Medicinal Plants in Nepal, Acorus calamus (बोझो)

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Since antiquity, man kind has been using plants to treat many diseases and some of these traditional medicines are still included as part of the habitual treatment of various maladies. Nepal also has been relying on locally available medicinal plants and in some remote area of Nepal, still there is few option for modern allopathic treatment. I am posting in serial, some of these important medicinal plants that are frequently used.

Acorus calamus L. (English: Sweet flag; Nepali: बोझो)
It belongs to the family Araceae. It is an erect herb with aromatic rootstock, leaves broad, ensiform, with distinct midrib. Spathe cylindrical and slightly curved. Flowers: bisexual, each with a perianth of six orbicular concave segments, stamens 6, ovary conical, fruits: oblong berries.
Constituents: Monoterpene hydrocarbons, sequestrine ketones, asarone (2, 4, 5-trimethoxy-1-propenylbenzene), and β-asarone contained in the essential oil distillates from root .
Uses: It is used as an analgesic for the relief of toothache or headache, to cure /prevent a hangover, to treat a cough, as a carminative for colic, to treat diabetes, to reduce bowel pains, to lessen swelling and for constipation, to cure fevers, for asthma and bronchitis, and as sedative. It exhibited a good anti-fungal activity as well.
References:

1. Joshi KK and SD Joshi. Genetic Heritage of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants of Nepal Himalayas. Buddha Academic Publishers and Distributors Pvt. Ltd., Kathmandu, Nepal. P-239 (2001).
2. Bajracharya MB. Ayurvedic Medicinal Plants and General Treatment. Piyusavarsi Ausadhalaya Mahaboudha, Kathmandu, Nepal. P-230 (1979).
3. Devkota KP, R Acharya, MP Baral and RP Adhikari.  Antimicrobial activities of some herbal plants used in traditional medicine in Nepal. In: Proceding of 3rd national conference on science and technology. Vol 2: 1311-1317. (1999).

contd....

महिलाहरुमा autoimmune रोगको सम्भावना ज्यादा हुने कारण

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चालिस बर्ष उमेरपछिको स्थिती हेर्ने हो भने, पुरुषलाई भन्दा महिलालाई auto-immune रोग लाग्ने सम्भावना तीन गुणा धेरै हुन्छ । अहिले सम्म पाइएको तथ्याङ्क अनुसार, महिला : पुरुष = ३:१ छ । मेरो लेख, Auto-immune रोग के हो त ? हालसालै गरिएको अध्य्यन अनुसार महिलाहरुमा auto-immune रोगको सम्भावना ज्यादा हुने निम्न कारणहरु पत्ता लागेका छन् ।

1. Estrogens (oestrogens) हार्मोन महिलाहरुमा उत्पादन हुन्छ भने पुरुषहरुमा testosterone हार्मोन । estrogens हार्मोनले immune system ज्यादा सकृय हुन उत्प्रेरणा दिन्छ ।
2. मानव शरीरमा २३ जोडा अनुबशिंक तत्वहरु (chromosomes) हुन्छन् । प्रत्येक जोडामा एक-बाबु तथा एक-आमाबाट आएका हुन्छन् । पुरुष र महिलामा २२ जोडा chromosome एकै किसिमका हुने भएता पनि २३ औं जोडा भने फरक हुन्छ । २३ औं जोडामा XX (महिला), XY (पुरुष)हुन्छ । यहीँ X chromosme मा immune प्रणालीलाई ज्यादा सकृय बनाउने केही रसायनहरु उत्पादन गर्ने अनुबशिंक तत्वका ईकाइहरु (genes) रहेका हुन्छन् । महिलाहरुमा X-chrosome दुइवटा हुनाले पुरुषको तुलनामा यस्ता रसायन हरु पनि दुईगुणा बढी उत्पादन हुन्छन् । हुन त gene दुईगुणा भयो भन्दैमा त्यसको उत्पादन पनि अनावश्यक रुपमा दुईगुणा नै हुन्छ भन्ने त होइन । नचाहिएको एउटा gene लाई छोपेर राख्ने र यस्को उत्पदन हुन नदिने अर्कै प्रणाली हुन्छ, यदी यो प्रणाली बेकार भएमा मात्र महिलाहरुमा autoimmune रोगको सम्भावना ज्यादा हुन्छ।
3. Microchimerism:- गर्भावस्थामा रहेको भ्रुण/बच्चा महिलाको रक्तसंचार प्रणाली सँग प्रत्यक्ष सम्पर्कमा रहेको हुँदैन, साल-नाल को माध्यमबाट अप्रत्यक्ष रुपमा संपर्कमा रहेको हुन्छ । तर, कारणबस महिलाको रक्तसंचार प्रणालीमा बच्चाको कोष, तन्तु इत्यादी आउन पुग्यो भने महिलाको Immune system सकृय भाईहाल्छ । यो सकृयता Helper CD4 T-cell ले स्मरण गरिराखेको हुन्छ जसले महिलालाई बच्चाको जन्म पश्चात पनि हानी पुर्याउँछ । सामान्यत: बच्चाको जन्म पश्चात यस्ता Helper CD4 T-cell आँफैँ नस्ट हुन्छन् ।

