Anxiety and Anger Soothed by the Pigeons, Symbol of Peace

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I love research work. In childhood, I used to spend several hours on electronics circuit board; forgot hunger-ness, and ultimately scolded by mother. In these days, from  8 AM to 11 PM stay in laboratory (subtracting tea, lunch and dinner time), and sleep immediately after reaching the room. Even in holidays, I have the same routine.

Few days ago, we went in tour. It was a lab missing day for me after several months. All of us had enjoyed the tour. But while returning, my colleague, the newcomer of this institute, noticed the mobile, which was not used for last five hours, was missing from the bag. Oops! The mobile was in bag and the bag was never taken out of the vehicle.  I was among the seniors, who stayed here for a long time, had some responsibility to take care of newcomer, but I, in fact all seniors failed. That created us a pressure and forced to analyze whether the mobile was lost or stolen.

During this 5 hours period we were in three spots. Among 3 spots, the last spot, where vehicle was abandoned for 1 hour while boating to reach middle of the lake, and there were a lot of people in the vicinity of the vehicle. But the driver insisted, “I locked every windows and doors, and there is no sign of opening”. He was the last while leaving the vehicle, and the first while catching up it, after boating. Before and after joining boat, we had spent few minutes on snapping and clicking and were not caring for unlocked vehicle and goods. Probably someone had stolen at that time. The colleague mentioned, "Only mobile is stolen not money and others". This statement made the situation more complex to analyze. We checked the vehicle very carefully, everyone's bag, but no success! Inept! This time, compared to the lab cases that I witnessed, the case is entirely different, no sufficient control group for retrospective study. How can it be interpretable?

Thinking and agitating I couldn't sleep, though I was tired. In the late midnight, I could hear the "coo" of pigeons (probably such sound made in previous days but deep sleep might made unnoticed, I didn't know whether the pigeons were taking shelter in balcony). That 'coo' made irritation to tensioned mind it was like adding ghee in the fire. That increased my anger, I wanted to remove these pigeons from balcony. To appease the anger, I suddenly got up and opened the balcony door, then I found ....Pigeon (Rock Pigeon)......(contd....see part-2)

Cholera in Haiti and Association to South Asia and Scientific Study to Reduce Recurrence

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In the fall of last year, unprecedented outbreaks and epidemics of cholera in Haiti agitated locals, news media, health workers. There has been a long debate about these epidemics. The situation has been highlighted by famous science journals and has come to my attention.

Although the cholera outbreak had been diminishing, and the overall fatality rate was down to 2 % from earlier 9%, and 4,550 deaths and 231,070 cases were reported, still there were few cases, as United Nations, Geneva said at the beginning of February. The serotype of the causative agent, Vibrio cholerae, has been identified that resembles with South Asian strain. The mortality rate of untreated cholera is 50-60% (one of the highest mortality rates).

Transmission
Vibrio cholerae is transmitted to humans via the fecal-oral route via water or food. The reservoir of the organism is suspected of the aquatic environment. In its extreme manifestation, cholera is one of the most rapidly fatal illnesses known.

Clinical Symptoms
Cholera begins with the sudden onset of massive diarrhea, excretion of protein-free fluid and associated electrolytes, bicarbonates, and ions within a day or two. This loss of fluid leads to dehydration, anuria, acidosis, and shock. The watery diarrhea is speckled with flakes of mucus and epithelial cells ("rice-water stool") and contains enormous numbers of vibrios. The loss of potassium ions may result in cardiac complications and circulatory failure.

(Technical Terms Starts)
"Vibrio cholerae , Morphology and Culture
It is a Gram-negative non-sporing, non-capsulated, curved rod, motile, monotrichous (single polar flagellum), oxidase-positive (distinguished from enteric), glucose fermenter, non-lactose fermenter bacterium. Widely used enrichment mediums for this bacterium are; alkaline peptone water (APW), Cary-Blair transport medium, etc. And the common selective media for the isolation are; alkaline bile salt agar (BSA) medium (colonies are very similar to those on nutrient agar), Monsur's gelatin Tauro cholate trypticase tellurite agar (GTTA) medium (small translucent colonies with a grayish-black center), Thiosulpbate citrate bile salt (TCBS) agar medium (yellow nucleated colonies), polymyxin-mannose-tellurite (PMT) agar medium (differentiate between V. cholerae O1 from V. cholerae non-O1 based on mannose-fermentation), etc.

