An emerging understanding of the role and regulation of homocysteine metal ion interactions during oxidative injury which leads to vascular pathogenesis underlines metal ion importance and need for more research on this aspect. In the present work metal ion interactions in solution and as well as solid state were carried out. Synthesized Cu (II), Ni (II) and Zn (II) complexes with homocysteine. The complexes were further characterized spectrally with IR, UV, Mass, ESR, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and TGA techniques. The possible geometries of metal complexes were evaluated using the molecular mechanics calculations. The refined structures were screened based on lowest strain energies calculated by applying MM3 force field. The molecular docking study of copper complex was performed by using Autodock4.2 software against Cytochrome C oxidase, Glutathione peroxidase 1 and Superoxide Dismutase 1 enzymes. Based on analytical, conductance, magnetic and electronic spectral data the Cu (II) and Zn (II) complexes are assigned tetrahedral geometry and Ni (II) complex is assigned square planar geometry. These complexes are formulated as [M(L)H2O]. The formation constants for the interaction of metal ions with homocysteine under physiological conditions as well as the structure and composition of metal complexes synthesized provide some evidence to earlier biochemical studies on animal models. The docking values obtained in the present study may provide supporting information for the biochemical studies related to homocysteine toxicity in presence of metal ions. The binding interactions at these enzymes active site revealed that copper homocysteine complex interaction led to Inhibition of COX, SOD and Glutathione peroxidase enzymes activity, a possible mechanism for therapeutic intervention to treat diseases caused by homocysteine toxicity
Prunus cerasoides D. Don is the botanical name of the Himalayan cherry and is distributed in the Himalayas and other regions of Asia. Time to defoliation, time to flowering, and flower colour were reviewed in the research database such as Google scholar, ResearchGate and Google. Survey was also carried out in Kathmandu valley, Pokhara, Chitwan of Nepal and Chiang Rai of Thailand to understand the stated parameters. Three colours of flowers were observed in the Himalayan cherry: light pink, white and pink. In the similar locations, light pink type cherry tree flower earlier followed by white whereas flowering was late in pink type flowers. Altitude of the location influenced the time to flower induction and the trend was observed in all the types. This probably could be triggered by lower minimum temperature and was found important to influence flowering time in contrast to the geographical location in the Himalayan region. In South Asian countries, Himalayan cherry flowers from mid part of October to January. However, flowering of Himalayan cherry was found to be in November-December (Japan), December-January (Vietnam), December-February (Thailand) whereas flowering was twice (March-April and August-September) in Indonesia.
Eugenol (4-hydroxy-3-methoxy-allylbenzene) is an important bioactive compound found in various medicinal plants and has been extensively investigated for its pharmacological properties. Apart from its anaesthetic and analgesic properties, this phenolic compound has antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anticancer and antioxidant properties. One of the promising candidates with versatile applications in designing new drugs will be Eugenol for its pharmacological effects. While the metabolism and pharmacokinetics of Eugenol have been studied in humans, still there is lack of data available on its precise mode of action and its impact on system level protein networks. To identify the action of Eugenol on protein interaction network, an interactome was constructed using STRING and Cytoscape tools, based on 98 key proteins extracted from PubMed literatures. Swiss Target Prediction was used to predict the possible macromolecular targets in humans. It was predicted that the target classes included 20% enzymes, secreted protein, and Family A G- protein coupled receptors, 13.3% of Ligand-gated ion channel and 6.7% of kinase, eraser, lyase and oxidoreductases. Further, using the Cytoscape 3.9.1 version in-silico study, it could be observed that 92 nodes in total were connected with 61 edges with a clustering coefficient of 0.369. Using a phytochemical Eugenol, the possible network analysis has been predicted. Evaluating the network among the other phytochemicals of Ocimum sanctum could help us to investigate the role played by these key phytochemicals at gene and molecular level and can help us explore their interference in disease patterns in humans.
