Karst geomorphology, cave development and hydrogeology in the Kashmir valley, Western Himalaya, India

Surface and underground karst features, such as karren, dolines, sinking streams, caves and large freshwater and thermal springs are developed in Triassic Limestone in the southern Kashmir Valley. The rock formation has a high hydraulic conductivity (K), up to 1,000 m d-1 and constitutes one of the most productive aquifers in the region. Springs discharging from this aquifer supply pristine water to more than one million people, but the regional karst system is still poorly understood. The present study is really a first and preliminary study of an important but remote and previously unstudied area, with the goal to provide a first overview and inventory of karst phenomena, as a basis for more detailed (and more “scientific”) studies in the future. Results suggest that karstification is developed along tectonic joints and bedding planes. Karstification shows distinct variation with altitude and is more developed towards the valley floor. The study also revealed that erosion of the alluvium along streams pushed karstification downwards and caused drying up of formerly phreatic cave passages. Reconstruction of karst evolution on the basis of geomorphological, geological and climatic conditions of the region suggests that karstification has started during Plio-Pleistocene. The present surface and subsurface karstification is directly related to the tectono-sedimentational history of the Himalaya and the climatic conditions that prevailed after the Himalayan Orogeny.Key words: Triassic Limestone, karstification, freshwater supply, Himalaya, Kashmir Valley.Kraška geomorfologija, razvoj jam in hidrogeologija v Kašmirski dolini, Zahodna Himalaja, IndijaPovršinske in podzemne kraške oblike, kot so škraplje, vrtače, reke ponikalnice, jame ter veliki sladkovodni in termalni izviri, so v južni Kašmirski dolini nastale v triasnih apnencih. Ti imajo visoko hidravlično prevodnost (K) do 1000 m d-1 in so med najbolj produktivnimi vodonosniki v regiji. Izviri, ki drenirajo ta vodonosnik, prispevajo neoporečno vodo več kot milijon ljudem. Kljub temu hidrogeologijo regionalnega kraškega sistema še vedno slabo razumemo. Ta študija je prva in preliminarna študija pomembnega, a oddaljenega in predhodno neraziskanega območja ter poskuša zagotoviti prvi pregled in popis kraških pojavov kot podlaga za podrobnejše (in bolj »znanstvene«) študije. Rezultati kažejo, da je zakrasevanje razvito vzdolž tektonskih prelomov in lezik. Zakrasevanje se razlikuje glede na nadmorsko višino in je bolj razvito proti dnu doline. Študija je pokazala tudi, da je erozija aluvija vzdolž vodotokov potisnila zakrasevanje v globino vodonosnika in povzročila fosilizacijo predhodno freatičnih jamskih kanalov. Rekonstrukcija kraškega razvoja na podlagi geomorfoloških, geoloških in klimatskih razmer v regiji nakazuje, da se je zakrasevanje začelo med Plio-Pleistocenom. Sedanje površinsko in podzemno zakrasevanje je neposredno povezano s tektonsko-sedimentacijsko zgodovino Himalaje in podnebnimi razmerami, ki so prevladovale po himalajski orogenezi.Ključne besede: triasni apnenec, zakrasevanje, oskrba z vodo, Himalaja, dolina Kašmir.

Application of Environmental Isotopes for Identification of Possible Recharge Areas of Alluvial Springs of Vishaw Catchment in Kashmir Himalaya

Five alluvium controlled springs were selected for hydrogeochemical and isotope study of Vishoaw watershed of Kashmir Himalayas, India. Hydrogeochemical study showed that Ca2+, Mg2+ and HCO - were the dominant chemical species in water samples. The order of hydrochemical water types identified is Ca-Mg-HCO3 > Ca-HCO3 > Na-Mg-HCO3 and hybrid type. Ca-Mg-HCO3 and Ca-HCO3 types of spring water resulted from the dissolution of carbonate lithology. Na-Mg-HCO3 and hybrid water types followed by surface water owes to the interaction of water with multiple lithologies, resulted from weathering of host silicate rocks. The groundwater samples showed a narrow variation in stable isotope content and are clustered above and very close to GMWL, indicating that groundwater has not been greatly fractionated by kinetic evaporation, except Qoimohnag, with δ18O value of - 6.9 ‰ which may be due to the mixing of groundwater with recent precipitation. The high deuterium excess of surface and groundwater suggests western disturbances as the source of the recharging precipitation. The mean isotopic values of groundwater were depleted in heavier isotopes than precipitation. The study suggested that the alluvial springs are recharged by the stream of the catchment

A Bibliometric Approach and Literature on “Oesophageal Carcinoma”

