Multi-serotype pneumococcal nasopharyngeal carriage prevalence in vaccine naïve Nepalese children, assessed using molecular serotyping.

Invasive pneumococcal disease is one of the major causes of death in young children in resource poor countries. Nasopharyngeal carriage studies provide insight into the local prevalence of circulating pneumococcal serotypes. There are very few data on the concurrent carriage of multiple pneumococcal serotypes. This study aimed to identify the prevalence and serotype distribution of pneumococci carried in the nasopharynx of young healthy Nepalese children prior to the introduction of a pneumococcal conjugate vaccine using a microarray-based molecular serotyping method capable of detecting multi-serotype carriage. We conducted a cross-sectional study of healthy children aged 6 weeks to 24 months from the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal between May and October 2012. Nasopharyngeal swabs were frozen and subsequently plated on selective culture media. DNA extracts of plate sweeps of pneumococcal colonies from these cultures were analysed using a molecular serotyping microarray capable of detecting relative abundance of multiple pneumococcal serotypes. 600 children were enrolled into the study: 199 aged 6 weeks to <6 months, 202 aged 6 months to < 12 months, and 199 aged 12 month to 24 months. Typeable pneumococci were identified in 297/600 (49.5%) of samples with more than one serotype being found in 67/297 (20.2%) of these samples. The serotypes covered by the thirteen-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine were identified in 44.4% of samples containing typeable pneumococci. Application of a molecular serotyping approach to identification of multiple pneumococcal carriage demonstrates a substantial prevalence of co-colonisation. Continued surveillance utilising this approach following the introduction of routine use of pneumococcal conjugate vaccinates in infants will provide a more accurate understanding of vaccine efficacy against carriage and a better understanding of the dynamics of subsequent serotype and genotype replacement

Polar opposites? NGOs, left parties and the fight for social change in Nepal

In the early 1990s, when NGOs were rising to prominence as an ostensible force for social change in Nepal, the Maoists were also beginning to organise, and denounced NGOs as agents of imperialism. The Maoists came to prominence by fighting a People’s War launched in 1996, with the intention of improving life for the poor peasant and working-class majority. But after a decade-long struggle, the Maoists became incorporated into the parliamentary system. While Nepal’s first democratic revolution in 1990 met formal, popular political demands, which were consolidated in a subsequent revolution in 2006 overthrowing the monarchy and bringing the People’s War to an end, there was little socio-economic progress for the vast majority. The argument advanced in this article is that this lack of progress relied on the interplay of two phenomena: an anti-Maoist alliance consisting of the international community, the domestic ruling elite and NGOs, and a fundamental ambiguity at the heart of the Maoists’ political theory

Numerical Simulation of Helically Coiled Closed Loop Pulsating Heat Pipe

This paper addresses the numerical simulation of helically coiled closed loop pulsating heat pipe which is carried in ANSYS Fluent. The values of thermal resistance for constant heat fluxes vs. transient heat fluxes are analyzed. Phase change visualization after the end of simulation is carried out to observe the phenomenon in liquid at its saturation temperature and pressure. Finally, helical heat pipes are found to have thermal resistance less by 2.7K/W, 0.56 K/W, and 0.227 K/W for 8W, 40W and 80W heat inputs than circular pipes. Helical heat pipes are found more efficient than circular heat pipes

Effect of physical training on gender difference in trained personal

Many controlled studies and neurological studies demonstrate that men and women are physically and mentally different. The purpose of this study is to find out whether there is any gender difference in respiratory capacity between trained athletes of both gender. This study was conducted at Kolkata (Serampore area), West Bengal, India. The subject was trained table tennis players of age group was 14 – 17 years. Significant differences have been found in height (cm), W/H ratio and PIF (l/s)&nbsp; between male and female lawn tennis players and all these values are significantly higher (P&lt;0.05) in male than female players. Greater mean height in trained male than female tennis player of same age range is advantageous for male. This might be due to their own growth pattern under the influences of different specific hormones which is not considered in this study. Higher centrally located fats in trained male than female tennis player in this age range might be due to less affectivity of physical training in male. Higher central fat distribution may hinder different lung capacities by influencing abdominal cavity. Higher peak inspiratory flow in trained male than female tennis player indicates inspiratory muscles are more powerful in male player of this age range.&nbsp; So, it can be concluded from this study that gender differences in lung capacities can be minimized by proper training load in female trained player at least in 14-17 years age range. This study also claimed that stature is not only the decisive factor for differences in lung capacities in male and female trained tennis player of 14-17 years age range. Body composition, central fat distribution, active inspiratory muscles and proper physical training have definite role in improving lung capacities of trained male and female tennis player