रोग प्रतिरोधात्मक प्रणाली ज्यादा सकृय भएर हुने रोगहरु (Autoimmune Diseases)

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हाम्रो शरीरमा बाह्य हानिकारक बस्तुहरु जस्तै: जीवाणु (bacterium), बिषाणु (virus), परजिवी (parasite) इत्यादी प्रवेश हुने बित्तिकै हाम्रो शरीरको रोग प्रतिरोधात्मक प्रणाली (Immune System) सकृय हुन्छ र रोग लाग्न दिदैन । यदि यो प्रणाली कमजोर भयो भने हाम्रो शरीर भित्र प्रवेश गर्ने जीवाणु/ बिषाणु/ परजिवीहरुले तुरुन्त आक्रमण गरिहाल्छन् र हामीलाई रोगहरु जस्तै: झाडा-पखाला, रुघा-खोकी, क्षयरोग, इत्यादी. लाग्छ ।

AIDS वास्तवमा आफैंमा कुनै रोग होइन तर यसले चाँही हाम्रो immune system लाई यती कमजोर बनाइदिन्छ कि निको नै नहुने गरी, अनी सबै किसिमको (सरुवा) रोगहरु लाग्छ र मृत्‍यु हुन्छ ।

तर immune system ज्यादा सकृय अथवा cross reaction भयो भने पनि यसले हाम्रो शरीरका आफ्नै कोष, तन्तु तथा अङ्गहरुलाई आक्रमण गर्न सुरु गर्छ अनी आँफैमा एक रोगको रुप लिन्छ, जसलाई Autoimmune Disease भनिन्छ । यसअन्तर्गत बात (Rheumatoid Arthritis), बिसमज्वर (Rheumatic fever), दम (Allergic Asthma), खास प्रकारको मुटुको रोग (Rheumatic heart disease), Graves' disease, Lupus, Optic neuritis, Pernicious anemia, Sjögren's syndrome, Primary biliary cirrhosism, Myasthenia gravis, Diabetes mellitus type 1, इत्यादी. (यस्ता सय भन्दा बढी किसिमका रोगहरु पत्ता लागेका छन्) ।
क्रमश:

Install LibreOffice in Older Version of Fedora

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As I have been writing (can be found under labels: Linux, Fedora, Computer), Linux OS has been improving in graphical user interface and other packages/applications. OpenOffice, which is one of the powerful application/package, was the Linux equivalent of MS Office (Word, Excel, Power-point, Access, etc.). Recently, OpenOffice has been replaced by LibreOffice in Linux OS probably due to license conflict. In the latest version, Fedora 15, it can installed as;

1. Open terminal, and become root user (type "su" and then type password ".......")
2. Type "yum install libreoffice" OR type "yum groupinstall "Office/Productivity""

