Situation report on Nepal’s agrifood systems : July 2023

In June 2023, Nepal witnessed a slight increase in the prices of food and beverages by 1.3 percent as compared to the previous month. The inflation rate of non-food items and services conversely decreased marginally. This can be partially attributed to a decline in transportation costs. There was a deceleration in the year-on-year Consumer Price Index (CPI), reaching 6.8 percent this month compared to a 10.1 percent increase in the Wage Rate Index

Narrow-band search of continuous gravitational-wave signals from Crab and Vela pulsars in Virgo VSR4 data

In this paper we present the results of a coherent narrow-band search for continuous gravitational-wave signals from the Crab and Vela pulsars conducted on Virgo VSR4 data. In order to take into account a possible small mismatch between the gravitational-wave frequency and two times the star rotation frequency, inferred from measurement of the electromagnetic pulse rate, a range of 0.02 Hz around two times the star rotational frequency has been searched for both the pulsars. No evidence for a signal has been found and 95% confidence level upper limits have been computed assuming both that polarization parameters are completely unknown and that they are known with some uncertainty, as derived from x-ray observations of the pulsar wind torii. For Vela the upper limits are comparable to the spin-down limit, computed assuming that all the observed spin-down is due to the emission of gravitational waves. For Crab the upper limits are about a factor of 2 below the spin-down limit, and represent a significant improvement with respect to past analysis. This is the first time the spin-down limit is significantly overcome in a narrow-band search.Fil: Quiroga, Gonzalo Damián. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Matemática, Astronomia y Física. Sección Física. Grupo de Relatividad y Gravitacion; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Física Enrique Gaviola. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Física Enrique Gaviola; ArgentinaFil: Maglione, Cesar German. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Física Enrique Gaviola. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Física Enrique Gaviola; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Matemática, Astronomia y Física. Sección Física. Grupo de Relatividad y Gravitacion; ArgentinaFil: Reula, Oscar Alejandro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Física Enrique Gaviola. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Física Enrique Gaviola; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Matemática, Astronomia y Física. Sección Física. Grupo de Relatividad y Gravitacion; ArgentinaFil: Aasi, J.. California Institute of Technology; Estados UnidosFil: Abbot, B. P.. California Institute of Technology; Estados UnidosFil: Abbot, R.. California Institute of Technology; Estados UnidosFil: Abbot, T.. State University of Louisiana; Estados UnidosFil: Abernathy, M. R.. California Institute of Technology; Estados UnidosFil: Acernese, F.. Universita di Salerno; Italia. Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare; ItaliaFil: Ackley, K.. University of Florida; Estados UnidosFil: Adams, C.. LIGO Livingston Observatory; Estados UnidosFil: Adams, T.. Universite de Savoie. Laboratoire d’Annecy-le-Vieux de Physique des Particules; Francia. Cardiff University; Reino UnidoFil: Adams, T.. Universite de Savoie. Laboratoire d’Annecy-le-Vieux de Physique des Particules; FranciaFil: Addesso, P.. University of Sannio at Benevento; ItaliaFil: Adhikar, R. X.. California Institute of Technology; Estados UnidosFil: Adya, V.. Max-Planck-Institut für Gravitationsphysik; AlemaniaFil: Affeldt, C.. Max-Planck-Institut für Gravitationsphysik; AlemaniaFil: Agathos, M.. Nikhef; Science Park; Países BajosFil: Agatsuma, K.. Nikhef; Science Park; Países BajosFil: Aggarwal, N.. Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Estados UnidosFil: Aguiar, O. D.. Centro de Previsao de Tempo e Estudos Climáticos. Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais; BrasilFil: Ain, A.. Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics; IndiaFil: Ajith, P.. Tata Institute of Fundamental Research; IndiaFil: Alemic, A.. Syracuse University; Estados UnidosFil: Allen, B.. Max-Planck-Institut für Gravitationsphysik; Alemania. University of Wisconsin; Estados UnidosFil: Allocca, A.. Università degli Studi di Siena; Italia. Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare; ItaliaFil: Amariutei, D.. University of Florida; Estados UnidosFil: Anderson, S. B.. California Institute of Technology; Estados UnidosFil: Anderson, W. G.. University of Wisconsin; Estados UnidosFil: Arai, K.. California Institute of Technology; Estados Unido

Monitoring the durability of long-lasting insecticidal nets in field conditions in Nepal BACKGROUND AND RATIONALE

AbstrAct Understanding and improving the durability of long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) in the field is critical for the success of malaria prevention using mosquito nets, as well as contributing to procurement decisions based on the number of years of protection, rather than the current practice of unit cost. Using the recently published guidelines from the World Health Organization (WHO) some progress has been made in the monitoring and assessment of performance of nets in the field. This paper describes the protocol of an ongoing retrospective study of the attrition rate, physical integrity and bioefficacy of three polyester LLIN products that were distributed during 2010 to 2013 in Nepal. It is hoped that robust and auditable data on net survival (physical integrity and bioefficacy) of these three brands in different environments will assist the Nepal National Malaria Control Programme in planning future LLIN-replacement strategies, including behaviourchange communication about LLIN care and maintenance. The advantages and disadvantages of prospective and retrospective cross-sectional approaches are discussed, including appropriate strategies to validate the timing for mass distribution of nets. Similar studies should be done in other countries to (i) track LLIN durability to support management of resupply, and (ii) inform procurement decisions at the global level. New, more predictive, textile laboratory testing is also urgently needed