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Proso millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) is one of the oldest cereal grains cultivated in the north-western part of Nepal. Not a single proso millet variety has been released so far for cultivation in Nepal. To assess the genetic diversity of proso millet conserved in the National Agriculture Genetic Resources Centre, 42 accessions of proso millet were characterized in Khumaltar (1360 m a.s.l.), Lalitpur in 2015 that were collected from the Humla (1900–2800 m a.s.l.) and Jumla (2300–2600 m a.s.l.) districts of the Western Himalayas of Nepal. Seven quantitative and nine qualitative traits were recorded using standard descriptors. The accessions were found to be diverse using Shannon–Weaver diversity indices (H′) for the quantitative traits of days to heading and maturity, plant height, panicle length, panicle exertion, flag leaf length and grain yield, whereas low diversity was observed for the qualitative traits of leaf sheath colour, flag leaf angle, grain shape, and grain colour, and no diversity was observed for leaf pubescence. The accessions were grouped in five clusters where an accession in Cluster-5 and six accessions in Cluster-4, all from Humla, were found to be high-yielding, early-maturing and of taller plant height. In contrast, 4 accessions in Cluster-2 (3 from Jumla) were low-yielding, late-maturing and of shorter plant height. Accessions H237, H176, H311, H489, H490, H643 and H653, all from the Humla district, performed better in the preliminary evaluation. Although these accessions could be used for future breeding to develop climate-resilient varieties, the genebank could employ an innovative method of using participatory diversity kits to promote farmer selection for immediate benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breakage of hardware is not an uncommon complication in spine surgery practice. Pedicle screw breakage is the commonest instrument failure encountered in spine surgery, and different relatively simple, techniques have been recommended to retrieve the threaded part of it. Peroperative breakage of an instrument like pedicle seeker and jaw of disc forceps is unpredictable and removal of an unthreaded smooth implant is difficult. We experienced breakage of the pedicle seeker while putting a pedicle screw in a case of spondylolisthesis and breakage of the mobile jaw of a disc forceps in another case of prolapsed intervertebral disc. Here we present an innovative technique of removal of the broken instrument through the pedicle. Regular maintenance and replacement of al old instrument is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, probabilistic seismic performance assessment of a typical non-seismic RC frame building representative of a large inventory of existing buildings in developing countries is conducted. Nonlinear time-history analyses of the sample building are performed with 20 large-magnitude medium distance ground motions scaled to different levels of intensity represented by peak ground acceleration and 5% damped elastic spectral acceleration at the first mode period of the building. The hysteretic model used in the analyses accommodates stiffness degradation, ductility-based strength decay, hysteretic energy-based strength decay and pinching due to gap opening and closing. The maximum inter story drift ratios obtained from the time-history analyses are plotted against the ground motion intensities. A method is defined for obtaining the yielding and collapse capacity of the analyzed structure using these curves. The fragility curves for yielding and collapse damage levels are developed by statistically interpreting the results of the time-history analyses. Hazard-survival curves are generated by changing the horizontal axis of the fragility curves from ground motion intensities to their annual probability of exceedance using the log-log linear ground motion hazard model. The results express at a glance the probabilities of yielding and collapse against various levels of ground motion intensities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the possibility of controlling the response of typical portal frame structures to blast loading using a combination of semi-active and passive control devices. A one storey reinforced concrete portal frame is modelled using non-linear finite elements with each column discretised into multiple elements to capture the higher frequency modes of column vibration response that are typical features of blast responses. The model structure is subjected to blast loads of varying duration, magnitude and shape, and the critical aspects of the response are investigated over a range of structural periods in the form of blast load response spectra. It is found that the shape or length of the blast load is not a factor in the response, as long as the period is less than 25% of the fundamental structural period. Thus, blast load response can be expressed strictly as a function of the momentum applied to the structure by a blast load. The optimal device arrangements are found to be those that reduce the first peak of the structural displacement and also reduce the subsequent flee vibration of the structure. Semi-active devices that do not increase base shear demands on the foundations in combination with a passive yielding tendon are found to provide the most effective control, particularly if base shear demand is an important consideration, as with older structures. The overall results are summarised as response spectra for eventual potential use within standard structural design paradigms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Study of structural, mechanical, electronic, and magnetic properties of new series of Fe-based quaternary Heusler alloys. • Interesting properties like spin-gapless semiconducting (SGS) behavior and half-metallicity are realized. • Discrepancies observed in electronic and magnetic properties of Fe based quaternary Heusler alloys containing Yttrium is redressed. This paper presents a detailed investigation of FeCr-based quaternary Heusler alloys. By using ultrasoft pseudopotential, electronic and magnetic properties of the compounds are studied within the framework of Density Functional Theory (DFT) by using the Quantum Espresso package. The thermodynamic, mechanical, and dynamical stability of the compounds is established through the comprehensive study of different mechanical parameters and phonon dispersion curves. The meticulous study of elastic parameters such as bulk, Young's, shear moduli, etc. is done to understand different mechanical properties. The FeCr-based compounds containing also Yttrium are studied to redress the contradictory electronic and magnetic properties observed in the literature. The interesting properties like half-metallicity and spin-gapless semiconducting (SGS) behavior are realized in the compounds under study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The section presents a reply by the authors to a comment on their article "Seismic Design Spectra for Different Soil Classes." The critics raised three main concerns such as the use of ground motions recorded on a class D site as the input bedrock motion, the permanent 30 m depth of all soil profiles utilized in the simulation, and deterministic nature of the proposed changes which do not account for the return period of the ground motions.