In older version of Fedora (bur not older than Fedora 8), we have to

1. Download all the required files here (Other options are available to select there, e.g., to install in Windows, ".exe" file can be selected).
2. Extract the zipped file (mouse-right click and click on "extract here". Careful ! where does this file situated, normally it remains under home/Downloads).
3. Open terminal, and become root user
4. Type "yum localinstall /home/bishnu/Downloads/LibO_3.3.4rc1_Linux_x86_install-rpm_en-US/RPMS/* --nogpg" (after few seconds it will ask for permission, then type "y")
5. Then again type, "rpm -Uvh  /home/bishnu/Downloads/LibO_3.3.4rc1_Linux_x86_install-rpm_en-US/RPMS/desktop-integration/libreoffice3.3-redhat-menus-3.3-401.noarch.rpm --force"

Note: Bishnu can be replaced by your username, or entire /home/bishnu/Downloads can be replaced by actual location of these file. But it will be easier, if we paste this folder (software) under /Downloads, if it was brought from friend's computer/purchased). The file names LibO_3.3.4rc1..... / libreoffice3.3-redhat-menus-3.3-401 are variable with the time.

Nepalese in Reputable Science Journals

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Probably, there might be some articles published by Nepalese in the famous and reputed science journals, such as science, nature, cell, etc.

Recently, Lujendra Ojha, Mhaipi, Kathmandu has discovered the possibilities of water in the Mars. This made him a famous scientist, and he has been covered in all types of media worldwide. He is an undergraduate research intern at lunar and planetary laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, USA. He published his finding as second author in one of the most famous journal (Science, 5 Aug 2011, 333 (6043); 740-743, impact factor of this journal is 31.4).

Another two Nepalese (Deepak Koirala and Soma Dhakal) have published their research article as first and second author in one of the most reputed journal (Nature Chemistry, 28 Aug 2011, impact factor of this journal is 17.9). Deepak Koirala, Rupandehi district, was the batch topper in MSc from Central Department of Chemistry (CDC), TU, Nepal.  Soma Dhakal, Palpa district, also did his MSc from CDC, TU, Nepal and recipient of university fellowship award for his outstanding performance in research from Kent State University, USA. Currently, both are pursuing their PhD from Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and School of Biomedical Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio 44242, USA.

Their success not only inspires Nepalese but also shows Nepalese are capable, if got the opportunity. Almost all Nepali who had completed their MSc from Tribhuvan University, Nepal had been doing well in foreign. However, there is no reputation of Nepal in science. International journals usually reject if the corresponding author's affiliation is Nepal (personal experience). This is mainly due to unavailability of good equipments, no budget allocation for research and higher study. Receiving chemicals and reagents used in the laboratories are the expensive and slow process. Ministry of “science and technology” is the least preferred for any political parties and politicians. 

And those Nepali scientists who got the international reputation, should be a leader to develop  / install science and technology and research in Nepal, whatever might be our corrupted government thinks. So that all bright young and brilliant Nepali will get chance to show talent, and do something for science.

Influencing Google+ Made me Switching off Facebook

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Although I am beginner of google+, nowadays I am spending more time in it as compared to Facebook. Obviously, some exciting features of Facebook had been luring not only teenagers but also geriatrics. But some limitations such as  option to add as friend only, though all connected people are not friends. Few years ago, I had requested one of my teacher to add as a friend. He knew me. I am confident he knew me, however, he asked to introduce myself. Even though I introduced myself, he doubt as we were friends. Can't we be connected each other in Facebook because we are student and teacher? That's why I have not requested any of my teachers to connect in Facebook yet.

I was asked to introduce before connecting in Facebook but still not connected

Another limitation of Facebook was some status. It might not be appropriate for my relatives connected, but useful for my class fellow. These status couldn't be hidden from each other.I have to restrict selecting one by one. Jokes that I wanted to post, might be laughable for some of my friend of college, which is not necessarily understandable by my friends of school level.

I hope Facebook overcome these limitation within few weeks (or probably, have updated). Otherwise I prefer google+ to Facebook.