Improving the effectiveness of collective action: sharing experiences from community forestry in Nepal

"The forest management strategy of Nepal is based on people's participation, which is known as community forestry. This approach was formally introduced in 1978 to encourage active participation of local people in forest management activities as a means to improve their livelihoods. Under the community forestry structure, local people make decisions regarding forest management, utilization and distribution of benefits from a forest; they are organized as a Community Forest User Group. Presently about 1.2 million hectares of forest is under the control of about 14,000 Community Forest User Groups. It has received highest priority within the forestry sector and is one of the most successful development initiatives in Nepal. However, emerging evidence indicates that forest user groups have excluded rather than included women's participation in their activities. This paper is based on the findings from six forest users groups implementing a program aimed at strengthening governance at the local level through increased women's participation and increased advocacy skills and capacity of selected civil society groups. It presents the process of women's empowerment in forest user groups by describing changes made in those groups once women begin participating and holding key decision-making positions. The findings note significant variation in funds allocated for social and community development activities, which are necessary to address the issues of poverty and social equity in Nepal. In addition, they note the importance of building both the capacity of individual women leaders and an enabling environment to support the women's initiatives. A collaborative and inclusive approach that includes women and marginalized groups as committee executives and members of local government bodies is necessary to build the enabling environment." Authors' AbstractGender, Poverty, Forest management, Governance, Community forestry, Collective action,

Distribution and Characterization of the Soybean Cyst Nematode, Heterodera glycines (HG) Types in South Dakota

The soybean cyst nematode (SCN), Heterodera glycines Ichinohe, is an endoparasitic nematode and one of the major pests of soybean (Glycine max L.) in the United State and all over the world where soybean is grown. SCN is ranked first among the biological factors that cause yield loss in soybean. The estimated yield loss by this nematode is $1b annually in the United States alone. SCN is thought to have been first found in China. It was first identified in the United States in 1954 in North Carolina and in South Dakota in 1995. To date, SCN continues to spread in South Dakota having been detected in 29 counties. SCN is spread through soil movement when the soil is infested with SCN. The females (cyst) and also eggs remaining outside the cyst are the dispersal units of SCN. The second stage juveniles (J2) (worm-like, infecting stage) hatch from the eggs after stimulation from soybean roots, and infects the soybean roots. SCN not only attacks soybean, but also invades several other leguminous crops such as common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), black bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), pinto (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and navy (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and forage legumes such as vetch (Vicia sativa), lespedeza (Kummerowia sp.), and lupine (Lupinus perennis). Several winter weeds like common chickweed (Stellaria media), henbit (Lamium amplexicaule), purple deadnettle (Lamium purpureum), small-flowered bitter cress (Cardamine hirsuta), shepherd’s-purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris), and field pennycress (Thlaspi arvense) are also hosts for SCN. The losses to soybean production caused by SCN vary mainly with the degree of infestation (population density), susceptibility of the cultivar grown, and other biotic and abiotic factors such as soil type and weather conditions. SCN can cause yield loss of up to 30 % without showing any visible symptoms in the plants and losses can go up to 75% in heavily infested fields. SCN completes its life cycle within 3 to 4 weeks depending upon the environmental factors mainly soil temperature. SCN population genetic diversity is the most challenging aspect for the management of this nematode. This study examined the distribution of Heterodera glycines and characterized HG types prevalent in South Dakota by monitoring the present status, population density, and determining HG types. This study also assessed the resistance of few of the available commercial soybean cultivars against prevalent HG types occur in South Dakota. A total of 250 soil samples were arbitrarily collected from different counties of South Dakota that had previously been found positive for SCN. Analysis of the soil samples showed a high prevalence of SCN infestation (32%) of the soil samples collected for this study and SCN population density varied from 250 to 62,500 per 100 cm3 of soil. The extracted SCN populations were subjected to HG type determination under greenhouse conditions. A total of eight types of Heterodera glycines population were found in South Dakota. Among the eight HG types, HG types 0, 2.5.7, and 7, were most prevalent. Assessment of commercial cultivars for resistance showed varied reaction from susceptible to resistant. Most of the commercial soybean cultivars tested were resistant to HG type 0 and moderately resistant to HG type 0, 2.5.7, and 7 and only one cultivar showed susceptibility to all three populations tested in greenhouses conditions. These results indicate that host resistance is effective in managing in SCN in South Dakota. However, with almost all SCN resistant cultivars having similar source of SCN resistance genes (PI 88788), and some populations of SCN having \u3e 10% reproduction on PI 88788, there is a need to integrate host resistance with crop rotation, nematicide seed treatments, and rotation within resistant cultivars for sustainable SCN management in South Dakota