Disease Mechanism
V. cholerae start to produce the toxic proteins (cholera toxin, CTX / CT) only after reaching the intestine. It is an oligomeric complex made up of six subunits: one (A subunit), and five (B subunit). The B subunits bind to GM1 gangliosides on the intestinal epithelium cells. So the protein enters the cell via receptor-mediated endocytosis. Then the A1 subunit becomes free and binds with ADP-ribosylation factor 6 (Arf6), which permanently ribosylate the Gs alpha subunit of the heterotrimeric G protein. This results in constitutive cAMP production and pumps out Cl⁻, HCO₃−, etc., into the lumen of the small intestine which prevents sodium ions from entering the cell, and these ions create a salt-water environment, which through osmosis can pull up to 6 L of water per day through the intestinal cells, creating the massive amounts of diarrhea, and rapid dehydration.  Virulent strains of V. cholerae is due to temperate bacteriophage called CTXf or CTXφ. V. cholerae is well adapted and can, economically, produce different proteins in the different environments e.g., in the intestine, TcpP/TcpH proteins, which, together with the ToxR/ToxS proteins, activate the expression of the ToxT regulatory protein. ToxT then directly activates expression of cholera toxins, and allowing the bacteria to colonize the intestine."(Technical Terms Finished)

Risk Factors
For cholera, anybody can be at risk, i.e., there is no correlation between the vulnerability of infection and age, gender, malnutrition status, etc. It is one of the dangerous infectious diseases that can kill healthy people quickly. After the onset of symptoms, a victim may die within 4 hours to few days if no treatment is provided. However, people whose stomach is making fewer amounts of gastric acid than normal or recently had stomach surgery, or taking drugs that inhibit gastric acid production or a person of blood type O, are at higher risk. In Peru, virtually all indigenous people have blood type O and were at higher risk.

In Nepal, May-July is the main season of cholera outbreaks.

Treatment of Cholera
Treatment involves the rapid intravenous replacement of the lost fluid and ions. Following this replacement, the administration of the isotonic maintenance solution should continue until diarrhea ceases. With this simple treatment, the mortality rate of cholera can be reduced ten-fold. A few antibiotics (e.g. tetracyclines) may shorten the duration of diarrhea and reduce fluid loss.
A few years ago, I got a chance to study V. cholerae, 01, El Tor, Ogawa biotype, while I was in NAST (former RONAST), the strain was kindly provided by Mr. Nabaraj Dahal, Patan Hospital. It was not so dangerous in terms of antibiotics resistance as compared to other strains, I investigated, such as Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, etc., which were almost all commonly used antibiotics resistant. Diarrhea due to enteropathogenic E. coli is more complicated than cholera, in therapy.
The problem with the management of cholera is the consumption of unhygienic food and contaminated water. Contamination problem is mainly during both dry and rainy seasons. This is significantly enhanced due to drinking water pipe, which remains together with a sewage pipe, and in some places, drinking water pipe remains inside sewage Hume pipe.
In Haiti, cholera had proliferated due to floods. Certainly, floods not only contaminate drinking water but also destroy human's habitat and obstacle the disease treatment strategy. The flood made a connection between seawater and drinking water and the possibility of flow of V. cholerae from seawater to drinking water.
There are many places in Nepal where people rely on the river, stream for drinking water, so they are always at risk of these kinds of diarrhoeal diseases. Two years ago, the death of more than 200 people due to the epidemics of diarrhea (one of the simple/neglected diseases), in the rural area of Nepal indicates inaccessibility of modern medicine, and in fact, they still have to rely on medicinal plants and rituals.

Make pure water

Water purifier operated by bicycle

Recently, Singapore based water company, Glowtec has discovered a water purifying filter system, which can filter Decaliters of pure water within a minute (800 liter/hr). This can be operated by chain and the paddle of bicycle, and it can be transported anywhere as it is simple and light. It has been found very effective and significantly reduced the incidence of waterborne diseases in the flood-affected area of Pakistan, Myanmar, Yemen, Taiwan, the Philippines, and Vietnam. Vaccination is a good option to avoid cholera epidemics. Nepal, and probably all developing countries can't afford the cost and also, V. cholerae has a high mutation rate and new vaccination antigen and strategy needed within a short period for full coverage. People should keep re-hydration solutions like Jeevanjal, and should be immediately available in each home.

