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In many developing countries, where rabies is prevalent among dog populations, humans are at risk of contracting the disease. Recent reports from Nepal suggest that around 30,000 cases of pet and more than 100 human rabies cases occur each year, with the highest risk being in the Terai, although these numbers may be underestimated. Knowledge and practices related to rabies prevention are crucial in combating the disease. However, there is not enough data on the understanding and preventive measures of rabies among the local population in Nepal. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the knowledge and practices regarding rabies prevention among the people of Bharatpur-12, Chitwan, Nepal. The study, conducted in February 2022, involved a cross-sectional survey of 271 respondents selected through systematic random sampling. A semi-structured questionnaire was used for one-on-one interviews. Among the surveyed respondents, a significant proportion (81.50%; n = 221/271) correctly understood rabies is zoonotic disease. Furthermore, 73.10% (n = 198/271) could correctly identify the animals susceptible to rabies, while 39.9% (n = 108/271) knew the causative agent. Additionally, 46.5% accurately listed the modes of transmission, and a majority (86.70%; n = 235/271) recognized the signs and symptoms of rabies in animals and humans. Overall, 42.06% (n = 114/271) of the respondents demonstrated satisfactory knowledge. Out of the 271 respondents, 22.9% (n = 62) owned pets, and 39.11% (n = 106) reported incidents of animal bites within their families, with dog bites being the most commonly mentioned (92.46%; n = 98/106). The majority (81.14%; n = 86/106) sought treatment on the same day as the incident occurred. About half of them (50%; n = 53/106) cleaned the wound with soap and water, while a small percentage (5.66%; n = 6/106) relied on traditional medicine as immediate first aid after an animal bite. The level of knowledge was found to be associated with gender (p = 0.04), educational status (p = 0.05), and family monthly income (p = 0.007). These findings highlight the importance of educating the community in Nepal about rabies control and prevention measures and underscore the need for targeted educational interventions to improve rabies awareness and the potential of effective awareness campaigns to save lives. Raising awareness about health-seeking behavior and community members’ role in controlling, preventing, and eliminating rabies is crucial.

The accurate collection of operational data at airports is essential for ensuring the fair distribution of national funds. However, many U.S. airports lack control towers, which forces planners to rely on sound, radio, and transponder-based systems for detecting aircraft operations. While these methods are useful, they have limitations, such as low accuracy and an inability to identify specific aircraft. In our previous work, we developed a computer vision-based system capable of accurately counting and identifying aircraft. However, implementing this system requires powerful computing devices that are not typically found at non-towered airports. Additionally, cloud computing is not a viable option due to data transfer limitations and associated costs. To address these challenges, we propose an affordable solution utilizing edge computing. This paper describes the necessary software and hardware modules, including optimized machine learning methods and edge devices, for deploying the system at airports. We tested the system’s performance using two independent standalone setups, created with NVIDIA edge kits, at three non-towered airports. The first setup aimed to obtain an accurate count of operations without detailed aircraft information, while the second setup was designed to extract an operations count with comprehensive aircraft information, including aircraft type recognition and identification. The accurate retrieval of aircraft information in the edge computing system is achieved through the introduction of a tailored CNN-based recognition model and the execution of a 3-step tail number identification algorithm. The results demonstrate the practical value of the proposed system, indicating that an accurate count of operations with detailed aircraft information can be obtained at a reasonable cost.

This research has investigated and evaluated the demographic profile and competency levels of local builders involved in residential building construction sites at Nawalparasi East, Gandaki province, Nepal. The construction industry is a cornerstone of Nepal’s economic development. The reliability and quality of construction heavily depend on the local builder’s capability to execute the work on the basis of technical and skills proficiency. This study aims to ascertain the status of local builders regarding their competency levels and their construction work profiles on the basis of work experience. The research employs a questionnaire approach, combining quantitative and qualitative data collection techniques. A field survey is administered to local builders to evaluate their demographic profiles, technical skills and knowledge as well as their construction site experiences. The findings of this study reveal what local builders are good at and where they need to improve in residential construction. The results of this research are meant to help construction entrepreneurs, industry players, and local-level authorities come up with plans to boost the local builders and categories them as per their ability and strength. The outcome of the alternate hypothesis indicates that, concerning local builders, there is substantial evidence suggesting that at least one characteristic significantly varies from the others.