EXAMINING THE CRB INDEX AS AN INDICATOR FOR U.S. INFLATION

This paper analyzes historical movements in the commodity futures market and the relationship to inflation. Specifically, the relationship between the Commodity Research Bureau (CRB) Index and United States inflation is investigated. It is said that the relationship between the CRB index and the U.S. inflation rate was greater in the some periods than in another period. Then in recent times the CRB Index has proven to be a reliable early indicator of inflation. As the composition of the United States economy changes, the Commodity Research Bureau must make adjustments in order to provide a viable service.CRB index, Commodities Research Bureau, inflation, Vector Autoregression, Marketing, Public Economics, E00, E30,

Antimicrobial Resistance in Nepal

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global problem to animal and public health. It has drawn the attention of public health experts, stakeholders, and medical science due to the substantial economic loss that it causes to individuals and nation as a whole. Various cross-sectional studies and some national surveys in developing countries have shown increase in the burden of antimicrobial resistance. Nepal is one of the major contributors to the growing burden of AMR due to widespread irrational use of antibiotics along with poor health care systems poor infection control and prevention measures. This review was conducted to summarize the situation of AMR in Nepal, determinants of AMR, current government intervention strategies and the way forward to reduce the AMR burden in Nepal. Available cross sectional reports warn that bacterial pathogens are becoming highly resistant to most first- and some second-line antibiotics. The irrational and injudicious use of high doses of antibiotics for therapy and sub-optimal doses as growth promoters are leading causes of AMR in Nepal. Establishment of a surveillance programme and a national plan for containment of AMR, following the National Antibiotics Treatment Guideline 2014 and generation of awareness among veterinarians, technicians, and medical physicians on prudent use of antimicrobial drugs in Nepal could reduce the burden of AMR. In addition, there is a need to develop a national laboratory strategic plan to provide guidance and governance to national laboratories

Effect of Dietary Supplementation of Rumen Undegradable Protein on Productive Performance of Early Lactating Buffaloes

An experiment was conducted to study the effect of dietary supplementation of rumen un-degradable protein on productive performance of early lactating buffaloes for the duration of 90 days from February 5, 2014, to May 5, 2014. A total of twenty one lactating Murrah buffaloes in their early to mid-lactation were randomly selected and divided into three groups. Experimental diets were formulated into three- low (30.56% of dietary Crude Protein), medium (43.54% of dietary crude protein) and high (50.04% of dietary CP), iso-nitrogenous (16% CP) and iso-caloric (72% total digestible nutrients) rumen un-digestible protein (RUP) levels. A significant difference (p<0.05) in body weight gain of buffaloes was recorded in animals of high RUP group in comparison to medium and low RUP groups. Milk yield in the medium RUP group (43.54%) was significantly higher than the high and the low RUP group (p<0.05). The mean serum total protein, blood urea nitrogen concentrations were significantly lower in both the high and the medium RUP groups than in the low RUP group (p<0.05). However, blood glucose level was significantly higher in high RUP group than in low and medium RUP group (p<0.05) whereas milk fat, solid not fat, lactose, protein and electrical conductivity showed no significant differences among the three treatment groups (p>0.05). Hence, it can be concluded that the diet containing a medium level of dietary CP as RUP improved the productive performance of early lactating buffaloes. Thus, diet containing the medium level of dietary CP as RUP should be given to improve the productive performance of early lactating buffaloes under the climatic settings of Nepal