Acknowledgment: I thank Dr. Joachim Schindler for reviewing and some suggestions.
Picture : Quantum geoservices

References:

1. Martin Enserink, Science, 330, 5 November 2010, p. 738-739, Haiti’s Outbreak is Latest in Cholera’s New Global Assault
2. Martin Enserink, Science, 331, 28 January 2011, p. 388-389, Despite Sensitivities, Scientists Seek to Solve Haiti’s Cholera Riddle
3. Declan Butler, Nature, 468, p. 483-484 (2010), Cholera tightens grip on Haiti
4. David Cyranoski, Nature, 469, p. 273-274 (2011), Cholera vaccine plan splits experts
5. Kalpit P., Asianews, 2009 July 23, Epidemic hits western Nepal, More than 200 dead.
6. Katherine Harmon, ScientificAmerican, 25 October 2010, Why Is Cholera Spreading in Haiti Now?  
7. Debora MacKenzie, NewScientist, 15 November 2010, Haiti faces years of cholera
8. Debora MacKenzie, NewScientist, 07 December 2010, Haiti: Epidemics of denial must end
9. Debora MacKenzie, NewScientist, 10 December 2010, Haitian cholera strain could dominate the Americas

Happy New Year 2068 for all Honest, Brave, and Wise Nepalese

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सम्पूर्ण नेपालीहरु लाई नयाँ बर्ष २०६८ को हार्दिक मंगलमय शुभकामना ।। सबैको मनमा सुख शान्ती ह्रोस । आपसी द्वेष र ईर्ष्यां हटी सम्पूर्ण नेपाली हरुमा एकता रहोस् । बहादुर र ईमान्दार नेपालीको परिचय नगुमोस बरु तीक्ष्ण बुद्धिका नेपाली पनि भनेर चिनिऊन् । जय नेपाल ।।

Blogspot, remove unnecessary hyperlinks created by JavaScript Void (0)

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If blogspot contains blog archive (history) gadget, this history gadget helps to show topics of the posts according to published date, month-wise (or week-wise), and year-wise. Because of this blog archive, two kinds of hyperlink will be generated for each post. One, which links for posts (page). Another, javascript : void (0) that links homepage without any anchor text. This code, "JavaScript Void (0)", prevents the browser from loading a new page (or refreshing the current page). Although it is not a big issue, unnecessary and repeated "javascript : void (0)", may create an ill SEO. This code and hyperlinks can be removed by the following tricks.

1. Login to your dashboard-----> Design -----> Edit HTML      OR      Login to blogger, choose "Layout -----> Template ------> Edit HTML
2. Click "Download Full Templates" link to back up your template, in case if you don't like the changes, reverse by uploading this back up.
3. Click on "Expand Widget Templates".
4. Find the following code "Zippy toggle-open".

find javascript : void (0)

5) Delete the whole words "href = 'javascript :void (0)'".

delete javascript : void (0)

6) Save your setting. Enjoy

Survived from Formaldehyde Fuming

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I am preferring the evening/night shift in the crowded cell culture lab to maintain peace. Another lab in day shift. One room is divided in three different compartments each facilitated with laminar hood, inverted microscope, centrifuge, liquid nitrogen tank, and incubators. My cell culture lab is one of them. Last week, as usual, when I entered the lab, pungent like smell and eye irritating environment made me to get out immediately.

I asked a colleague, next to the cell culture lab (thanks at least one was there), whether it was fumigated or not. He replied, “no”, later he said mocking me, “I don't know.” I again returned to the cell culture lab and checked every compartments of the lab and notice board. There should be notice and information for fuming, but nothing could be found as the indicator of fuming except AC was switched off and dustbin was full of waste. “Probably the smell and irritation due to this waste and no air circulation”, I assumed. I had felt such kind of odor on microbiological work, few years ago. Then I decided to work putting mask. Sooner, I felt suffocation and severe headache. It was fuming gas ! ? # Promptly, I rushed to lawn for fresh air breathing.