The Ramaroshan Lake Complex (RLC) in Sudurpaschim Province, Nepal, is a Himalayan lake cluster that holds significant ecological, economic, religious, and esthetic importance. This study aimed to provide a comprehensive characterization of the hydrochemical properties of water within the RLC and assess its suitability for irrigation purposes. A total of 38 water samples were collected from seven different lakes of the complex. The physicochemical parameters and major ions were then analyzed. The water samples from the RLC were alkaline, and based on total hardness, they ranged from soft to moderately hard categories. The presence of major ions included the following: Ca2+ > Na+ > Mg2+ > K+ > Fe3+ > NH4+ and HCO3− > Cl− > SO42− > NO3− > PO43−. The alkaline earth metals (Ca2+ and Mg2+) dominated the alkali metals (Na+ and K+) and weak acids (HCO3−) dominated the strong acids (Cl− and SO42−). The dominant hydrochemical facies of the lake water was a Ca-HCO3 type indicating a calcium carbonate type of lithology. Carbonate rock weathering was the most dominant process in influencing the hydrochemistry of the water. A high ratio of (Ca2++ Mg2+)/Tz+ and a lower ratio of (Na+ + K+)/Tz+ revealed the dominance of Ca2+ and Mg2+ resulting from carbonate weathering, with little contribution from silicate weathering. Different irrigation indices revealed the suitability of the RLC water for irrigation. The insights derived from this study are pivotal in safeguarding water quality and bolstering sustainability efforts. The study also furnishes foundational data crucial to an array of stakeholders including researchers and policymakers and significantly contributes to advancing water management strategies and fostering ecosystem conservation in the Himalayan freshwater lakes, particularly in the face of the overarching challenge posed by global climate change.

Abstract Background Participatory policy analysis (PPA) as a method in health policy and system research remains underexplored. Using our experiences of conducting PPA workshops in Nepal to explore the impact of the country’s move to federalism on its health system, we reflect on the method’s strengths and challenges. We provide an account of the study context, the design and implementation of the workshops, and our reflections on the approach’s strengths and challenges. Findings on the impact of federalism on the health system are beyond the scope of this manuscript. Main body We conducted PPA workshops with a wide range of health system stakeholders (political, administrative and service-level workforce) at the local and provincial levels in Nepal. The workshops consisted of three activities: river of life, brainstorming and prioritization, and problem-tree analysis. Our experiences show that PPA workshops can be a valuable approach to explore health policy and system issues – especially in a context of widespread systemic change which impacts all stakeholders within the health system. Effective engagement of stakeholders and activities that encourage both individual- and system-level reflections and discussions not only help in generating rich qualitative data, but can also address gaps in participants’ understanding of practical, technical and political aspects of the health system, aid policy dissemination of research findings, and assist in identifying short- and long-term practice and policy issues that need to be addressed for better health system performance and outcomes. Conducting PPA workshops is, however, challenging for a number of reasons, including the influence of gatekeepers and power dynamics between stakeholders/participants. The role and skills of researchers/facilitators in navigating such challenges are vital for success. Although the long-term impact of such workshops needs further research, our study shows the usefulness of PPA workshops for researchers, for participants and for the wider health system. Conclusions PPA workshops can effectively generate and synthesize health policy and system evidence through collaborative engagement of health system stakeholders with varied roles. When designed with careful consideration for context and stakeholders’ needs, it has great potential as a method in health policy and systems research.

This study reports a new record of freshwater fish Macrognathus aral (Bloch & Schneider) from Aiechu-Kalikhola tributary of the Maukhola river in Sarpang, Bhutan. The species was found in shoal of the tributary and was identified using its morphometric characters. It can be identified and distinguished from its congeners reported in Bhutan by dorsal fin rays XIX, 47, anal fin rays III, 52, rostral plates 28, pectoral fin rays 19, caudal fin rays 15, soft rayed part of dorsal and anal fin separated by a notch from rounded caudal fin, and presence of four ocelli at the base of dorsal fins. Further studies are needed to better understand its distribution, ecology, and population dynamics in the country. A key to species belonging to Mastacembelidae of Bhutan including the new record is provided.