The objective of this study was to develop the new variability in mega seed rice varieties by establishing the novel phenotypic marker. This new genetic variability could be immediate beneficial to the seed industry. The greenrevertible albino mutant ‘a-16’ was developed from the mega rice variety, ASD16 by mutation breeding approach. The albino seedling was turned into normal green seedling at 3-7 leaf stage and this trait is inherited and controlled by Mendelian single recessive gene. The stable green-revertible albino trait was evaluated at different stages to screen the large-scale genetic admixtures at nursery level in a short period of time. A lot of measures were taken to assess the genetic purity in the field and laboratory which could reveal the results after harvest. The adoption of green-revertible albino mutant could reproduce the precise result at seedling level, hence, application of green-revertible albino mutant in seed industry requires technological and policy interventions urgently to verify the rice productivity level in major rice growing areas.
Urolithiasis is the condition where urinary calculi are formed anywhere within the excretory organ, bladder, and/ or ureters. Asphaltum commonly called Karpura shilajit is known for different activities like antimicrobial, antidiabetic, antiulcer, fungitoxocity, estrogenic, anti-inflammatory, antihyperglycemic, antilithiatic activity and antioxidant activity. The aim of study is to evaluate anti-lithiatic activity by ethylene glycol ammonium chloride (0.75%) model for 28 days and in vitro anti-inflammatory activity by protein denaturation method using the mineral extract where cystone (500 mg/kg, p.o.) used as a standard drug in the present study. Preliminary Phytochemical screening resulted in the presence of flavonoids, saponins, carbohydrates, terpenoids and steroids. The Shilajit extract significantly restored creatinine, urea, uric acid, calcium, phosphate, oxalate, sodium and potassium levels in Ethylene glycol ammonium chloride induced urolithiasis model. Histopathological examination further confirmed the induction of lithiasis with crystal deposition in the sections of kidney treated with ethylene glycol-ammonium chloride. The mechanism by which the extract exhibited this effect is possibly through an antiinflammatory, nephroprotection. Karpura shilajit had shown significant effect on urine volume, urine pH, urine excretion, sodium and potassium levels. The steroids, terpenoids and flavonoids isolated from Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopy are docked with prostaglandin synthase inhibitor for anti-inflammation activity and Glycolate oxidase / Lactate dehydrogenase inhibitor. Overall results explain us that Karpura shilajit has proven nephroprotective activity by ethylene glycol induced model along with anti-inflammatory activity i.e., by controlling renal stone formation and increasing urine flow and reduction in impaired renal tubules.
On-station and on-farm multi-location experiments were conducted at Agricultural Research Station, Pakhribas and its outreach sites on the high value wild medicinal herb Chiraito (Swertia chirayita (Roxb. ex Fleming) Karsten in order to develop seed germination technologies for the hill regions of Nepal. Germination researches were conducted at 4 sites located at 1800-2200 m above mean sea level for 3 years under various growing environments: treating with acid, warm and normal water, mixing with dung slurry and moist soil under nursery, cultivated and virgin land, and meadow and terrace riser conditions. Minute seeds of Chiraito 1g m-2 after treatment were mixed into 1 tea glass of sand/soil and sown/broadcast on nursery bed. Five experiments were laid out in randomized complete block and one in Latin square design with 3 to 6 treatments and 2 to 5 replicates. Plot size was 1m x 1m for each treatment. Germination started after 2 weeks, and proceeded very slowly (continued upto 2-3 months to germinate most seeds). Growth of seedlings was also slow and took 4-5 months (May-August) to reach transplantable 6-8 leaved stage. Varied numbers of emerged seedlings: 250-2000 (grand mean 850) in 1 square meter bed were counted from different trials/ treatments based on locations. Germination achieved higher by soaking seed with water for 24 hours. Improved nursery raising techniques, growing media, cultural practices and direct seeding were tested, verified and found recommendable to the growers for the first time at Agricultural Research Station Pakhribas.
