant activity in a dose dependent manner. Both oils and extracts also exhibited significant pharmacological activities (antipyretic, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory activities) compared to the standards (paracetamol, indomethacin and ibuprofen) tested on Swiss albino mice. Total phenolic assay of the aqueous ethanolic extracts determined by Folin-Ciocalteu method revealed total phenol (5.15 mg /100 mg), flavonols (0.26 mg /100 mg) and orthodihydroxy phenols (0.4 mg/100 mg) in Harinagar collection and (4.65 mg/ 100 mg), (0.52 mg/100mg) and (0.18 mg/100 mg) in Dhanachuli collection respectively.

Antioxidant and antibacterial properties of leaves of Elaeocarpus sphaericus Roxb. and Pinus wallichiana from Uttarakhand region of India

Background: Elaeocarpus sphaericus is known for its medicinal and spiritual values in India, since long back. Pinus wallichiana, a conifer is known for its timber wood and rich phenolics in the needle. However still, there is no report on the phytoconstituents and biological activities of the leaves of these plants from Uttarakhand region of India. Aim and Objectives: To identify the phytochemicals, antioxidant, and antibacterial properties of methanolic and aqueous extracts of leaves of E. sphaericus Roxb and P. wallichiana for exploring their potential for medicinal use. Materials and Methods: Leaves were used for extraction in aqueous and hydro-methanolic solvents through soxhlet method. Extracts were examined for the presence of phenolics and flavonoids. Antioxidant properties were explored by scavenging assays for 2, 2-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl, nitric oxide, H2O2. Agar well diffusion assay was applied for the antimicrobial potential of the extracts against pathogenic bacteria. Experiments were done in triplicates, and average values with standard deviations are shown. Results: Hydro-methanolic extracts were rich in phenols and flavonoids. E. sphaericus extract has shown better antioxidant property than that of P. wallichiana. Hydro-methanolic extracts have shown antioxidant potential better than aqueous extracts. Only, hydro-methanolic extracts showed antibacterial activities. E. sphaericus have shown better antibacterial activities than that of P. wallichiana. Conclusion: Hydro-methanolic extracts of E. sphaericus and P. wallichiana are rich in phenolics and flavonoids and possess good antioxidant and antibacterial properties. Leaf extract of E. sphaericus has promising antioxidant and antibacterial potential.

A high-resolution simulation of catastrophic rainfall over Uttarakhand, India

On 16 June 2013, intense and continuous rainfall together led to the collapse of moraine-dammed lake (Chorabari Lake) and devastated the entire land of Uttarakhand, Himalaya. This caused heavy floods in Uttarakhand (28°43′−31°27′ latitudes and 77°34′–81°02′ longitudes) along with unprecedented damage to life and property. Timely prediction and warning of such severe local weather systems over complex terrain are the first step towards disaster mitigation and bears huge societal impact. In this study, weather research and forecasting (WRF) model was configured at high spatial resolution (2 km) to simulate the Kedarnath heavy rainfall event over Uttarakhand region of India during 16–17 June 2013. Results showed that the WRF model was able to predict the Kedarnath heavy rainfall. Location and intensity of heavy rainfall were captured by the WRF model when verified with in situ measurements and satellite-retrieved rainfall products. Moreover, the explicit impact of topography in triggering this extreme weather event has been discussed using a diagnostic model which demonstrated that orographic component of rain rate is quite high over this region.

Forecasting the heavy rainfall during Himalayan flooding—June 2013

On 17th June 2013 the state of Uttarakhand in India (Latitude 28.72°N to 31.45°N and Longitude 77.57°E–81.03°E) received more than 340mm of rainfall, which is 375% more than the daily normal (65.9mm) rainfall during monsoon. This caused heavy floods in Uttarakhand as well as unprecedented damage to life and property. In this study we aim at assessing the performance of two deterministic forecast models, Global Forecast System (GFS/T574) and Unified Model (NCUM), run at NCMRWF, in predicting the heavy rainfall observed over Uttarakhand region of India during 17–18th June, 2013.Verification of the synoptic features in forecasts of the two models suggests that NCUM accurately captures the circulation features as compared to T574. Further verification of this event is carried out based on the contiguous rain area (CRA) technique. CRA verification is used in computing the total mean square error (MSE) which is based on displacement, volume and pattern errors. This verification technique also, confirms the better skill of NCUM over T574 in terms of forecast peak rainfall amounts, volume and average rain rate, lower MSE and root mean square error (RMSE) as well as having higher hit rates and lower misses and false alarm rates for different rainfall thresholds from Day 1 to Day 5 forecasts.