The research paper entitled "A Bibliometric Approach and Literature on “Oesophageal Carcinoma” is a quantitative research and is particularly focused on Bibliometric analysis on “Oesophageal Carcinoma” the most dreadful and invasive type of disease which is commonly called as food pipe cancer. The esophagus is a hollow, muscular tube that connects the throat to the stomach. It lies behind the trachea (wind pipe) and in front of the spine. Oesophageal cancer is the eighth most common malignancy and the sixth leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. The study revealed that the foreign countries like England is forwarding in the research output on this disease but other countries are lacking behind. The researches in the related studies are showing a decreasing trend and the growth of disease shows an inclineAmerican Cancer Society, (2016). Esophagus Cancer. Retrieved from http://www.cancer.org/acs/groups/cid/documents/webcontent/003098-pdf.pdfChaurasia, K.K (2008). Bibliometric analysis of Annals of Library andInformation Studies (2002-2006).MANLIBNET 9th Annual National Convention:  New Delhi Retrieved from http://eprints.rclis.org/11756/1/annals.pdfEsophageal cancer. (2015).In Wikipedia. Retrieved October 12, 2015, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esophageal_cancerEsophageal cancer. (2016).In Healthline. Retrieved April 05, 2016, from http://www.healthline.com/health/esophageal-cancer#Symptoms3Falagas, M.E., Papastamataki,P.A., &Bliziotis,I.A. (2006). A bibliometric                                                 analysis of research productivity in Parasitology by different world regions during a  9-year period (1995–2003) (BioMed Central Ltd.).He, T., Zhang, J., &Teng, L. (January 01, 2005). Basic research in biochemistry and molecular biology in China: A bibliometric analysis. Scientometrics, 62, 2, 249-259.Mayer, R.J, (2008). Gastrointestinal Tract Cancer: Principles of internal medicine. New York: McGraw-Hill Medical Publishing Division. pp. 764–5.Ortiz, A. P., et-al (2009). Bibliometric assessment of cancer research in Puerto Rico, 1903-2005. RevistaPanamericana De SaludPública = Pan American Journal of Public Health, 25, 4, 353-61.Patra,S.K.; Bhattacharya,P. &Verma, N. (2006). Bibliometric Study of Literature on Bibliometrics: DESIDOC Bulletin of Information Technology, 26(1). Pp 27-32 Retrieved from http://publications.drdo.gov.in/ojs/index.php/djlit/article/viewFile/3672/2084Satija, M.P. (2004), Dictionary of Knowledge Organization, Guru Nanak Dev University, AmritsarTianwei,H. Zhang,J. &Teng,L(2005).Basic research in biochemistry and molecular biology in China: A bibliometric analysis: Scientometrics:An International Journal for All Quantitative Aspects of Communication in Science and Science Policy, 62(2), pp 249-259 Retrieved from http://www.akademiai.com/doi/abs/10.1007/s11192-005-0018-4?journalCode=11192 Wang, H.; Liu, M.; Hong, S. et al. (2013).A historical review and bibliometric analysis of GPS research from 1991–2010: Scientometrics:An International Journal for All Quantitative Aspects of Communication in Science and Science Policy, 95(1), pp 35-44 Retrieved from http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11192-012-0853-zZhang, Y. (2013). Epidemiology of esophageal cancer. World Journal of Gastroenterology : WJG, 19(34), 5598–5606.

Prevalence of Helicobacter pylori Infection in Peptic Ulcer Patients of Highly Endemic Kashmir Valley

Objective This study aimed to find out prevalence of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) in peptic ulcer disease (PUD) which is highly endemic disease in Kashmir

Helicobacter pylori Infection in Various ABO Blood Groups of Kashmiri Population

Aim: This study was carried out to assess the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection in various ABO blood groups of people of Kashmir

Indian Contribution to Open Access Literature: A Case Study of DOAJ & OpenDOAR

India has been a cradle of knowledge for thousands of years. Presently it has significant advantages in the 21st century knowledge race due to one of the largest higher education system in the world. It generates a lot of information in the form of research papers, project reports, books, conference papers, theses, dissertations, articles, and so on. Therefore, it is necessary to preserve, manage and make it accessible to the academic community and society for sharing and visualizing their innovations for the betterment of society as a whole. The present study attempts to evaluate the initiatives taken by India to make this intellectual output accessible for all by publishing them in Open Access resources like Open Access journals and archiving them in Open Access archives or repositories. The results revealed that India is continuously contributing in Open Access literature as some of the premier institutions, particularly in the science and technology area, are providing Open Access to their research publications. The position of India in terms of number of journals in the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) is 7th, well ahead of countries such as China, Australia, and Japan and is sharing 10th position with the Sweden and Spain in Directory of Open Access Repositories OpenDOAR) in terms of number of repositories in the world

Delineation of Recharge Areas of Some Karst Springs Using Hydrogeochemistry and Stable Isotopes of Hydrogen and Oxygen