With the exponential increase of available textual data, transforming the natural language content into potential information becomes crucial to assist the prominent application domains. In Natural Language Processing (NLP) applications, keyphrase generation has recently become an increasingly prominent research topic. Even though numerous advancements are realized in the current keyphrase generation models, the proliferation of neural network models profoundly impacted natural language generation to a new era. Over the past several years, various studies on keyphrase extraction and generation have been developed that deliver significant contributions to the current state of keyphrase generation research. The researchers confront understanding the deep insights for further developments from the conventional keyphrase generation research while adopting the deep neural network models. Hence, this work notably focuses on studying the keyphrase generations with the impact of the exploding deep learning methods. This survey briefly introduces keyphrase generation in NLP and reviews the recent abstractive methods using deep learning for meaningful keyphrase generation that achieves stateof-the-art performance. By determining and discussing the shortcomings in the previous machine learning and deep learning-based keyphrase generation, this work facilitates strong groundwork for understanding the recent developments in keyphrase generation. Also, it discusses the research challenges in keyphrase generation from the perspective of both text mining and deep learning models. Thus, this study lays the foundation for the researchers to develop potential solutions to resolve the research constraints in keyphrase generation.
The aim of this work is to evaluate the anti-oxidant and anti-diabetic activity of extracts of Ardisia solanacea and assess the cytotoxicity as well. The leaves were subjected to solvent extraction and nanoparticles were synthesized using the extracts. The AgNP of methanol extract from leaves of A. solanacea showed the highest total phenolic and flavonoid contents of 35.44 mg of gallic acid/gm and 15.77 mg of quercetin /gm respectively. The TEM analysis revealed that the size of AgNPs ranged between 30 and 47 nm with ƛmax of 440nm. The AgNP of methanolic extract at 100µg/ mL exhibited maximum activity of 89.6% and 84.9% for DPPH and H2O2 scavenging activities respectively. Further, the extracts exhibited excellent NO scavenging, Xanthine oxidase inhibition and anti-glycation activities. The AgNP of methanol extract displayed excellent inhibitory activity with IC50 of 45.47 µg/mL and 56.42 µg/mL respectively for α-amylase and α-glucosidase. The MTT assay for the cytotoxic studies in vitro of extracts on HepG2 cells at varied concentrations was carried out and all the tested extracts and compounds displayed low levels of toxicity in a dosedependent approach. However, all the extracts exhibited <50% cell death even at the highest concentration of 200 µg/ mL. Therefore, Ardisia solanacea could be explored as a biofriendly natural source of phytoconstituents, which serves as an alternative to conventional synthetic compounds for the treatment and management of various diseases.
Coconut fiber is readily available, it is a good substitute for steel fiber in concrete. Additionally, it offers coconut farmers a new revenue stream as demand from the construction sector increases. These natural fibers can be a cost-effective way to dispose of coir mattress waste and, being environmentally friendly, they can significantly reduce environment pollution from burning it. However, it is crucial to assess whether the use of these fibers affects the strength of concrete, determining their suitability for widespread use in the construction industry or identifying potential concerns. This study aims to compare the strength of reinforced concrete without coconut fiber to that with coconut fiber reinforced concrete at various fiber concentrations. Tests were conducted with different fiber percentages (1%, 3%, and 5% by weight of cement) to evaluate the compressive, split tensile, and flexural strength of coconut fiber reinforced concrete. The results indicate that coconut fiber enhances both the flexural and compressive strength of concrete, along with improving its ductile behavior.
