Nepal is divided into four major agroclimatic zones, the Terai (part of the Indo-Gangetic Plain t... more Nepal is divided into four major agroclimatic zones, the Terai (part of the Indo-Gangetic Plain to the south), the inner Terai, mid-hills and valleys, and high mountains (in the north). Soil texture varies from rich alluvial deposits in the Terai to course-textured gravel in the high mountains. Annual rainfall varies from 5500 mm to 3500 mm and temperatures from - 10°C to 35°C. Legumes are important components of Nepalese farming systems and diets. Most of the legumes are grown in different cropping patterns in the Terai. Their yields have remained low, at usually <0.7 t ha-1, because of a range of hiotic and abiotic constraints. Bot ryt is cinerea and pod borers are the most damaging pests of chickpea and lentil while fusarium wilt and sterility mosaic largely affect the pigeonpea crop. Baseline agronomic research on soil fertility management for cropping systems with grain legumes as component crops is required for different agroclimatic zones, especially in the Terai and inner...
A novel dansyl appended bile acid receptor has been synthesized using click chemistry which shows... more A novel dansyl appended bile acid receptor has been synthesized using click chemistry which shows high selectivity for Hg2+ ions.
Dear Sir I read with interest the article by Unterscheider et al., ‘Reduced fetal movements’. As ... more Dear Sir I read with interest the article by Unterscheider et al., ‘Reduced fetal movements’. As mentioned in the article, the perception of fetal movements depends on a variety of factors, one of which is the weight of the mother. As cited by Hijazi and East, Tuffnel et al. found that complaints of decreased fetal movement were more common in mothers weighing over 80 kg. Lowery et al. complemented the above finding when they discovered that, as maternal weight increases, the mother’s perception of ultrasound-observed fetal movements decreases. In the UK, it is estimated that about 56% of women are either overweight or obese. In keeping with this, I have noticed quite a few obese pregnant women coming to the day assessment unit with decreased fetal movements. Electronic fetal monitoring in these women is technically difficult and time consuming. In their article the authors suggest daily CTGs for women with repeated episodes of decreased fetal movements. This may not be logistically feasible for this group of women, especially if the ultrasound scan is completely normal. I agree with the authors that the RCOG guideline for decreased fetal movements has been long awaited and it would be interesting to see how it advises clinicians to monitor decreased fetal movements in obese and morbidly obese women. I am also interested in what the authors’ feelings are about this.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2008
Phytohormones mediate the perception of insect-specific signals and the elicitation of defenses d... more Phytohormones mediate the perception of insect-specific signals and the elicitation of defenses during insect attack. Large-scale changes in a plant's transcriptome ensue, but how these changes are regulated remains unknown. Silencing of RNA-directed RNA polymerase 1 ( RdR1 ) makes Nicotiana attenuata highly susceptible to insect herbivores, suggesting that defense elicitation is under the direct control of small-RNAs (smRNAs). Using 454-sequencing, we characterized N. attenuata 's smRNA transcriptome before and after insect-specific elicitation in wild-type (WT) and RdR1 -silenced (irRdR1) plants. We predicted the targets of N. attenuata smRNAs in the genes related to phytohormone signaling (jasmonic acid, JA-Ile, and ethylene) known to mediate resistance responses, and we measured the elicited dynamics of phytohormone biosynthetic transcripts and phytohormone levels in time-course experiments with field- and glasshouse-grown plants. RdR1 silencing severely altered the indu...
The ubiquitous bacterial RNA-binding protein Hfq is involved in stress resistance and pathogenici... more The ubiquitous bacterial RNA-binding protein Hfq is involved in stress resistance and pathogenicity. In Sinorhizobium meliloti , Hfq is essential for the establishment of symbiosis with Medicago sativa and for nitrogen fixation. A proteomic analysis identifies 55 proteins with significantly affected expression in the hfq mutant; most of them are involved in cell metabolism or stress resistance. Important determinants of oxidative stress resistance, such as CysK, Gsh, Bfr, SodC, KatB, KatC, and a putative peroxiredoxine (SMc00072), are downregulated in the hfq mutant. The hfq mutant is affected for H 2 O 2 , menadione, and heat stress resistance. Part of these defects could result from the reductions of rpoE1 , rpoE2 , rpoE3 , and rpoE4 expression levels in the hfq mutant. Some proteins required for efficient symbiosis are reduced in the hfq mutant, contributing to the drastic defect in nodulation observed in this mutant.