The correlation between enteric methane emissions (eME) and feed efficiency (FE) in cattle is linked to the anaerobic fermentation of feedstuffs that occurs in the rumen. Several mathematical indices have been developed to predict feed efficiency and identify low methane emitters in herds. To investigate this, the current study aimed to evaluate the rumen microbial composition in the same group of animals ranked according to six different indices (three indices for FE and three for eME). Thirty-three heifers were ranked into three groups, each consisting of 11 animals, based on FE (feed conversion efficiency - FCE, residual weight gain - RG, and residual feed intake - RFI) and eME indices (production, yield, and intensity). Rumen fluids were collected using a stomach tube and analyzed using 16S rRNA and 18S rRNA, targeting rumen bacteria, archaea, and protozoa. The sequencing analysis revealed that the presence of unique microbial species in the rumen varies across animals ranked by the FE and eME indices. The High RG group harbored 17 unique prokaryotic taxa, while the High FCE group contained only seven. Significant differences existed in the microbial profiles of the animals based on the FE and eME indices. For instance, Raoultibacter was more abundant in the Intermediate RFI group but less so in the Intermediate RG and Intermediate FCE groups. The abundance of Entodinium was higher while Diplodinium was lower in the High FCE group, in contrast to the High RG and High RFI groups. Methanobrevibacter exhibited similar abundances across eME indices. However, the heifers did not demonstrate the same production, yield, and intensity of eME. The present findings underscore the importance of standardizing the FE and eME indices. This standardization is crucial for ensuring consistent and reliable assessments of the composition and function of the rumen microbiome across different herds., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Breastfeeding intention is one of the strongest predictors of breastfeeding behavior and practice. The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), with its main construct, behavioral intention, is useful to predict actual behavior. While the literature has examined the implications of other theoretical notions such as self-identity, moral norm, descriptive norm, and socio-demographic variables, their roles remain unclear. Similarly, research on ethnic and low-income mothers is even insufficient. Therefore, given the original TPB constructs, our goal was to examine the role of extra theoretical constructs and specific demographic variables, and observe whether the original model would alter., Methods: A cross-sectional analytical study was carried out among 325 pregnant mothers in six purposively selected health care facilities of Kaski and Tanahu districts, using structured pro forma, from December 2018 to November 2019. We developed stepwise multivariate logistic regression from the entered and cleaned data, observed the effects on breastfeeding intention (BFI), and checked against multiple parameters. We interpreted the model with adjusted odds ratios and β coefficients, along with the variance explained., Results and Discussions: Out of 325 pregnant women, more than half (54.8%) were primiparous, and the mean age was 25.1±5 years. All three theoretical constructs of TPB regressed the BFI significantly, with 10.7%, the breastfeeding attitude dominating (β = 0.734, p = .003), and the other two constructs-perceived breastfeeding control (β = 0.659, p = .011) and breastfeeding subjective norm (β = 0.504, p = .045). Interestingly, breastfeeding self-identity added further variance of 5.2% (β = 0.955, p < .001), followed by income, with 3.2% (β = 0.856, p = .001), both of which also tallied large effect sizes. The model parameters showed consistency and robustness. We discuss the variables of the theoretical and extended model for BFI as well as the arguments for the explained variance., Conclusion: Self-identity is a strong and independent predictor of breastfeeding intention and, therefore, should be considered to better prepare for breastfeeding, especially among ethnic pregnant mothers. The direct and intermediate effects of self-concept and income need further study with more robust designs., Competing Interests: CA and RD are faculty members under SHAS. This does not alter our adherence to PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials., (Copyright: © 2024 Adhikari et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Root-lesion nematodes, Pratylenchus spp. are reported to cause serious yield losses in various crops including soybean. A new root-lesion nematode species was recently detected in a soybean field in North Dakota (ND) and named