The study aims to evaluate the seismic performance of Compressed stabilized earthen block (CSEB) masonry building with and without earthquake resistant features. FEM based structural analysis software ANSYS was used to model and analyse the structures. The building is modelled with macromodelling approach and SOLID65 element was selected to represent the nature of the masonry. Linear and non-linear static analyses were conducted for both models. The nonlinear concrete model based on William-Warnke failure criteria was used. The pushover curves were developed for the normal masonry building (M1) and the timber reinforced masonry building (M2) to compare the seismic performance. The performance level of buildings was assessed using procedures stated in FEMA 356. The seismic analyses showed that the building model M2 having earthquake resisting features performed well during the earthquake. The first mode time period is decreased by 41.7%, the capacity is increased by 64.62% in x direction and 66.5% in y direction after addition of the reinforcement in M1 model. The performance level was at collapse stage (CO) in the unreinforced model in transverse direction, while, it was in range between immediate occupancy (IO) and life safety (LS) level after addition of timber reinforcement.
From the survey, a total of 41 plant species belonging to 30 families were found to be useful in the treatment of hepatic disorders. The mostly used were the whole plant of Cuscuta reflexa (85%) and fruits of Carica papaya (50%), Saccharum officinarum (46.5%) and Cucurbita pepo (44.5%). Herbal remedies were mostly prepared from freshly collected plants and used alone or with water. Among the documented species, six plant parts, that were least studied previously, were selected for the study of antioxidant and antibacterial activities. The extracts of Diplazium stoliczkae, rhizomes and leaves both, with IC50 value, 5.54 and 5.49 µg/ml respectively, close to that of standard, ascorbic acid (4.80 µg/ml) showed potent antioxidant activity against 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) free radical. Also, the extracts of rhizomes and leaves of D. stoliczkae and bark of Bombax Ceiba showed antibacterial activity comparable to that of standard drugs at a concentration of 1 mg/ml.
Natural fibers have been utilized in construction materials consistent with the concept of sustainability. These fiber sources are abundant in many parts of the world. It is established that the orientation of coconut fiber used in concrete mix, attempt to obtain the highest possible ductility as opposed to normal brittle nature of concrete. However, alternative binders must also be utilized in an effort to prolong the useful life of these plant fibers in composite to increase the tension capacity of concrete. The use of these fibers increases tension capacity of that concrete and reduces negative environmental consequences. Coconut fibers are generally economic and present in abundance thus making it a possible choice for use as a concrete reinforcement material. Therefore, in this study, physical as well as mechanical properties of coconut coir have been evaluated to explore the use of it as favorable concrete reinforcing fiber. It is found that coconut fibers have 0.2 to 0.4 times tensile strength of mild steel. Similarly, its elongation property against mild steel is near about 0.3 times before breaking. The other major property, bonding with concrete is also found comparable to bond of reinforcement with concrete. The Non-toxic and environmental friendly properties are particularly additional advantages on the use of such bio composites in concrete.
Clay-Induced formation damage is a worldwide problem in the petroleum industry, which is caused by the swelling and migration of clays and subsequent plugging of the pore throats. The In-Situ formation damage by clay minerals in sandstone reservoirs is governed by the physicochemical factors that control the stability and transport of the clays. The study presented here focuses on the effects of In-Situ Clay-Induced Formation Damage on oil recovery during Low Salinity Waterflooding (LSW) in the Tipam Reservoir Sandstone of Upper Assam Basin, India. Analysis of reservoir rock, formation brine, and crude oil shows the feasibility of LSW in the study area. The paper describes the alteration of rock permeability and porosity in a series of core flooding experiments using low-salinity brine. It is observed that the permeability and porosity of the flooded core plugs decrease during LSW. The SEM analysis of the fines migrated along with the effluent water during core flooding shows the presence of Kaolinite, Illite, and Mixed-layer. The study shows that the permeability reduction occurs during LSW through the plugging of pore throats which may be due to some mechanical and chemical processes like migration and swelling of clays. This plugging can increase the oil recovery by enhancing the Sweep Efficiency. Also, the migrated clay minerals can enhance the oil recovery by wettability modification and reduction of oil-water Interfacial Tension (IFT). Further, the permeability decline in the Swept Zone may improve the LSW performance by increasing the water breakthrough time and reducing the water cut.
