Wildlife assessment of the Chandragiri hills, Kathmandu: Potentiality for ecotourism

Wildlife assessments can provide crucial information regarding species richness, relative abundance and spatial, temporal, and ecological information on wildlife habitat associations. The assessment’s information can in turn be used for developing management policies including for establishing touristic zones. We investigated wildlife occurrences in the Chandragiri Hills, Kathmandu Nepal from 2015-2019 to provide baseline data to inform the potential sites for ecotourism. During the study period, we recorded 30 mammal species, 199 bird species, 34 herpetofauna species and 77 butterfly species. The area harbors three globally and six nationally threatened mammal species, two globally and seven nationally threatened with one endemic bird species, one globally and nationally threatened herpetofauna, and one nationally threatened butterfly species. We also explored four potential hiking routes for observing wildlife and providing scenic views of the Himalayan range and Kathmandu city. Therefore, we expect Chandragiri Hills can become one of the hot spot for tourists to observe both common and threatened wildlife species in Nepal

Establishment of the mechanism of purification and levigation of green chemistry-assisted biocomposites of red ochre (Gairika): synthesis, characterization, and antibacterial, prebiotic, antioxidant, and antacid activities of the traditional Ayurvedic medicine Laghu Sutashekhara Rasa

Gairika (red ochre) has a long history of influencing human civilization. Gairika is a rich source of nutrients used for reproductive and brain health. Gairika is mentioned as an antacid drug in Indian Ayurvedic medicine under Laghu Sutashekhara Rasa (LSR). However, a detailed study on LSR has not been reported to date. In the present study, LSR was prepared, and a pharmaceutical SOP (standardization procedure) was reported to obtain batch-to-batch reproducibility. LSR was characterized using FTIR, XRD, SEM-EDX, and TGA analyses. LSR was tested in vitro for its antacid activity. Advanced instrumentation revealed that LSR formation produced symmetrical particles (5–8 µm) with kaolin, kaolinite, quartz, goethite, and hematite, along with the phytoconstituents of Goghrita (clarified cow’s butter), Shunthi, and Nagawalli, as confirmed by GC-MS/MS analysis. The FTIR study revealed the formation of a chelating complex of goethite and hematite along with their phytoconstituents. XRD analysis confirmed the presence of kaolin, kaolinite, quartz, goethite, and hematite. Using in vitro antacid experiments, LSR and Shunthi demonstrated significant antacid activity as compared to antacid drugs and standards in the market, such as CaCO3. The DPPH assay revealed IC50 values of 12.16 ± 1.23 mg/mL, which is 0.0029 of Trolox-equivalent antioxidant activity. The inhibition (18 ± 4 mm) against pathogens (S. aureus, E. coli, P. aeruginosa, and B. subtilis) and the prominent growth of gut microbiota-supported strains (S. boulardii, L. paracasei, and L. plantarum) observed on LSR formulation were indicative of LSR application as a prebiotic. Here, the mechanism of purification and levigation mentioned in the classical literature of LSR was established. Overall, purification of Gairika with cow ghee and levigation with Nagawalli may enhance the solubility, bioavailability, and shelf-life of LSR through hydration and co-crystallization mechanisms. This is the first comprehensive report on the pharmaceutical validation of LSR and its characterization. The results of the present study could contribute to the development and reliable reproduction of LSR and the utility of environmental red ochre as a medicine in combination with Shunthi (Zingiber officinale Roxb.), as prescribed under Indian Ayurvedic medicine

31st Annual Meeting and Associated Programs of the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC 2016) : part two

Background The immunological escape of tumors represents one of the main ob- stacles to the treatment of malignancies. The blockade of PD-1 or CTLA-4 receptors represented a milestone in the history of immunotherapy. However, immune checkpoint inhibitors seem to be effective in specific cohorts of patients. It has been proposed that their efficacy relies on the presence of an immunological response. Thus, we hypothesized that disruption of the PD-L1/PD-1 axis would synergize with our oncolytic vaccine platform PeptiCRAd. Methods We used murine B16OVA in vivo tumor models and flow cytometry analysis to investigate the immunological background. Results First, we found that high-burden B16OVA tumors were refractory to combination immunotherapy. However, with a more aggressive schedule, tumors with a lower burden were more susceptible to the combination of PeptiCRAd and PD-L1 blockade. The therapy signifi- cantly increased the median survival of mice (Fig. 7). Interestingly, the reduced growth of contralaterally injected B16F10 cells sug- gested the presence of a long lasting immunological memory also against non-targeted antigens. Concerning the functional state of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), we found that all the immune therapies would enhance the percentage of activated (PD-1pos TIM- 3neg) T lymphocytes and reduce the amount of exhausted (PD-1pos TIM-3pos) cells compared to placebo. As expected, we found that PeptiCRAd monotherapy could increase the number of antigen spe- cific CD8+ T cells compared to other treatments. However, only the combination with PD-L1 blockade could significantly increase the ra- tio between activated and exhausted pentamer positive cells (p= 0.0058), suggesting that by disrupting the PD-1/PD-L1 axis we could decrease the amount of dysfunctional antigen specific T cells. We ob- served that the anatomical location deeply influenced the state of CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes. In fact, TIM-3 expression was in- creased by 2 fold on TILs compared to splenic and lymphoid T cells. In the CD8+ compartment, the expression of PD-1 on the surface seemed to be restricted to the tumor micro-environment, while CD4 + T cells had a high expression of PD-1 also in lymphoid organs. Interestingly, we found that the levels of PD-1 were significantly higher on CD8+ T cells than on CD4+ T cells into the tumor micro- environment (p < 0.0001). Conclusions In conclusion, we demonstrated that the efficacy of immune check- point inhibitors might be strongly enhanced by their combination with cancer vaccines. PeptiCRAd was able to increase the number of antigen-specific T cells and PD-L1 blockade prevented their exhaus- tion, resulting in long-lasting immunological memory and increased median survival

Assessing Landslide Susceptibility along India’s National Highway 58: A Comprehensive Approach Integrating Remote Sensing, GIS, and Logistic Regression Analysis

The NH 58 area in India has been experiencing an increase in landslide occurrences, posing significant threats to local communities, infrastructure, and the environment. The growing need to identify areas prone to landslides for effective disaster risk management, land use planning, and infrastructure development has led to the increased adoption of advanced geospatial technologies and statistical methods. In this context, this research article presents an in-depth analysis aimed at developing a landslide susceptibility zonation (LSZ) map for the NH 58 area using remote sensing, GIS, and logistic regression analysis. The study incorporates multiple geo-environmental factors for analysis, such as slope aspect, curvature, drainage density, elevation, fault distance, flow accumulation, geology, geomorphology, land use land cover (LULC), road distance, and slope angle. Utilizing 50% of the landslide inventory data, the logistic regression model was trained to determine correlations between causal factors and landslide occurrences. The logistic regression model was then employed to calculate landslide probabilities for each mapping unit within the NH 58 area, which were subsequently classified into relative susceptibility zones using a statistical class break technique. The model’s accuracy was verified through ROC curve analysis, resulting in a 92% accuracy rate. The LSZ map highlights areas near road cut slopes as highly susceptible to landslides, providing crucial information for land use planning and management to reduce landslide risk in the NH 58 area. The study’s findings are beneficial for policymakers, planners, and other stakeholders involved in regional disaster risk management. This research offers a comprehensive analysis of landslide-influencing factors in the NH 58 area and introduces an LSZ map as a valuable tool for managing and mitigating landslide risks. The map also serves as a critical reference for future research and contributes to the broader understanding of landslide susceptibility in the region