After 15 minutes, eye irritation reduced but headache persisted then I returned to the room immediately. Thanks I survived. Next day, though appeared in the institute but could not work due to headache. Meanwhile, the same colleague with whom yesterday I asked, bemocked me informing about the fuming. One of the research assistant (or graduate student ?) had fumed with formaldehyde to sterilize one of their compartment at the last time of office hour.

Scholarships Opportunity for Nepali in PhD, and Advanced Research

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TWAS (Third World Academy of Sciences); TWAS, the academy of sciences for the developing world is one of the largest organization to promote science and technology. Nepal is the member of TWAS. Recently, TWAS has announced for various fellowships targeted in developing countries with the emphasis for women. Nepalese can apply who have completed their M.Sc. Or 4 year B.Sc. in science and engineering.

Please visit here for detail

Recent Developments in HIV Therapy

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Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which is responsible for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), one of the public health threatening virus, needs arduous work to eliminate. Various strategies like, Reverse transcriptase (RT) Inhibitors, HIV-1 Protease Inhibitors, HIV Integrase Inhibitors, HIV Maturation Inhibitors, Viral Entry Inhibition, Gene Therapy, Immunotherapy / T-Cell Gene Therapy, etc. methods has been implicated to combat it.

I had written in the World AIDS day 2009. Detail is here in my previous post

Sometime Google, Yahoo and Bing alone or together make fool to user

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Probably, all of us have noticed, the result shown by Google was different than those actually typed and intended to search. I realize this many times. I read the whole web page or pdf file recommended/indexed by Google/Yahoo/Bing search but no word even the meaning of that word could be found for a keyword (phrase) that I had searched. Sometime, in worse case, these search engine index with the web site of different language.

Why Google (or Yahoo or Bing) index these non-sense web site in their first page ? Whether any advertisement scheme or payment scheme is available, so that any web page is indexed in first page for any keyword? Or, is there bug or fault in their search engine code? Or, if high ranked webpage links to, or embed feed-proxy of low ranked web page, then the content of low ranked page is indexed to high ranked web page? Or, spider's visit mistakenly understood as owner by these search engine?

This is still mysterious that I have been willing to know the actual fact for several years. I have not mentioned any example here because it is dynamic and once mistakenly indexed site (webpage) might have corrected after a week. Sometime it makes trouble to the internet users from the countries like Nepal where internet-speed and electricity are precious.

Metarhizium anisopliae as Eco-friendly Antimalarial Biopesticide

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Malaria is one of the major public health problem for Nepal, indeed all developing countries are facing the problem. Although epidemics of malaria has been reduced, emergence of drug resistant Plasmodium spp (causative agent of malaria), poor sanitation, agricultural dependency etc. still making malaria as frightening.

Living in the Terai region of Nepal was avoided due to malaria. This is the fact of just 60-70 years ago. During Rana rule in Nepal, prisoners were sent to this Terai area as punishment, where malaria was a big threat. After the discovery of anti-malarial drugs, deforestation and people's migration began and the Terai gradually overcrowded and become Nepal's dense populated area. I remember, whole houses were sprayed by DDT to get rid from the diseases transmitted by mosquito. But DDT exhibited serious environmental and public health hazards. And neither, malaria could be eliminated.

The finding (gift of science and research ?) from the University of Maryland may be helpful to combat malaria and mosquito related diseases in Eco-friendly and biological way. A fungus Metarhizium anisopliae, which is a plants symbiont protecting plants from insect, infects mosquito and some other insects and attenuates then kills. This fungus has been genetically modified (GM) and have very narrow host range e.g., only infect harmful insects. Also, this GM fungus express SM1 and scorpion proteins, toxic to Plasmodium sporozoites in mosquito that enhance the rate of killing in short time period. This fungus easily invade and infect the mosquito through the surface like if contacted to cuticle; unlike bacterial and viral infection. So, like DDT, spore of this fungus can be sprayed in bed net, house; so that it would be easily contact with mosquito and to eliminate Plasmodium spp. And, it could infect larvae of mosquito, hence meta-acid and hazardous chemicals can be replaced by the fungal spore in ditches and stagnant water pool.

However, whether this genetic engineered fungus can survive freely in environment or work significantly? Or might it create bad impact in ecology? Or will it be available easily for poor countries to use? What happens if it infect honey bee and other beneficial insects ? We have to wait.