Abstract Introduction Countries without complete civil registration and vital statistics systems rely on retrospective full pregnancy history surveys (FPH) to estimate incidence of pregnancy and mortality outcomes, including stillbirth and neonatal death. Yet surveys are subject to biases that impact demographic estimates, and few studies have quantified these effects. We compare data from an FPH vs. prospective records from a population-based cohort to estimate validity for maternal recall of live births, stillbirths, and neonatal deaths in a rural population in Sarlahi District, Nepal. Methods We used prospective data, collected through frequent visits of women from early pregnancy through the neonatal period, from a population-based randomized trial spanning 2010–2017. We randomly selected 76 trial participants from three pregnancy outcome groups: live birth (n = 26), stillbirth (n = 25), or neonatal death (n = 25). Data collectors administered the Nepal 2016 Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS)-VII pregnancy history survey between October 22, 2021, and November 18, 2021. We compared total pregnancy outcomes and numbers of pregnancy and neonatal outcomes between the two data sources. We matched pregnancy outcomes dates in the two sources within ± 30 days and calculated measures of validity for adverse outcomes. Results Among 76 participants, we recorded 122 pregnancy outcomes in the prospective data and 104 outcomes in the FPH within ± 30 days of each woman’s total observation period in the trial. Among 226 outcomes, we observed 65 live births that survived to 28 days, 25 stillbirths, and 32 live births followed by neonatal death in the prospective data and participants reported 63 live births that survived to 28 days, 15 stillbirths, and 26 live births followed by neonatal death in the pregnancy history survey. Sixty-two FPH outcomes were matched by date within ± 30 days to an outcome in prospective data. Stillbirth, neonatal death, higher parity, and delivery at a health facility were associated with likelihood of a non-matched pregnancy outcome. Conclusions Stillbirth and neonatal deaths were underestimated overall by the FPH, potentially underestimating the burden of mortality in this population. There is a need to develop tools to reduce or adjust for biases and errors in retrospective surveys to improve reporting of pregnancy and mortality outcomes.

Climate change can have significant impacts on crop yields and food security. This study assessed the linkages between climate change and crop yields to obtain a better understanding on the drivers of food security. The study was conducted in Pasagaun village of Lamjung District in Nepal, where household surveys and focus group discussions (FGDs) were used to collect data including crop cultivation, irrigation facilities, and adaptation strategies. Moreover, climate data (temperature and precipitation) from 1992 to 2020 were collected from the Khudi Bazar meteorological station and crop yield data were obtained from the Agri-Business Promotion and Statistics Division. Trend analysis of temperature and precipitation was conducted using Mann-Kendall trend test and Sen's Slope method, and the results showed an increase in the average temperature of approximately 0.02 ​°C/a and a decrease in the annual precipitation of 9.84 mm/a. The cultivation of traditional varieties of rice and foxtail millet (Kaguno) has vanished. Although, there was no significant impact of the maximum temperature on the yield of rice and maize, the regression analysis revealed that there are negative relationships between rice yield and annual minimum temperature (r ​= ​−0.44), between millet yield and annual precipitation (r ​= ​−0.30), and between maize yield and annual minimum temperature (r ​= ​−0.31) as well as positive relationship between rice yield and annual precipitation (r ​= ​0.16). Moreover, average rice yield and millet yield have decreased by 27.0% and 57.0% in 2000–2020, respectively. Despite other reasons for the decrease in crop yield such as the lack of irrigation facilities, out-migration of farmer, and increased pest infestation, respondents have adopted adaptation strategies (for example, shifts in cultivation time and changes in crop types) to minimize the impacts of climate change. More investigation and community-based farming education are needed to understand and alleviate the harmful impacts of climate change on crop yield, as effective adaptation coping strategies are still insufficient. This study provides insights into the adaptation strategies that are necessary to keep food security in the face of climate change.

Abstract Introduction Nepal’s move to a federal system was a major constitutional and political change, with significant devolution of power and resources from the central government to seven newly created provinces and 753 local governments. Nepal’s health system is in the process of adapting to federalism, which is a challenging, yet potentially rewarding, task. This research is a part of broader study that aims to explore the opportunities and challenges facing Nepal’s health system as it adapts to federalisation. Methods This exploratory qualitative study was conducted across the three tiers of government (federal, provincial, and local) in Nepal. We employed two methods: key informant interviews and participatory policy analysis workshops, to offer an in-depth understanding of stakeholders’ practical learnings, experiences, and opinions. Participants included policymakers, health service providers, local elected members, and other local stakeholders. All interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, translated into English, and analysed thematically using the six WHO (World Health Organization) health system building blocks as a theoretical framework. Results Participants noted both opportunities and challenges around each building block. Identified opportunities were: (a) tailored local health policies and plans, (b) improved health governance at the municipality level, (c) improved health infrastructure and service capacity, (d) improved outreach services, (e) increased resources (health budgets, staffing, and supplies), and (f) improved real-time data reporting from health facilities. At the same time, several challenges were identified including: (a) poor coordination between the tiers of government, (b) delayed release of funds, (c) maldistribution of staff, (d) problems over procurement, and (e) limited monitoring and supervision of the quality of service delivery and data reporting. Conclusion Our findings suggest that since federalisation, Nepal’s health system performance is improving, although much remains to be accomplished. For Nepal to succeed in its federalisation process, understanding the challenges and opportunities is vital to improving each level of the health system in terms of (a) leadership and governance, (b) service delivery, (c) health financing, (d) health workforce, (e) access to essential medicines and technologies and (f) health information system.