The study evaluates the vulnerability and climate change (CC) impacts on livelihood-related services aiming to identify strategies for enhancing resilience and adaptation. Key aspects of the study include the analysis of hydro-meteorological data, examination of climatic variability evidence, and vulnerability assessments related to CC. Vulnerability to CC varies based on exposure, sensitivity, and adaptation capacity, especially within a small spatial scale. Employing a bottom-up approach, the study applied trend analysis, Mann-Kendall statistical trend, IPCC vulnerability equation, and the Capacity Building and Vulnerability Assessment (CBCA) framework as fundamental methodologies. Meteorological and household data validate climatic trends and vulnerability. Significant changes in climatic parameters are observed, mirroring previous studies. Local communities experience decreased rainfall frequency, frequent floods, extended dry seasons, delayed monsoons, and intense late summer rainfall, verified by data from the nearest meteorological station. The exposure index ranges from 2.35 to 3.87, with wards 1 and 6 of Laljhadi Rural Municipality (RM) having the least exposure while ward 3 the highest, according to respondent perceptions. Sensitivity is highest in wards near the Doda River, with ward 4 having the highest sensitivity index. Adaptive capacity indices range from 2.01 to 3.68, with the least in wards 1 and 6. The highest vulnerability is observed in wards 3, 4, and 2 with vulnerability scores of 16.8, 13.6, and 11.1, respectively. Overall, the vulnerability calibration index indicated low adaptive capacity across all wards, emphasizing the need to enhance adaptive capabilities as a key recommendation for reducing CC vulnerability.
A field experiment was carried out in Godak-10, Ilam, during the cropping season of February to July 2021, to investigate the effect of organic seed priming treatments on bitter gourd growth performance. Hard seed coat of bitter gourd puts mechanical restriction on embryo development and it is the reason for poor seedling problems. Seed priming is the method not only to improve germinations, vigour and uniform emergence of seedlings in field conditions but also to improve crop establishment and ultimately enhance the yield. The experiment was done in a double-factor randomized complete block design with 3 replications and 8 treatments. Three varieties of bittergourd viz. Palee, Asmita (Syngenta), and local, were assigned as the first factor. Whereas, priming treatments with cow milk and water 1:1, cow urine and water 1:1, cow dung slurry and water 1:2, water and control (no priming) were assigned as second factor. Parameters such as seed germination percentage (83.66%), day to emergence (9 days), seedling’s stem diameter (3.12 mm), shoot weight (1.8 gm), shoot length (11.5 cm), root length (14.4 cm), plant height 20 days after transplanting (67.4 cm) and 40 days after transplanting (125 cm), number of leaves 20 days after transplanting (21) and tendrils 20 days after transplanting (14), day to first flowering (33 days), day to first fruit set (39 days) and yield (3.02 kg/plant) were significantly higher in the variety Palee. Seed germination percentage (71.55%), seedling stem diameter (3.05 mm) were significantly higher with the priming treatment of cow urine and water 1:1, but other parameters, the priming treatment was significantly at par with all treatments except control. The study indicated that presoaking of bittergourd seeds in organic priming treatment, i.e., cow urine and water 1:1, could render better growth performance.
Coupling of IgG with peroxidase enzyme finds various applications in determining the antigen-antibody interactions, in diagnostics or for research purpose. In the present study, Peroxidase enzyme was isolated from various vegetables like tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), cabbage (Brassica oleracea) and Radish (Raphanus sativus) and partial purification of enzymes was done with ammonium sulphate fractionation to 80% saturation. The active peroxidase enzyme was coupled to Goat anti-human IgG and the efficiency of coupling procedure was tested against Protein A sepharose purified human IgG. The coupling procedure was done by using sodium periodate and coupling was confirmed by dot blot and ELISA procedures. The present study provides an indigenous method to isolate an active peroxidase enzyme and couple to various IgG and use in immuno detection methods at very cost effective manner.