A concise method for the synthesis of 4-hydroxy-2-pyrones has been developed. Various 5-substitut... more A concise method for the synthesis of 4-hydroxy-2-pyrones has been developed. Various 5-substituted 4-hydroxy-2-pyrones were efficiently prepared in two steps from 3-substituted pentane-2,4-diones.
The zeta potential generated at the interface between cement particle surfaces adsorbed with supe... more The zeta potential generated at the interface between cement particle surfaces adsorbed with superplasticisers have been studied using electroacoustic technique, which is capable of measuring zeta potential at high concentrated suspensions. The study has been undertaken to examine the differences in the magnitude of the zeta potential for ordinary Portland cement (OPC) and Portland pozzolanic (fly ash) cement (PPC) pastes
Summary Toll-like receptors (TLRs) recognize pathogen-associated molecular patterns and results i... more Summary Toll-like receptors (TLRs) recognize pathogen-associated molecular patterns and results in innate immune system activation that results in elicitation of the adaptive immune response. One crucial modulator of the adaptive immune response is CD40. However, whether these molecules influence each other's expression and functions is not known. Therefore, we examined the effects of TLRs on CD40 expression on macrophages, the host cell for the protozoan parasite Leishmania major. While polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid [poly (I:C)], a TLR-3 ligand, lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a TLR-4 ligand, imiquimod, a TLR-7/8 ligand and cytosine–phosphate–guanosine (CpG), a TLR-9 ligand, were shown to enhance CD40 expression, CD40 stimulation enhanced only TLR-9 expression. Therefore, we tested the synergism between CD40 and CpG in anti-leishmanial immune response. In Leishmania-infected macrophages, CpG was found to reduce CD40-induced extracellular stress-regulated kinase (ERK)1/2 activation;...
Nepal is divided into four major agroclimatic zones, the Terai (part of the Indo-Gangetic Plain t... more Nepal is divided into four major agroclimatic zones, the Terai (part of the Indo-Gangetic Plain to the south), the inner Terai, mid-hills and valleys, and high mountains (in the north). Soil texture varies from rich alluvial deposits in the Terai to course-textured gravel in the high mountains. Annual rainfall varies from 5500 mm to 3500 mm and temperatures from - 10°C to 35°C. Legumes are important components of Nepalese farming systems and diets. Most of the legumes are grown in different cropping patterns in the Terai. Their yields have remained low, at usually <0.7 t ha-1, because of a range of hiotic and abiotic constraints. Bot ryt is cinerea and pod borers are the most damaging pests of chickpea and lentil while fusarium wilt and sterility mosaic largely affect the pigeonpea crop. Baseline agronomic research on soil fertility management for cropping systems with grain legumes as component crops is required for different agroclimatic zones, especially in the Terai and inner...
A novel dansyl appended bile acid receptor has been synthesized using click chemistry which shows... more A novel dansyl appended bile acid receptor has been synthesized using click chemistry which shows high selectivity for Hg2+ ions.