Virtual Medical Board: A Distributed Bayesian Agent Based Approach

Distributed Decision Making has become of increasing importance to get solution of different real life problems, where decision makers are in geographically dispersed locations. Application of agent and multi agent system in this Distributed Decision Support System is an evolving paradigm. One of such real life problem is medical diagnosis. For critical medical diagnosis, medical board is formed which is a coordinative discussion mechanism between a group of expert physicians to diagnose a patient. But always forming a medical board with a group of expert physicians may not be possible due to lack of infrastructure, availability, time etc. In that situation the role of multi agent based distributed decision making can comes into play. In this paper we develop a Virtual Medical Board System in which a number of software agents (expert agents) act as a group of expert physician with knowledge base(KB), reasoning capability. They coordinatively discuss with each other to diagnose a patieh each other to diagnose a patient. We represent the discussion module of the system in the form of Bayesian Network of Bayesian Agent (BNBA). In BNBA each BA is the expert software agent whose Knowledge Base (KB) is represented in the form of Bayesian Network (BN). Also the BDI (Belief, Desire, Intention) model of each BA is represented in this paper

Credit’s use performance and its determinants on farm household: A case of Chitwan district of Nepal

Credit has been considered to play a pivotal role in the agricultural development of Nepal. A large number of institutions are involved in the disbursement of credit to agriculture. In this backdrop, the present study has examined the performance of agricultural credit and has identified the determinants of increased use of credit at the farm household level in Nepal. The study was based on survey data consisting of 107 samples collected randomly from the Chitwan district. The study has revealed that the quantum of credit availed by the farming households is affected by several socio-demographic factors which include caste, economically active population, food sufficiency, and membership in an organization. The research revealed that if the household is Brahmin/ Chettri, the probability of borrowing loans decreased by 32% as compared to other castes. Similarly, if the household’s economically active population increased by one unit, the probability of taking a loan increased by 16%. The results also show that, if household food sufficiency increased by one month the probability of taking loans decreased by 4 % but if the household head is a member of an organization, the probability of taking a loan increased by 28%. The congenial environment to increase the involvement of the household head to an organization like cooperative and farmers group, increasing the food self-sufficiency through productivity enhancement program and creating awareness on credit utilization helps to increase credit use performance in Agriculture

Dasatinib tyrosine kinase inhibitor as second and third line therapy in chronic myeloid leukemia: outcome of a Nepalese study

Introductions: Dasatinib is indicated as a first line, second line and third line tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). In our center it is used as a second line or third line therapy in BCR-ABL gene positive CML. Methods: It is a retrospective observational therapy done from June 2015 to May 2018.   The purpose of the study is to see the response rates using the second line and third line dasatinib after failing or not tolerating imatinib alone or following a sequential therapy with imatinib and nilotinib. Results: A total of 31 (male 56.3%) patients were included in our study. In eighteen patients it was used as a second line TKI and in 13 a third line TKI. Complete Hematologic Response (CHR) was achieved in 93.55%. Best optimal responses were 46.66% and 61.53% in second and third line dasatinib respectively. Major Molecular Response (MMR) was achieved in 35.71% (26.66% and 46.14% in second line and third line dasatinib respectively). For both the groups, the overall survival was 92% and 94 % at 20 months and the event free survival was 70% at 10 months. Conclusions:  Dasatinib is effective in achieving MMR and inducing survival benefit in the patients who failed imatinib alone and imatinib and nilotinib. Keywords: chronic myeloid leukemia, dasatinib, imatinib failure or intolerance, imatinib and nilotinib failure or intoleranc

Nepalese legal standard of milk and common milk products and its implications

The milk and milk products are diversified and there is increasing awareness about the quality standards of products among the consumers.Therefore this study reviewed the legal standard of milk and common milk Products in Nepal and its implications using desk review and exploratory research.In Nepal, the department of food technology and quality control has developed several legal standards for the quality assurance of milk and milk products. National Dairy Development Board has established the Code of Practice for Dairy Industry 2004 which directs six criteria for the standardization of milk and milk products like Organoleptic test, Clot On Boiling (COB) test, Alcohol Test,Fat test and Solids-Not-Fat (SNF)test,  Adulteration test, phosphate test, and microbial and coliform test. The review identified the quality standards of milk products like ghee, butter, paneer, milk powders but some quality parameters for ice-creams and cheese are still missing. The research identifies the quality non-compliance rate of milk and milk products that is about 19% which is in a decreasing trend. To the effective implementation of the legal standards, maintenance of health and hygiene of livestock at the production site, lab and infrastructure support at the distribution site, and creating consumer awareness to the consumer site is imperative