Reference: Fang et al., Science (25 February, 2011), 331; 1074-1077

Spy thru' Mozilla Firefox or else ?

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       Every-time when I open Firefox, after computer start (not after restart of Firefox without restarting the computer), CPU fan run in the fastest speed with busy HDD indicator for initial 15 minutes. This was surprising, it shouldn't be, and in another user account; no such abnormality could be seen.
       Upon checking the “System Monitor”, the CPU was busy and astonishingly there was peak in the graph of sent and received items, even-though, I hadn't opened any web site. I don't remember that I had activated any automatic update in this Fedora 12. 

Peak in this graph is indicating something is downloading

Here CPU is busy and making cooling fan work hard

CPU, memory and network usage graph in Fedora

 I deleted this user profile and recreated with the same name, the problem solved. Again after few months later, the problem reappeared in both user accounts this time, and I deleted and reopened both with the same name, and nowadays working well. However, I am still skeptical what was uploading and downloading or installing or whether, was it normal process ?

नेपालीमा ब्लग लेखन र ब्लग भेला, एक अनुभव

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       यो टाँसो दैंतरीमा (dautari.org) नेपाली ब्लग भेलामा मैले राखेका कुराहरुलाई क्रमबद्ब गरेको मात्र हो ।
       मेरो ब्लग खोल्नुको उद्धेश्य, मैले रचना गरेका टुक्रा-टुक्री साहित्य पस्कनु र लेखाइमा निखार ल्याउनु थियो । तर, एक त नेपालीमा टाइप गर्नुको झर्को, टाइप गरिहालेपनि कापीमा लेखे जस्तो ह्रस्व-दीर्घ मिलाउन अनी स्क्रिनमा शुद्ध बर्ण उतार्नको कठिनाईले गर्दा आफ्नो लेख आँफैलाई अनौठो लाग्ने भएकोले नेपाली लेखलाई निरन्तरता दिन सकेन । यसकारणले अनियमित नै भएपनि अङ्रेजीमै बिशेष गरी कम्प्युटर, बिज्ञान तथा प्रविधी परिधिका तथा केही अनुभवका लेख लेखेर भए पनि उपस्थिती जनाइरहे । अशुद्ध लेख्नु भन्दा नलेख्नु नै बेश भन्ठानेर बसे पनि कहिले-काँही चाँही लेख्न खसखस लाग्ने रहेछ । अङ्रेजीको आफ्नो लेखमा व्याकरण अशुद्ध भएपनि अङ्रेजी आफुले त्यती नजान्ने भएकोले आँफैले पढ्दा त्यती अनौठो लाग्दैन ।
       नेपालीद्वारा लेखिएका सयौं ब्लग भए पनि आफ्नै मौलिकताले भरीएका र नियमित हुने (महिनामा कम्तिमा १ लेख) त २०-२२ वटा मात्र पाएको छु, जसको म नियमित पाठक हुँ । तर त्यसमध्ये पनि सदैव शुद्ध र व्याकरण मिल्ने लेख हुने त जम्मा ८-१० वटा मात्र भए जस्तो लाग्छ । त्यस्तै झिलिमिली बनाएका ब्लगहरु पनि धेरै छन्, जुन खुल्न धेरै समय लाग्छ किनकी नेपाल मा अझै पनि सुस्त गतिकै ईन्टरनेट छ । साथै नेपाली ब्लगको संख्यात्मक भन्दा पनि मौलिकतामा र रचनात्मक लेखमा ध्यान पुर्‍याउनु पर्ने जस्तो देखिन्छ । blogger.com.np त्यस्तै अरु वेबसाईटमा सम्पूर्ण नेपाली ब्लगरहरुको नामाँकन त छ । तर, कुन बिषय बस्तु मा लेखिएको हो, समुह छैन । त्यसैले, विकीपिडीयामा नेपाली ब्लगको जानकारी, गुगल समूह वा अरु कुनै वेबसाईट बनाएर नेपाली ब्लगरहरुको बिषयसुचीको आधारमा समूह पनि बनाउन पहल गर्ने कि ? जस्तो समाचारमुलक, कथा, साहित्य, बिज्ञान, प्रविधी, अर्थ, राजनैतीक ब्लग इत्यादी.
       अर्को कुरा, प्राय: ब्लगहरुमा समाचारहरुमात्र (अथवा कुनै सामाग्री भए), त्यो पनि अरुको चोरी गरेर लेखिएका छन्, मलाई त्यस्ता ब्लग खोल्नै मन लाग्दैन । अरुको चोरी गर्ने र कपी पेस्ट गर्ने ब्लगहरु त म आजकाल बहिस्कार गरेको छु, ति ब्लग मैले खोल्दै खोल्दैन; त्यसैले सबै जनाले नखोल्दिए-नहेर्दिए ती चोरी गर्नेहरु निरुत्साहित हुन्थे कि ? बिज्ञापन हेरिदिएर सहयोग गरे जस्तै शुद्ध लेख्न पनि सुझाव र प्राविधिक सहयोग गरिदिए, अनी लिंक साटासाट गरिदिए पनि नेपाली ब्लग प्रवर्दनमा सहयोग पुग्ने थियो ।
       सोख नहुने हो भने त ब्लग लेख्न सार्है झन्झटिलो र पट्यारिलो काम हो । नियमित र रचनात्मक नेपाली लेख ब्लग मार्फत ईन्टरनेटमा उपलब्ध गराइदिनुहुने सम्पूर्ण नेपाली ब्लगरहरुप्रति हार्दिक आभार ब्यक्त गर्दछु ।

