Antimicrobial activities and phytochemical screening of leaves of Mikania micrantha was tested in laboratory against phytopathogenic fungi and human pathogenic bacteria. The leaves samples were extracted in distilled water and methanol. The crude extracts of leaves were assessed in-vitro for antimicrobial activity using different concentrations (50, 100, 150, 200, and 250 mg/ml) against five fungal strains (viz. Sclerotium rolfsii, Phytopthora capsici, Alternaria brassicae, Fusarium oxysporum and Botrytis cinerea) and six bacterial strains (Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus mirabilis, Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Enterococcus faecalis and Staphylococcus aureus). Antifungal activity was tested by Poison Food Technique and Linear Mycelium growth Reduction (LMGR) percentage was determined. In crude extract of M. micrantha, the highest LMGR percentage was found in F. oxysporum in both distilled water and methanol extract. Antibacterial activity was carried out by Disc Diffusion method. In the crude leaf extract of M. micrantha Gram negative bacteria was found more resistant than Gram positive bacteria. Methanol extract was found more effective in determining the Zone of Inhibition for all the strains of bacteria in all the concentrations. The plant extracts were found more effective in showing antibacterial activity than antifungal activity. The phytochemical screening revealed that the selected species contained tannin, saponins, alkaloid, flavonoid, cardiac glycosides and terpenoids. This result supports the potential of this plant species used as a new chemotherapeutic drug.
Polyps are the most common causes of colorectal bleeding in children. This report describes an endoscopic profile of children with colorectal polyps at Nepal Medical College and Teaching Hospital. Materials and Methods: This prospective study was conducted in children who were evaluated for painless lower GI bleed who underwent colonoscopyin Nepal Medical College, Kathmandu, Nepal from November 2014 to May 2017. Patients with age of presentation less than or equal to 18 years and diagnosed endoscopically to have colorectal polyp were included in the study and were followed up till histopathological reports. Results: A total of 35children with colorectal polyps were identified. Twenty-three (65.7%) patients were males and 12 (35.3%) were females, male/ female ratio being 2.1: 1. The mean age of the patients at the time of diagnosis was 5.2 years (±3.7 years), (range 1.3-13.5) years. The duration of bleeding varied from 1 week to 3 years (mean 13 months), and 23 (67.6%) children were symptomatic for more than 12 months. All patients (100%) had painless rectal bleed, eight (23.5%) presented with anaemia and two of them requiring blood transfusion before the procedure (< 7.0 gm/dl),seven (20.5%) patients had blood and mucus in stools, six (17.6%) of them had rectal mass (prolapsed polyp). Conclusion: Juvenile colorectal polyps are the most common cause of painless rectal bleeding in young children. In the majority, these are solitary, occur in the rectosigmoid. Delay in treatment may cause anaemia.Colonoscopic snare polypectomy is a safe therapeutic modality.
Usher syndrome, also known as retinitis pigmentosa-dysacusis syndrome, is an extremely rare genetic disorder, characterized by retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and congenital sensorineural hearing loss. It has been estimated to account for 3-6% of the congenitally deaf population, upto 8-33% of individuals with RP and half of all cases with combined deafness and blindness (Vernon M,1969; Boughman JA et al,1983). The prevalence of Usher syndrome have been reported to range from 3.5 to 6.2 per 100,000 in different populations (Vernon M,1969; Boughman JA et al,1983; Yan D et al, 2010). We report a case of Usher syndrome type I in an adult Nepalese male with typical congenital profound hearing loss, and night blindness secondary to retinitis pigmentosa.
North Eastern Region Community Resource Management Project for upland Areas (NERCORMP) is standing as an important livelihood management project in North Eastern Region of India under International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and North Eastern Council, Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), Government of India. Present study was conducted in order to see the performance of NERCORMP based on respondents’ perception during 2014-15. Study showed that because of NERCORMP intervention, income and expenditure for beneficiary respondents remained much higher than non-beneficiary respondents considered from adjoining non-project villages. After exposure with various project components people in the study area were seen to change their cropping pattern in order to increase their income. Although “shifting cultivation” is considered as one of the most common livelihood management option, area under it declined over the years. Not only that, beneficiary respondent showed more interest on cultivation of many other plantation crops in project areas. Performance was more visible in respect of calculation of six different types of asset. These assets were calculated based on various statements prepared for each type of asset. So far from the respondents’ direct perception or conception about the project, it can be calculated that by and large beneficiaries were satisfied for most of the project activities except a few. Most of the beneficiaries referred that their income, saving, expenditure were increased because of project intervention and on the other hand their liability declined. Address for correspondence: Sanjoy Das E-mail: [email protected] INTRODUCTION There are number of livelihood related projects in the country for the benefit of below poverty population, some are available for a specific period and some are almost continuous in nature. Among them, North Eastern Region Community Resource Management Project for upland Areas (NERCORMP), a project funded jointly by International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and North Eastern Council, Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), Government of India has appeared as a big intervention for improvement of livelihood in North Eastern Region of India in the last part of 20th century. The project started its operation in six districts of three North Eastern States during 1999 viz. (Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao districts (old NC Hill) from Assam; West Khasi Hills and West Garo Hills districts from Meghalaya and Senapati and Ukhrul districts from Manipur). NERCORMP is implemented by North Eastern Region Community Resource Management Society (NERCORMS) located at Shillong, Meghalaya as Regional Office and through district level society at respective districts. At present, the project is in its third phase and extension of the programme has already been initiated in Arunachal Pradesh including three districts viz. Tirap, Changlang, Longding and Manipur including two more districts viz. Churachandpur and Chandel from 2014. The overall objective of NERCORMP is to improve the livelihood of vulnerable groups in a sustainable manner through improved management of their resource base that would restore and protect J Soc Sci, 54(1-3): 1-11 (2018) DOI: 10.31901/24566756.2018/54.1-3.2224 2018 2 SANJOY DAS, AMOD SHARMA, A.K. SAHU ET AL. the environment. Since 1999, NERCORMP has been operationalising its activities in all the project districts without any interruption. It is a holistic approach under the NEC, GOI and is implemented by the respective district offices covering a large number of villages from the above States. There are reports that NERCORMP is one of the most successful livelihood improvement projects in NE Region of India. Keeping in view all above it was decided to study the performance of NERCORMP on livelihood improvement emphasising mostly from the beneficiaries’ point of view.