Aerobic Bacteria Associated with Symptomatic Gallstone Disease and their Antimicrobial Susceptibility in Western Nepal

Introduction: Gallstone disease is one of the most common disease affecting the gastrointestinal tract. Biliary tract infection results from bile stasis due to chronic obstruction, mainly (80%) gallstones. Biliary obstruction increases ductal pressure, resulting in bacterial proliferation and dissemination. Proper guidelines for appropriate use of antibiotics in managing uncomplicated and complicated gallstone disease are lacking; on the other hand, the antibiotic usage for its management cover a broad spectrum of organism which may not be required most of the times. This study aims to determine the microbiology of the bile culture and antimicrobial susceptibility in patients with symptomatic gallstone disease in our setup. Methods: This prospective study included patients admitted in surgery department with a diagnosis of symptomatic gallstone disease and subjected for laparoscopic or open cholecystectomy from 1st of Oct 2015 to 30th Sep 2016. The intraoperative bile of patients subjected for cholecystectomy were cultured aerobically in Blood agar and MacConkey agar. The isolates were identified and tested for their sensitivity pattern. The data were collected, entered and then analyzed using SPSS version 23. The descriptive statistics were calculated. Results: Of the total 259 patients, bile culture was negative in 183 patients (70.7%) and was positive in only 76 patients (29.3%). Pseudomonas was the most common cultured organism in 52 (68.4%) patients. Other isolated organisms included E. coli, Staphylococcus, Klebsiella, Enterococci, and Acinetobacter. Imipenem and amikacin were the most effective prophylactic antibiotics. Conclusion: Bile culture was negative in majority of patients with symptomatic gallstone disease. Few patients are positive in culture with predominantly Pseudomonal growth, mostly sensitive to amikacin or imipenem

Molecular detection of Leishmania parasites from whole bodies of sandflies collected in Nepal.

Visceral leishmaniasis is endemic in the southern part of the Terai region of Nepal. Natural infections of Phlebotomus species with Leishmania parasites in these endemic areas were analyzed by a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification-based assay. A total of 401 Phlebotomus argentipes and 202 P. papatasi female sandflies were captured in the Dhanusa district from 2004 to 2006 and analyzed. It was found that 6.7% of P. argentipes, but no P. papatasi, were positive for Leishmania parasites, suggesting that P. argentipes is a major vector in these areas. The infectivity of P. argentipes with Leishmania was consistent with the infection rates reported from other areas of the world. This is the first report of naturally infected Leishmania parasites in sandflies collected from Nepal

EFFECT OF QUERY FORMATION ON WEB SEARCH ENGINE RESULTS

ABSTRACT Query in a search engine is generally based on natural language. A query can be expressed in more than one way without changing its meaning as it depends on thinking of human being at a particular moment. Aim of the searcher is to get most relevant results immaterial of how the query has been expressed. In the present paper, we have examined the results of search engine for change in coverage and similarity of first few results when a query is entered in two semantically same but in different formats. Searching has been made through Google search engine. Fifteen pairs of queries have been chosen for the study. The t-test has been used for the purpose and the results have been checked on the basis of total documents found, similarity of first five and first ten documents found in the results of a query entered in two different formats. It has been found that the total coverage is same but first few results are significantly different

Gram stain and Giemsa stain as a rapid diagnostic tool for diagnosis of vaginal infections” in Western Nepal

Abstract: Introduction: Infective vaginitis accounts for about 90% of all the cases of vaginal discharge in the women of reproductive age group. This includes triad of bacterial vaginosis, candidiasis and trichomoniasis. Method: The study was carried out in Lumbini Medical College and Teaching Hospital, Palpa, Nepal for a time period of 4 months. Total 125 high vaginal swabs from posterior fornix of vagina were collected from November 2014 to February 2015 in the department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, in the patients complaining of vaginal discharge. PH of the vaginal discharge was also determined by using litmus paper. Gram’s and Giemsa stain of vaginal swab smear were done to diagnose Bacterial vaginosis, Candidiasis and Trichomoniasis. Age, parity and pregnancy status of the patients were noted. Result: Out of 125 patient, bacterial vaginosis was found in 16% and candidiasis in 37%.Candidiasis and bacterial vaginosis were observed in child bearing sexually active women. Surprisingly bacterial vaginosis was not observed in pregnant women. Trichomoniasis infection was present in one case (0.8%) while severe invasive Candidiasis was observed in one woman. Conclusion: A definitive diagnosis can easily be made by Gram’s and Giemsa stain and microscopic examination of high vaginal swab. This may help in specific treatment and  prevent associated morbidity and  recurrence. Key words: Bacterial vaginosis, candidiasis, high vaginal swab, Gram’s stain, Giemsa stain.    