Aroma profile ofLavander angustifoliafrom lower Shivalik Hills of Uttarakhand

The essential oil content in inflorescence of Lavender (Lavander angustifolia Mill.) cultivated in the hills of Uttarakhand was found to be 0.55% on dry weight basis. Thirty four constituents, representing 92.22% of the oil, were identified by GC-MS. The major constituents of the oil were linalyal acetate (39.10%), linalool (28.7%), lavandulyl acetate α-terpineol (4.35%) and Trans-caryophyllene (2.76%). The quality of lavender oil produced in Garhwal Himalyan region of India was found to compete with standard quality of oil from other parts of the globe. Hence, lavender oil produced in Kalsi, Uttarakhand region of India has international quality standards.

Response rate of blood donors in the Uttarakhand region of India after notification of reactive test results on their blood samples.

An adequate, safe supply of blood and blood components is a crucial part of blood transfusion services. Blood donors with reactive screening test results are informed of their results by letter and telephone call, and are requested to come for counselling either at the blood centre or the integrated counselling and testing centre. Many notified donors either do not respond at all or do not follow up their first visit to the blood bank. This study was undertaken to determine the response of voluntary blood donors after notification of their reactive status by telephone call or letter. We considered reactive donations during a 2-year period (January 2010 to December 2011). Blood donors with reactive test results were notified and their response rates were evaluated at various levels. During the study period, 416 donors (0.87%) were found to be reactive for different markers. Of these 416 reactive donors, 249 (59.8%) responded positively to the notification calls and attended counselling. The response rate was highest among donors reactive for hepatitis B virus (HBV) (154/225 i.e. 68.4%). After their first visit, around 6% donors could not be contacted further and were lost to follow up. Fifty donors (22.3%) did not continue their treatment and two (both reported to be HBV reactive) were subsequently found to be negative. Therefore, at 6 months of follow-up, only 182 donors (43.7%) were continuing/had completed their treatment. The response rate of reactive blood donors in developing countries is quite low. These results suggest insufficient health care knowledge and a poor understanding of screening tests.

Comparative Phylogenetic Study of Four Coldwater Fishes (Family Cyprinidae) Based on Targeted 16S RNA Mitochondrial Gene

S. richardsonii, T. putitora, B. Bendelisis and G. Gotyla are commercially important coldwater fish, widely used as a food fish, game fish and ornamentally fish in the Uttarakhand region of India. The present study examined the phylogenetic relationship within and between four coldwater fish species from Kumaun and Garhwal region of Uttarakhand. The mitochondrial 16S ribosomal DNA were used to elucidate phylogeny of the family Cyprinids. Analysis of 34 sequences of 16S rRNA gene (550 bp) revealed 12 haplotypes for both regions. The 16S rRNA dataset contained 93 and 94 variable site found for Garhwal and Kumaun region respectively. Rate of transition were higher than transversion for both region. The nucleotide diversity was lowest between the T. putitora and S. richardsonii and highest between the B. bendelisis and G. gotyla for both regions. The phylogenetic tree, constructed unweighted pair group average (UPMGA) methods revealed similar results suggesting that T. putitora and S. richardsonii have a close relationship to each other while maximum divergence was observed in B. bendelisis , which was also confirmed by the genetic distance data. The understanding of genetic variations of coldwater fishes will play a key role in conservation and management of this endangered fish species.

Essential oil composition and pharmacological activities of Micromeria biflora (Buch.- Ham. Ex D. Don) Benth. collected from Uttarakhand region of India

By a combination of gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography/mas spectrometry (GC/MS) sixteen compounds contributing to 91.9% of the total essential oil of Micromeriabiflora (Buch.-Ham. ex D. Don) Benth. (Lamiaceae) were identified. The oil was dominated by oxygenated sesquiterpenoids; caryophyllene oxide (42.5%), epi-α-cadinol (5.7%), β-eudesmol (9.3%), oplapanone (4.5%) and guaial (4.6%). α-Terpeneol (1.1%) was the only identified oxygenated monoterpene. The major mono and sequiterpene hydrocarbons identified in the essential oil were þ-cymene (4.7%), γ-cadinene (2.6%), δ-cadinene (3.4%), and α-cadinene (2.8%) besides other minor constituents. Both the oil and the extract were also tested for anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antipyretic activity on Swiss albino mice which exhibited good to moderate pharmacological activity in a dose dependent manner in comparison with the standard drug, namely; ibuprofen, paracetamol and indomethacin. Key words: Lamiaceae, Micromeria biflora, caryophyllene oxide, essential oil, phenolic assay antioxidant, analgesic and antipyretic activities, anti-inflammatory.