Vegetation traffic barriers along roads can be an effective structure to improve roadside air quality and to reduce human exposure to traffic air pollutants. However, the selection of the plant species should be considered as an important design parameter for vegetation traffic barriers because different plant species demonstrate different levels of tolerance to air pollutants. This study compares the air pollution tolerance of different plant species found in the vegetation traffic barriers in the Kathmandu valley. Four biochemical parameters (relative water content, leaf extract pH, total chlorophyll and ascorbic acid) and the dust-capturing potential of plants were analyzed. Out of the nine selected species, Cinnamomum camphora showed the highest tolerance to air pollution based on the air pollution tolerance index. Similarly, Schefflera pueckleri, Psidium guajava and Ficus benjamina were found to be the sensitive species, while Ficus sp., Nerium oleander, Thuja sp., Dypsis lutescens and Albizia julibrissin were found to have a moderate level of tolerance to air pollution. N. oleander had the highest dust-capturing potential. Considering both air pollution tolerance index and dust-capturing potential, C. camphora, N. oleander and A. julibrissin were found to be the most suitable species for the roadside plantation. The findings of this study might have important implications for plant species selection for vegetation traffic barriers.

Introduction: Pus is an exudate, present at the site of inflammation occurring during bacterial, viral or fungal infection and is formed by pyogenic bacteria. Objective: To study the multi-drug resistant bacteria including phenotypic detection of MβL activity of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in pus isolates. Methods: This was hospital based cross-sectional study in which 179 samples of pus was collected from any site of the body either by using swab or aspirated by using syringe and cultured in respective hospitals. Thus, obtained isolates were preserved and were transported to the laboratory for further processing. Results: Out of 162 pus isolated, 67(42.0%) were Methecillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), 14(8%) were Methicillin sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA), 21(13.0%) were Klebsiella spp, 19(11.7%) were Escherichia coli, 14 (8.6%) were Pseudomonas aeruginosa, 10(6.2%) were Acinetobacter spp, 5(3.1%) were Streptococcus spp, 4(2.5%) were Enterococci ,3(1.9%) were Enterobacter spp, 2(1.2%) were Coagulase negative S. aureus, 1(0.6%) were Proteus vulgaris, and1(0.6%) were Citrobacter spp. Antibiogram of Gram positive cocci revealed that they showed susceptibility towards vancomycin, clindamycin, gentamycin, amikacin. Similarly, Gram negative bacilli showed good response towards gentamycin, amikacin, nitrofurantoin, colistin. Out of 162 isolates, 102(62.96%) were Multi-Drug Resistant (MDR) and 60 (37.04%) were Non-MDR. Out of 14 (8.6%) Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates, 8(57.1%) were Imepenem resistant and among imepenem resistant, only 3(37.5%) of them showed MβL production activity. Conclusion: This study showed that Gram negative bacteria were highly resistant to antibiotics. Staphylococcus aureus was found to be more predominant bacteria in forming pus. Antibiotics used in the infections related to pus are being more resistant.

The endangered red panda (Ailurus fulgens) is endemic to the Himalayas, including Jajarkot. Forest-dependent agro-pastoralists in Jajarkot rely on natural resources for their livelihoods in prime red panda habitats. This paper describes how agro-pastoralists perceive prevailing climate change threats and how they together with endangered red panda are sustaining in spite of these threats based on personal interviews, focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and observation methods. The results of the study revealed that the perceptions of the agro-pastoralists correspond with the increasing trend of temperature and the changing (both increasing and decreasing) trends of precipitation. Moreover, the agro-pastoralists have perceived the decrease in snowfall and reported the appearance of new forage and pasture species in the red panda habitat. The findings will be useful to understand the impact of climate change in the red panda range and devising adaptation strategies in these areas.