Syntheses of azepinoindole alkaloids cimitrypazepine, fargesine and hyrtioreticulins C & D

The Watanabe-Cenini-Söderberg reductive N-heterocyclization has emerged as a powerful tool for the synthesis of a variety of functionalized indoles. Söderberg’s elaboration of this methodology has been utilized as a late-stage cyclization protocol for the synthesis of azepinoindole alkaloids, a class of natural products characterized by an azepane skeleton fused with an indole ring. Short syntheses of the naturally occurring azepino[5,4,3-cd]indole alkaloids, cimitrypazepine, fargesine, and the diastereomeric hyrtioreticulins C & D have been completed starting from commercially available tetra-substituted benzene derivatives. The key azepinoindole core in each case was assembled via an intramolecular Mizoroki-Heck reaction followed by a Watanabe-Cenini-Söderberg reductive N-heterocyclization. Synthesis of aurantioclavine using a similar strategy is currently underway

A case of cyclic neutropenia

A 14 years old girl presented with recurrent episodes of pharyngitis,aphthous ulcers, diarrhea and fever for the past four years. The episodeslasted a week each time. The patient was admitted and blood studiesrevealed neutropenia. On further investigations it was found out that herneutrophil count dropped to less than 0.5 x 10â¹/L after every three weeks.Bone marrow study was normal. She was diagnosed as cyclic neutropenia

Clinical profile of culture proven enteric fever in children at university teaching hospital, Nepal

Introductions: Enteric fever is one of the major public health issues in Nepal.The present study was designed to analyze the clinical profile and antibioticsensitivity pattern in the cases of culture positive typhoid fever.Methods: This is a cross sectional study done by reviewing the hospitalrecord files of children admitted in paediatric ward of Patan Hospital withculture positive enteric fever over a period of seven years from January2007 to December 2013. The mode of presentation, sensitivity pattern ofisolates from blood culture, response to therapy and the complications wererecorded and analyzed.Results: There were total of 119 culture positive enteric fever admitted tochildren ward during this period, 64 (53.7%) males and 55 (46.3%) females.Common symptoms were fever (100%), Common symptoms were fever(100%), vomiting 37 (31.09%), diarrhea 27 (22.68%), abdominal pain 31(26%) cough 24 (20%), and constipation six (5%). Common clinical signswere hepatomegaly 41 (34.4%), splenomegaly 25 (21%), and chest signs 10(8.4%). Sensitivity to ceftriaxone was 96.6% in this study. Ninety four percentof salmonella typhi in 2013 were resistant to quinolones.Conclusions: Apart from fever, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain and coughwere major manifestations and encephalopathy was common complicationof enteric fever in this study. Resistance to many of the drugs are emerging.An appropriate antibiotic has to be initiated only after culture sensitivity intyphoid fever.Keywords: clinical profile, enteric fever, salmonella typh

Assessment of channel shifting of Karnali Megafan in Nepal using remote sensing and GIS

River flow exhibits morphological changes over time. The shifting of river channels is a common natural phenomenon which often poses risk to life and property. Channel shifting is mostly associated..

Antibiotic Sensitivity in Post Cesarean Surgical Site Infection at a Tertiary Care Centre in Eastern Nepal

Introduction: Post cesarean surgical site infection (SSI) is one of the common complications diagnosed in 2.5%-16% of the cases and is associated with significant increase in maternal morbidity, hospital stay, costs, and psychological stress to the new parents. This study was designed to study the incidence of SSI and the antimicrobial resistance pattern in our hospital. Methods: This was a prospective observational study conducted from July 2015 to December 2015, in which all patients who were admitted with post cesarean SSI or developed SSI during their stay were included.  Wound specimens were collected and susceptibility testing was carried out using disc diffusion technique. Results: The incidence of post cesarean SSI was 6.07% (47/774). Out of the 47 patients who had SSI, 35 (74.75%) had positive swab culture. The most important organism isolated was Staphylococcus aureus (82.85%) out of which 17 (58.62%) were MRSA strain. The resistance of Staphylococcus to penicillin was 84.6% whereas amikacin was found to be highly sensitive (>96%). Among the MRSA strain, resistance to ciprofloxacin, which is the currently used drug for prophylaxis, was 94%. Resistance to penicillins, cephalosporins, and clavulanate was also high. Resistance to vancomycin was also high (53%). Amikacin and chloramphenicol were found to be highly sensitive  (94% and 90% respectively) in the MRSA group. Conclusion: MRSA is the leading cause of post cesarean SSI and is a matter of great concern. Amikacin and chloramphenicol were found to be highly sensitive in this group but unlike other studies, resistance of vancomycin was showing an increasing trend