Dear Sir I read with interest the article by Unterscheider et al., ‘Reduced fetal movements’. As ... more Dear Sir I read with interest the article by Unterscheider et al., ‘Reduced fetal movements’. As mentioned in the article, the perception of fetal movements depends on a variety of factors, one of which is the weight of the mother. As cited by Hijazi and East, Tuffnel et al. found that complaints of decreased fetal movement were more common in mothers weighing over 80 kg. Lowery et al. complemented the above finding when they discovered that, as maternal weight increases, the mother’s perception of ultrasound-observed fetal movements decreases. In the UK, it is estimated that about 56% of women are either overweight or obese. In keeping with this, I have noticed quite a few obese pregnant women coming to the day assessment unit with decreased fetal movements. Electronic fetal monitoring in these women is technically difficult and time consuming. In their article the authors suggest daily CTGs for women with repeated episodes of decreased fetal movements. This may not be logistically feasible for this group of women, especially if the ultrasound scan is completely normal. I agree with the authors that the RCOG guideline for decreased fetal movements has been long awaited and it would be interesting to see how it advises clinicians to monitor decreased fetal movements in obese and morbidly obese women. I am also interested in what the authors’ feelings are about this.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2008
Phytohormones mediate the perception of insect-specific signals and the elicitation of defenses d... more Phytohormones mediate the perception of insect-specific signals and the elicitation of defenses during insect attack. Large-scale changes in a plant's transcriptome ensue, but how these changes are regulated remains unknown. Silencing of RNA-directed RNA polymerase 1 ( RdR1 ) makes Nicotiana attenuata highly susceptible to insect herbivores, suggesting that defense elicitation is under the direct control of small-RNAs (smRNAs). Using 454-sequencing, we characterized N. attenuata 's smRNA transcriptome before and after insect-specific elicitation in wild-type (WT) and RdR1 -silenced (irRdR1) plants. We predicted the targets of N. attenuata smRNAs in the genes related to phytohormone signaling (jasmonic acid, JA-Ile, and ethylene) known to mediate resistance responses, and we measured the elicited dynamics of phytohormone biosynthetic transcripts and phytohormone levels in time-course experiments with field- and glasshouse-grown plants. RdR1 silencing severely altered the indu...
The ubiquitous bacterial RNA-binding protein Hfq is involved in stress resistance and pathogenici... more The ubiquitous bacterial RNA-binding protein Hfq is involved in stress resistance and pathogenicity. In Sinorhizobium meliloti , Hfq is essential for the establishment of symbiosis with Medicago sativa and for nitrogen fixation. A proteomic analysis identifies 55 proteins with significantly affected expression in the hfq mutant; most of them are involved in cell metabolism or stress resistance. Important determinants of oxidative stress resistance, such as CysK, Gsh, Bfr, SodC, KatB, KatC, and a putative peroxiredoxine (SMc00072), are downregulated in the hfq mutant. The hfq mutant is affected for H 2 O 2 , menadione, and heat stress resistance. Part of these defects could result from the reductions of rpoE1 , rpoE2 , rpoE3 , and rpoE4 expression levels in the hfq mutant. Some proteins required for efficient symbiosis are reduced in the hfq mutant, contributing to the drastic defect in nodulation observed in this mutant.
A concise method for the synthesis of 4-hydroxy-2-pyrones has been developed. Various 5-substitut... more A concise method for the synthesis of 4-hydroxy-2-pyrones has been developed. Various 5-substituted 4-hydroxy-2-pyrones were efficiently prepared in two steps from 3-substituted pentane-2,4-diones.
The zeta potential generated at the interface between cement particle surfaces adsorbed with supe... more The zeta potential generated at the interface between cement particle surfaces adsorbed with superplasticisers have been studied using electroacoustic technique, which is capable of measuring zeta potential at high concentrated suspensions. The study has been undertaken to examine the differences in the magnitude of the zeta potential for ordinary Portland cement (OPC) and Portland pozzolanic (fly ash) cement (PPC) pastes
Summary Toll-like receptors (TLRs) recognize pathogen-associated molecular patterns and results i... more Summary Toll-like receptors (TLRs) recognize pathogen-associated molecular patterns and results in innate immune system activation that results in elicitation of the adaptive immune response. One crucial modulator of the adaptive immune response is CD40. However, whether these molecules influence each other's expression and functions is not known. Therefore, we examined the effects of TLRs on CD40 expression on macrophages, the host cell for the protozoan parasite Leishmania major. While polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid [poly (I:C)], a TLR-3 ligand, lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a TLR-4 ligand, imiquimod, a TLR-7/8 ligand and cytosine–phosphate–guanosine (CpG), a TLR-9 ligand, were shown to enhance CD40 expression, CD40 stimulation enhanced only TLR-9 expression. Therefore, we tested the synergism between CD40 and CpG in anti-leishmanial immune response. In Leishmania-infected macrophages, CpG was found to reduce CD40-induced extracellular stress-regulated kinase (ERK)1/2 activation;...
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