Hydrogeochemical and isotopic study of water samples collected from Bringi watershed SE Kashmir, India was carried out to delineate the recharge areas of karst springs. About 90 water samples of precipitation, snowmelt, streams and springs were collected on bimonthly basis for one complete year from March-08 to January-09 and analysed for major ions, δ18O and 3H following standard procedures. Both stream and spring discharge showed an inverse relation with precipitation. Spring and stream discharges were less during January and high during July. However, precipitation was high during January and low during November. Major ion analysis of precipitation, streams and springs revealed that Ca and HCO3 were the dominant ions, making up more than 50% of total ions which indicated carbonate lithology as the dominant source of ionic species. However, increased Na in some samples particularly Kongamnag indicated the impact of silicate weathering on water chemistry. The dominant order of cations and anions in water samples was Ca > Mg > Na > K and HCO3 > SO4 >Cl. In both streams and springs, EC, TDS, Ca, HCO3 were high during winter when the discharge was low and was low during summer when the discharge was high. However, Kokernag and Achabalnag also showed higher concentrations during July, resulted due to the piston effect. The springs showed a significant variability of total dissolved solids, with highest value of 180mg/L observed at Achabalnag followed by Kokernag (130mg/L) and Kongamnag (90mg/L). The high variability of TDS indicated rapid and strong reaction of Achabalnag to hydrological events followed by Kokernag and Kongamnag. The δ18O data generated indicated a strong spatial and temporal variation in oxygen isotope composition. An altitude effect of - 1.48 ‰ to - 0.13 ‰/100m change in elevation (mean altitude effect: -0.5‰/100m) was discernible in precipitation isotopic composition. The precipitation was δ18O depleted in cooler seasons/months and at higher elevations. The δ18O of precipitation showed a narrow range (0.7 to 1‰) during the periods/months of more precipitation and wide range (4.6 to 6.8‰) during the other months. Like precipitation, the isotopic composition of streams is also controlled by the elevations of their catchments. The stream water was δ18O depleted in the mountain areas with their catchments at higher altitudes than at lower elevations. The streams/tributaries were most δ18O depleted in May and least depleted in September. The δ18O composition of springs is similar to that observed in the streams, being most δ18O depleted in May and least δ18O depleted in September. On the basis of local vertical isotopic gradient of δ18O, the mean altitude of the recharge was estimated. Widespread melting of snow, high discharges of streams and springs and δ18O depleted stream and spring waters indicate the dominant contribution of snow melt in May; negligible snow melting, precipitation in the form of snow only, less stream and spring discharges and less variance indicate the contribution from baseflow in January; while as exhausted snow, moderate stream and spring discharges, high precipitation and δ18O enriched stream and spring water during September indicate the contribution from rainfall. The best correlation was observed between the δ18O of springs and streams. The mean residence time of karst springs calculated from tritium analysis is very short (less than one year). The residence time is more for Kongamnag and short for Achabalnag. Chloride Mass Balance Equation used to estimate the precipitation contribution to groundwater recharge averaged at 18.5%, with higher contribution during summer and lower during winter. δ18O Mass Balance Equation used to estimate the surface water component to groundwater recharge averaged at 75% during summer and 18.6% during winter. The results were further verified in field through dye tests. Coloured dye was inserted at two sinks near Adigam and Gadol which discharged very fast at Achabalnag and Kokernag, after a lag time of 48 and 120 hours, confirming the hydrological connection between injection locations and the springs

Silica/Annona muricata nano-hybrid: Synthesis and anticancer activity against breast cancer

Biogenically derived silica nanoparticles may serve as a well-defined target vehicle for drug delivery and have a wide range of applications in biomedicine. Silica nanoparticles are an excellent candidate as drug carriers due to their mesoporous structure, high drug loading capacity, low toxicity, environmental friendliness and low economic synthesis procedures. In this study, nano structured silica was extracted from sugarcane bagasse through an alkali leaching extraction and conjugated with A. muricata extract overcoming its poor solubility and improving its bioavailability within the host system. The Silica Nanoparticles (SNP) and Annona muricata conjugated Silica Nanoparticles (AM/SNP) were characterized using SEM, FTIR, TGA, EDAX, XRD and zeta potential. The AM/SNP was subjected to kinetic release studies and exhibited a sustained release of 64 % over the course of 12 h in contrast to extract, indicating the slow release of the drug under synthetic conditions. A. muricata pose a high affinity against tumor cells as an anti-cancer agent, and the potential of binding was testified using in-silico virtual screening against breast cancer receptors with lead acetogenins with Annomuricin (−7.4 kcal/mol) and Gigantecin (−7.4 kcal/mol) exhibiting a high binding affinity against ER and HER2+ receptors respectively. The AM/SNP conjugate exhibited high cytotoxicity against the MCF-7 breast cancer cell line with an IC50 value of 33.43 μg, indicating high potency of the conjugate at low concentrations, facilitating low systemic toxicity on administration