Nepal, Nepali and Blogging; Experience of Nearly a Decade

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       What comes between computer hardware and software? I certainly say, Nepal. Ridiculous, isn’t it? Let me explain. China has been dominating in production of computer parts (hardware) including CPU and India is advance in software design and outsourcing, Nepal is between them (but geographically).
       Could it be possible technically or really towards the development of computer hardware or software or both in New Nepal / e-Nepal? Probably Not! during my life. Success may skew towards software but electricity availability condition …….? Somewhat improvement in IT sectors like telecommunication, Nepal could be an example. But no enough to mention in example, I assume. However, a decade ago, there was trend (fashion) to learn and get trained in basic computer and still it is an essential skill to get any kind of job. Also, it was the matter of self dignity. But it has been limited only in training, not extended to any discovery or industrialization.
       My engrossment was in electronics. Trend to learn computer, and my engrossment / enthusiasm in computer hardware (and still! nevertheless could become a professional), I used to spend several hours in computer related articles, experiments, and in cyber café (Rs. 30-50/hr, later Rs.15-25/hr). http://www.geocities.yahoo.com/bishnu.........(extinct) was the first website (or blog?) that I created. I was at learning stage of html code, jumped from hardware. Initially, it was used to view change in html code after change made using yahoo’s website builder. This site was used for html code practice (observe code, after change in template and vice versa), rather than to publish any article or any advertisement. Later, I used to post some jokes, computer tips (windows, and basic code of html).
       Half of my diary was filled with poems and stories (written in Nepali) and hence, I thought, only thought to post them in the website (geocities). Both, laziness and difficulty in typing and posting in Nepali font (Unicode was unknown to me at that time) made these literature unexposed to public. Later on King Gyanendra’s regime, I found blogspot and wordpress were better to post such kind of literature (in Nepali) and creativity. But the weakness in typing, achieving correct orthography in screen unlike in handwritten manuscript, enervated…oops! Although a revolution made due to Unicode system to post in Nepali, typing time, grammar and punctuation are still making obstacle to post article in Nepali language. I feel odd when reading Nepali article typed by me. I rarely posted these Nepali article (or deleted later) because some word I couldn’t type with correct spelling. I am poor in English, so, I rarely feel odd when reading grammatically mistaken my article.
       Therefore, again, both blogspot and wordpress were used to change template and to design in different ways (wordpress having less option) as in geocities in initial days. Posting and writing couldn’t be continued. Later a decision was made to write article in Nepali for wordpress and in English for blogspot, whatever may be the topic. Article proliferated in blogspot which I hadn’t imagined during opening of its account; just thought Nepali article and literacy will be proliferated as it is easy to create and write; but typing skill made it reverse.
       I salute them (I am not mentioning some important names at this moment, sorry) who not only continuing blog in Nepali but also encouraging other Nepali with correct grammar and spelling, and technical guidance.