Sustainable livelihoods through conservation of wetland resources: a case of economic benefits from Ghodaghodi Lake, western Nepal

We investigated the participation of local ethnic groups in wetland conservation, determined the economic benefits that they received from the wetlands, and assessed socioeconomic factors that affect dependency on wetlands. A total of 217 wetland resource-user households residing around Ghodaghodi Lake, western Nepal were surveyed. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-tests and ordinary least squares regressions. The wetland resources contributed significantly to the household economy of the local people. Each household extracted lake resources at an annual worth of NPR 4379 ($63 USD), equivalent to 12.4% of the household total gross income. Although the people maintained a positive attitude toward wetland conservation, their participation in conservation efforts was inadequate. Socioeconomic factors such as larger household size, older age of the head of the family, and larger area of agricultural land increased the rate of resource extraction. In contrast, when households were involved with local conservation organizations, resource extraction was reduced. We recommend the following resource conservation and livelihood strategies: implementation of community-based conservation approaches to increase system productivity, adoption of biogas plants, and improved cooking stoves to reduce fuelwood consumption, coupled with conservation awareness programs

An analysis of willingness to pay for community-based conservation activities at the Ghodaghodi Lake Complex, Nepal

Wetlands comprise an important ecosystem but are under threat in developing countries due to increasing human encroachment. Community-based conservation is an approach for sustainable management of the wetlands near settlements. This study investigated willingness to pay of local people for community-based conservation activities and the variables affecting it in the Ghodaghodi Lake Complex, Nepal. A sample of 217 households residing near the lake complex was surveyed. The result showed that households were willing to pay for community-based conservation activities, at an average of NPR 378 (US$5.4) per annum. The age of the household head, wetland income, agricultural income and prior experiences on participation in conservation activities positively affected household's willingness to pay. Government expenditure of at least the amount of willingness to pay estimated by this study for the community-based conservation activities would be economically and environmentally justified

Diversity, Uses, and Threats in the Ghodaghodi Lake Complex, a Ramsar Site in Western Lowland Nepal

This study documents aquatic and terrestrial/riparian biodiversity in an anthropogenically disturbed Ramsar site, the Ghodaghodi Lake complex, in the Western Nepal surveyed during the summer season (March-April) of 2007. The study site comprises three major interconnected lakes: Ghodaghodi (138 ha), Nakharodi (70 ha), and Bainshwa (10 ha). Five transect lines for aquatic macrophytes and three transect lines and 37 sampling plots were laid to sample terrestrial/riparian plants, birds, and animals. Five sample plots were established for fish and aquatic bird. A total of 45 species of aquatic macrophytes, 54 species of terrestrial/riparian vegetation, 19 fish species, 41 bird species, 17 mammals (endangered and vulnerable), and 5 reptiles (critically endangered, vulnerable, and near threatened) were recorded at the lake complex. Local people have used most of the aquatic and terrestrial plants for different purposes while many of the potential medicinal plant species were still untapped. Persistent anthropogenic threats, like excessive harvesting and poaching, habitat destruction-population pressure, forest fragmentation, siltation, fertilizer and pesticide seepage, water pollution, overgrazing, and unmanaged irrigation system found over the lake complex, endangered the existing biodiversity. The suggested remedial measures are further exploration of medicinal potential, prioritization of in situ biodiversity conservation strategies, and implementation of awareness program at local level against anthropogenic threats

Role of Histone Deacetylases in Carcinogenesis: Potential Role in Cholangiocarcinoma

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a highly invasive and metastatic form of carcinoma with bleak prognosis due to limited therapies, frequent relapse, and chemotherapy resistance. There is an urgent need to identify the molecular regulators of CCA in order to develop novel therapeutics and advance diseases diagnosis. Many cellular proteins including histones may undergo a series of enzyme-mediated post-translational modifications including acetylation, methylation, phosphorylation, sumoylation, and crotonylation. Histone deacetylases (HDACs) play an important role in regulating epigenetic maintenance and modifications of their targets, which in turn exert critical impacts on chromatin structure, gene expression, and stability of proteins. As such, HDACs constitute a group of potential therapeutic targets for CCA. The aim of this review was to summarize the role that HDACs perform in regulating epigenetic changes, tumor development, and their potential as therapeutic targets for CCA