Pratylenchus dakotaensis. Nematode detection and differentiation from other species are critical in management strategies. Thus, a recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) assay was developed for rapid detection of this nematode from field soils under isothermal conditions. New primers and probes were designed from ITS-rDNA region of the nematode genome and tested for both specificity and sensitivity. The RPA assay was able to detect DNA from a single adult nematode at 39.5°C in 20 minutes using both Basic and Exo kits. The specificity of the primers was initially confirmed through in silico analyses, followed by laboratory tests. The assay successfully amplified DNA from the target species, while no amplification occurred for other Pratylenchus spp. and non-Pratylenchus control species. Sensitivity testing with real-time RPA revealed its ability to detect DNA in dilutions equivalent to 1/32 of a single nematode from DNA extracted from inoculated sterile soil. To further validate the assay, it was tested with 19 field soil samples collected in ND. This assay amplified soil DNA extracts of all P. dakotaensis-infested field samples confirmed through conventional PCR. It did not amplify DNA from 13 other field soils infested with other Pratylenchus spp. This is the first report of RPA develoment for detecting a root-lesion nematode species. The RPA assay developed can help in the rapid detection of this nematode species for effective nematode management.

Purpose/objective: This study aims to explore the perspectives of rehabilitation professionals regarding the barriers to spinal cord injury (SCI) rehabilitation services in Nepal., Research Method/design: A qualitative study involved 15 rehabilitation professionals working in the Spinal Injury Rehabilitation Center in Nepal. After obtaining informed consent, in-depth semistructured interviews were conducted using Zoom and phone calls between June and July 2023. Braun and Clarke's thematic analysis approach was utilized to analyze the interviews and generate themes from the participants' responses., Results: The participants represented nine different rehabilitation professions. Over half of them were female (53.33%), and 86.67% had one to 10 years of experience in SCI rehabilitation. From in-depth interviews, four themes depicting barriers to rehabilitation were identified: (a) resource constraints within the rehabilitation centers, (b) concerns related to finance, awareness, and support mechanisms, (c) systemic problems coupled with geographical and physical barriers, and (d) beliefs and practices influencing access and adherence to rehabilitation., Conclusions and Implications: Delivering effective rehabilitation services for people with SCI presents a range of barriers. Considering the critical importance of rehabilitation for this population, the findings underscore the necessity of engaging stakeholders at multiple levels, individuals, communities, and government agencies to address the identified barriers and improve rehabilitation services in Nepal. The implications of the findings are further discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Self-powered pressure detection using smart wearable devices is the subject of intense research attention, which is intended to address the critical need for prolonged and uninterrupted operations. Current piezoelectric and triboelectric sensors well respond to dynamic stimuli while overlooking static stimuli. This study proposes a dual-response potentiometric pressure sensor that responds to both dynamic and static stimuli. The proposed sensor utilizes interdigital electrodes with MnO 2 /carbon/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as the cathode and conductive silver paste as the anode. The electrolyte layer incorporates a mixed hydrogel of PVA and phosphoric acid. The optimized interdigital electrodes and sandpaper-like microstructured surface of the hydrogel electrolyte contribute to enhanced performance by facilitating an increased contact area between the electrolyte and electrodes. The sensor features an open-circuit voltage of 0.927 V, a short-circuit current of 6 µA, a higher sensitivity of 14 mV/kPa, and outstanding cycling performance (>5000 cycles). It can accurately recognize letter writing and enable capacitor charging and LED lighting. Additionally, a data acquisition and display system employing the proposed sensor, which facilitates the monitoring of athletes' rehabilitation training, and machine learning algorithms that effectively guide rehabilitation actions are presented. This study offers novel solutions for the future development of smart wearable devices., (© 2024 The Authors. Advanced Science published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)