Global incidence of dengue has grown over recent decades, with half of the population now at risk. Vector control is the main way to control dengue disease, as many dengue vaccines are still under research. Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus are the vector species, responsible for dengue transmission in the world. The repeated larvae and pupae sampling of eight times in dry and wet seasons (May to September) was conducted within 100 houses including residential and non-residential. Dipping method using standard dippers were used for immature mosquito collection. This study foundthat non- residential areas are preferred breeding sites for dengue mosquitoes compared to residential premises. The Stegomyia indices, House Index (HI), Container Index (CI) and Breteau Index (BI) were found higher in non-residential houses than that of residential houses.The statistical analysisshows strong significant differences, p<0.05 when compared between two seasons (dry and wet). Seven different types of containers classified by shape, use and materials contribute 72-74% of immature dengue mosquitoes. This study concludes that for dengue mosquitoes’ production, dark coloured containers found in both residential and non-residential sites are highly productive. Thus, further studies covering all seasons and households are highly recommended in the study sites leading to effective vector control actions targeting all types of productive wet containers available in the study area and elsewhere.
The presented work has explored the comparative study of electronic properties of semi conducting nanowires of different materials. These nanowires have critical role in photovoltaic and it shapes the future of new and renewable energy. The study has been performed for different shapes of nanowires. The various shapes under consideration are 2-atom Linear Nanowire, 2-atom Zigzag Nanowire, 4-atom Square Nanowire and 6-atom Hexagonal Nanowire. The findings for electronic properties reveal that 2-atom linear wire can be conducting as well semi conducting, 2-atom zigzag wire is conducting for almost all materials, 4-atom square wire is insulating for most of the materials while 6-atom hexagonal wire has come out to be insulating for all materials. Hence a semiconducting material shows conducting, semiconducting and insulating behavior depending on the proposed shape for various materials.
Institutional delivery is a delivery that takes place at any medical facility staffed by skilled delivery assistance. A descriptive cross-sectional study design was adopted to find out the factors associated with institutional delivery service utilization among mothers. The study was done in wards 6 and 11 of Gorkha Municipality in Gorkha district. The sample size was 80. The data were analysed using SPSS 16. The majority of the respondents, i.e., 97.5%, were literate, and 60% of the respondents were homemakers. 38.5% of the respondent’s husband was involved in foreign employment. Obstetric factors for institutional delivery depict nearly three-fourths of the total respondents, i.e., 72.5% of mothers marry at the age of 15-20 years; nearly half, i.e., 48.8% of mothers deliver babies at the age of 21–25; and the majority of the respondents, i.e., 97.5%, visited for an ANC checkup more than four times. Only 18.8% had complications during pregnancy. The majority of the respondents, i.e., 97.5%, thought health institutions were the best place for delivery, of which 60.3% chose health institutions for quality services. The majority of the respondents, 93.8%, delivered babies at health institutions. Enabling factors for institutional delivery depict nearly two-thirds of the respondents, i.e., 62.5%, making their own decisions. The majority of the respondents, i.e., 85.7%, received delivery services by a nurse; nearly half of the respondents, i.e., 47.5%, travelled 30–60 minutes. More than half of the respondents (55.0%) went to health institutions by vehicle. Similarly, 57.1% of the respondents received health care within 15 minutes. The present study concluded that, in spite of the higher proportion of institutional delivery, no significant association was found among the selected socio-demographic variables, i.e., educational status, spouse educational status, ethnicity, religion level, and monthly income.
An accurate identification at the species level is often the first step in successfully controlling, mitigating and managing of insect pests. Species identification utilizing molecular approaches can complement morphological identification, often resulting more accurate result. Tephritid fruit fly insects can be identified quickly using DNA barcoding technology. In this study, Chinese fruit fly (Bactrocera minax), a destructive citrus pest collected in Nepal, was identified using barcoding method with the sequence of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) gene.