Natural Hazards Perspectives on Integrated, Coordinated, Open, Networked (ICON) Science

This article is about the state of ICON principles Goldman et al. (2021), https://doi. org/10.1029/2021EO153180 in natural hazards and a discussion on the opportunities and challenges of adopting them. Natural hazards pose risks to society, infrastructure, and the environment. Hazard interactions and their cascading phenomena in space and time can further intensify the impacts. Natural hazards’ risks are expected to increase in the future due to environmental, demographic, and socioeconomic changes. It is important to quantify and effectively communicate risks to inform the design and implementation of risk mitigation and adaptation strategies. Multihazard multisector risk management poses several nontrivial challenges, including: (a) integrated risk assessment, (b) Earth system data-model fusion, (c) uncertainty quantification and communication, and (d) crossing traditional disciplinary boundaries. Here, we review these challenges, highlight current research and operational endeavors, and underscore diverse research opportunities. We emphasize the need for integrated approaches, coordinated processes, open science, and networked efforts (ICON) for multihazard multisector risk management

Farmers’ Perception of Climate Change and Its Impacts on Agriculture

Climate change and climate variability drive rapid glacier melt and snowpack loss, extreme precipitation and temperature events, and alteration of water availability in the Himalayas. There is increasing observational evidence of climate change impacts on water resource availability and agricultural productivity in the central Himalayan region. Here, we assess the farmers’ perception of climate change and its impacts on agriculture in western Nepal. We interviewed 554 households and conducted eight focus group discussions to collect farmers’ perceptions of temperature and rainfall characteristics, water availability, onset and duration of different seasons, and the impacts of such changes on their lives and livelihoods. Our results indicate that the farmers’ perceptions of rising annual and summer temperatures are consistent with observations. Perception, however, contradicts observed trends in winter temperature, as well as annual, monsoon, and winter precipitation. In addition, farmers are increasingly facing incidences of extreme events, including rainfall, floods, landslides, and droughts. These hazards often impact agricultural production, reducing household income and exacerbating the economic impacts on subsistence farmers. Integrated assessment of farmers’ perceptions and hydrometeorological observations is crucial to improving climate change impact assessment and informing the design of mitigation and adaptation strategies

Nepal Himalaya Offers Considerable Potential for Pumped Storage Hydropower

There is a pressing need for a transition from fossil-fuel to renewable energy to meet the increasing energy demands and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Nepal Himalaya possesses substantial renewable energy potential that can be harnessed through hydropower projects due to its peculiar topographic characteristics and abundant water resources. However, the current exploitation rate is low owing to the predominance of run-of-river hydropower systems to support the nation's power system. The utility-scale storage facility is crucial in the load scenario of an integrated Nepalese power system to manage diurnal variation, peak demand, and penetration of intermittent energy sources. In this study, we first identify the potential of pumped storage hydropower across the country under multiple configurations by pairing lakes, hydropower projects, rivers, and available flat terrains. We then identify technically feasible pairs from those of potential locations. Infrastructural, environmental, operational, and other technical constraints govern the choice of feasible locations. We find the flat land-to-river configuration most promising over other configurations for Nepal. Our results provide insight into the potential of pumped storage hydropower and are of practical importance in planning sustainable power systems in the Himalayas