Social dynamics and lighting conditions influence floor egg-laying behavior (FELB) in hens. Hens prefer to lay eggs in darker areas, leading to mislaid eggs in cage-free systems. Consistent lighting is crucial to prevent mislaid eggs, but equipment obstructions can result in a dark floor area. These dark areas entice hens to lay their eggs outside the designated nesting area, which can lead to potential losses, damage, or contamination, creating hygiene problems and increasing the risk of bacterial growth, resulting in foodborne illnesses. Therefore, additional lighting in dark areas can be a potential solution. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effectiveness of providing additional light in darker areas in reducing the number of mislaid eggs and FELB. Approximately 720 Hy-Line W-36 hens were housed in four cage-free experimental rooms (180 hens per room), and 6 focal hens from each room were randomly selected and provided with numbered harnesses (1–6) to identify which hens were performing FELB and identify the effect of illuminating solutions. Eggs laid on the floor and in nests were collected and recorded daily for two weeks before and after the light treatment. Statistical analysis was performed using paired t-tests for mislaid eggs and logistic regression for FELB in R Studio (p < 0.05). This study found that additional lighting in darker areas reduced the number of mislaid eggs by 23.8%. Similarly, the number of focal hens performing FELB decreased by 33.3%. This research also unveiled a noteworthy disparity in FELB, with approximately one-third of hens preferring designated nesting areas, while others opted for the floor, which was influenced by social dynamics. Additionally, egg-laying times varied significantly, ranging from 21.3 to 108.03 min, indicating that environmental factors and disturbances played a substantial role in this behavior. These findings suggest that introducing additional lighting in darker areas changes FELB in hens, reducing mislaid eggs and improving egg quality in cage-free systems.

The spin crossover complex Fe(phen)2(NCS)2 and its composite, Fe(phen)2(NCS)2, combined with the conducting polymer polyaniline (PANI) plus varying concentrations of iron magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles were studied. A cooperative effect is evident from the hysteresis width in the plot of magnetic susceptibility multiplied by temperature versus temperature (χmT versus T) for Fe(phen)2(NCS)2 with PANI plus varying concentrations of Fe3O4 nanoparticles. The hysteresis width in the composites vary no more than 2 K with respect to the pristine Fe(phen)2(NCS)2 spin crossover crystallites despite the fact that there exists a high degree of miscibility of the Fe(phen)2(NCS)2 spin crossover complex with the PANI. The Fe3O4 nanoparticles in the Fe(phen)2(NCS)2 plus PANI composite tend to agglomerate at higher concentrations regardless of the spin state of Fe(phen)2(NCS)2. Of note is that the Fe3O4 nanoparticles are shown to be antiferromagnetically coupled with the Fe(phen)2(NCS)2 when Fe(phen)2(NCS)2 is in the high spin state.

Anthrax is a notorious disease of public health importance caused by Bacillus anthracis. The causative agent can also be used as a biological weapon. Spores of these bacteria can sustain extreme environmental conditions and remain viable in soil for decades. Domestic and wild ruminants are highly susceptible to this pathogen, which usually presents as a peracute to acute disease. In humans, cutaneous anthrax is frequent but pulmonary and enteric anthrax are more serious. Humans, animals, and the environment are all involved, making anthrax a perfect target for a One Health approach. The environment plays a key role in disease transmission. At a time when the One Health concept is not mere slogans, collaborative efforts of medical professionals, veterinarians, and environmental scientists will be valuable for the prevention and control of this disease. In this review, we discussed the transmission dynamics of anthrax in the environment, animals, and humans, as well as One Health strategies to control and prevent anthrax.

Variable selection methods have been extensively developed for and applied to cancer genomics data to identify important omics features associated with complex disease traits, including cancer outcomes. However, the reliability and reproducibility of the findings are in question if valid inferential procedures are not available to quantify the uncertainty of the findings. In this article, we provide a gentle but systematic review of high-dimensional frequentist and Bayesian inferential tools under sparse models which can yield uncertainty quantification measures, including confidence (or Bayesian credible) intervals, p values and false discovery rates (FDR). Connections in high-dimensional inferences between the two realms have been fully exploited under the “unpenalized loss function + penalty term” formulation for regularization methods and the “likelihood function × shrinkage prior” framework for regularized Bayesian analysis. In particular, we advocate for robust Bayesian variable selection in cancer genomics studies due to its ability to accommodate disease heterogeneity in the form of heavy-tailed errors and structured sparsity while providing valid statistical inference. The numerical results show that robust Bayesian analysis incorporating exact sparsity has yielded not only superior estimation and identification results but also valid Bayesian credible intervals under nominal coverage probabilities compared with alternative methods, especially in the presence of heavy-tailed model errors and outliers.

Sustained efforts and investments in different sectors are essential for the overall development of a region. Various studies around the globe underscore the importance of investment in road transport infrastructure in many developing countries to achieve their development targets. The relationship between infrastructure investment and economic growth is often found to be inconsistent. This ambiguity leads to a lack of consensus on an appropriate scale of investment required among the policy makers. So, it is often necessary to depend on empirical evidence by developing causality direction, which significantly contributes to policy implications in developing countries. The objective of this analytical study is developing a relationship between the road transport infrastructure and economic growth of Nepal. For this, relevant data from 1998 to 2022 were used to perform a unit root test and determine the order of integration, followed by cointegration analysis to determine the long-run relationship between the variables. In addition, the vector error correction model (VECM) was employed to find the direction of causality. The findings indicate unidirectional long-run causality from gross capital formation, exports of goods and services, expenditure on road transport infrastructures, and road length to the GDP of Nepal. Furthermore, the expenditure on road transport infrastructures is observed to have a short-run impact on economic growth. This study recommends that a suitable transportation policy should be implemented to boost investment on road transport infrastructures to achieve sustainable economic growth in Nepal-like developing nations.

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BackgroundEpigenetic dysregulation has been proposed as a key mechanism for arsenic-related cardiovascular disease (CVD). We evaluated differentially methylated positions (DMPs) as potential mediators on the association between arsenic and CVD.MethodsBlood DNA methylation was measured in 2321 participants (mean age 56.2, 58.6% women) of the Strong Heart Study, a prospective cohort of American Indians. Urinary arsenic species were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. We identified DMPs that are potential mediators between arsenic and CVD. In a cross-species analysis, we compared those DMPs with differential liver DNA methylation following early-life arsenic exposure in the apoE knockout (apoE-/-) mouse model of atherosclerosis.ResultsA total of 20 and 13 DMPs were potential mediators for CVD incidence and mortality, respectively, several of them annotated to genes related to diabetes. Eleven of these DMPs were similarly associated with incident CVD in 3 diverse prospective cohorts (Framingham Heart Study, Women's Health Initiative, and Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis). In the mouse model, differentially methylated regions in 20 of those genes and DMPs in 10 genes were associated with arsenic.ConclusionsDifferential DNA methylation might be part of the biological link between arsenic and CVD. The gene functions suggest that diabetes might represent a relevant mechanism for arsenic-related cardiovascular risk in populations with a high burden of diabetes.

Experimental cross sections for the He4(e,e′p)X reactions in the missing energy range from 0.017 to 0.022 GeV and up to a missing momentum of 0.632 GeV/c at xB=1.24 and Q2=2 (GeV/c)2 are reported. The data are compared to relativistic distorted-wave impulse approximation calculations for the He4(e,e′p)H3 channel. Significantly more events are observed for pm≥0.45 GeV/c than are predicted by the theoretical model, and striking fluctuations in the ratio of data to the theoretical model around pm=0.3GeV/c are possible signals of initial-state multinucleon correlations.

The increase in usage of Online Learning systems has provided a challenge to deliver e-contents based on user needs. This study uses learning style data to determine the learning profile and provide the content based on the user's needs, whereas gamified elements are used to increase user engagement. The combination of these two approaches would eventually increase the overall user motivation and interest in the platform. The model developed is used to predict the Learning Style (LS) preference by analyzing the activity data obtained from the student interaction in the course. Further, clustering is done to determine the LS preference of the user in the system. Content is designed based on user's learning styles and preferences and uploaded to the platform. Data were collected through surveys after the end of the course to measure students' perception of the three variables: "motivation, learning satisfaction," and "learning outcomes." The findings from the study suggest that the students showed high motivation, positive learning outcomes, and satisfaction with the developed contents.

No Abstract available.