Bioavailability in soils

The consumption of locally-produced vegetables by humans may be an important exposure pathway for soil contaminants in many urban settings and for agricultural land use. Hence, prediction of metal and metalloid uptake by vegetables from contaminated soils is an important part of the Human Health Risk Assessment procedure. The behaviour of metals (cadmium, chromium, cobalt, copper, mercury, molybdenum, nickel, lead and zinc) and metalloids (arsenic, boron and selenium) in contaminated soils depends to a large extent on the intrinsic charge, valence and speciation of the contaminant ion, and soil properties such as pH, redox status and contents of clay and/or organic matter. However, chemistry and behaviour of the contaminant in soil alone cannot predict soil-to-plant transfer. Root uptake, root selectivity, ion interactions, rhizosphere processes, leaf uptake from the atmosphere, and plant partitioning are important processes that ultimately govern the accumulation ofmetals and metalloids in edible vegetable tissues. Mechanistic models to accurately describe all these processes have not yet been developed, let alone validated under field conditions. Hence, to estimate risks by vegetable consumption, empirical models have been used to correlate concentrations of metals and metalloids in contaminated soils, soil physico-chemical characteristics, and concentrations of elements in vegetable tissues. These models should only be used within the bounds of their calibration, and often need to be re-calibrated or validated using local soil and environmental conditions on a regional or site-specific basis.Mike J. McLaughlin, Erik Smolders, Fien Degryse, and Rene Rietr

Improved Unsaturated to Saturated Logic Level Translation With Automatic Change on Reference Voltage

This research relates to ECL to TTL converters for converting True ECL level signal to True TTL level signals and more particularly to converters which can operate at very fast switching speeds. It is an important achievement of this research work that resolves mixed voltage incompatibility between different parts of a system that operates in multiple voltage domains. They are common in today’s complex systems, especially when interfacing with legacy devices with performance-optimized application specific level shifters for standard interfaces (e.g. SD card, SIM card). Another very important feature of the circuit is that the ECL reference voltage will automatically adjust by an appropriate percentage to compensate any shift slightly due to temperature change by utilizing the concept of voltage divider rule

Expert Consensus on Effective Utilization of Patient- Centered Insulin Therapy in Nepal

Diabetes presents a significant public health challenge in Nepal, compounded by its diversetopography and cultural beliefs. Despite a historical emphasis on patient-centered care, whichfosters unity among physician, patient, drug, and caretaker, effective diabetes managementis hindered by lack of awareness, cultural preferences for alternative therapies, and limitedhealth care resources. Addressing these challenges requires a consensus to optimize insulin\u27shistorical significance, marking a century as the first antidiabetic agent. Although advancementshave been made, a gap persists in understanding, awareness, and utilization of insulin amongNepalese physicians, necessitating tailored management approaches. A consensus meeting ofleading experts and diverse advisors from Nepal highlights the need for collective guidelinesto optimize insulin usage. Nepalese patients often exhibit reluctance towards insulin therapy,stemming from concerns about its complexity and efficacy. Blood glucose monitoring is vital forguiding insulin regimens, especially in critically ill patients, with the SECURE model offeringa comprehensive management approach. Tailoring insulin regimens to individual lifestylesenhances treatment adherence and overall efficacy. A patient-centered approach is paramount inoptimizing diabetes management in Nepal. Through collective agreement and guidelines, healthcare professionals can improve their knowledge and confidence in insulin therapy, leading tobetter patient outcomes and public health

A Conceptual Exploration of Critical Thinking Style and Learning Styles: Supporting Educational Needs in Nepal

Agricultural education is crucial in nations such as Nepal where agriculture is the backbone of society. However, many Nepalese students face challenges due to a lack of access to a quality education, socio-economic disparities, and political instability. The diverse and evolving needs of its agricultural students need to be examined to ensure educational practices are responsive and inclusive. This study developed and tested a hypothesized integration of learning styles and critical thinking styles. A survey research design was employed, targeting agricultural education students in Nepal. The findings indicated male and female students exhibited different critical thinking styles, but their learning styles did not differ. Female students preferred seeking critical thinking styles, whereas males preferred engaging critical thinking styles; therefore, educational strategies should be tailored to encourage information seeking for female students and engagement for male students. Additionally, first-year students preferred Concrete Experience (CE) when learning, while fourth-year students preferred Abstract Experimentation (AE). Therefore, curricula should be designed to incorporate practical, real-world tasks for first-year students and more theoretical, application-based tasks for fourth-year students. The study also found significant relationships between engager critical thinking styles and AE and Reflective Observation (RO), and between seeker critical thinking styles and CE and AE. Unexpected inverse relationships were observed, indicating complex dynamics between these constructs and the need for additional exploration conceptually. The results underscore the importance of testing new conceptual models to develop structures for future study that will support the diverse and evolving needs of agricultural education students around the world

Potential new genes for resistance to Mycosphaerella graminicola identified in Triticum aestivum x Lophopyrum elongatum disomic substitution lines.

Lophopyrum species carry many desirable agronomic traits, including disease resistance, which can be transferred towheat by interspecific hybridization. To identify potentially new genes for disease and insect resistance carried by individual Lophopyrum chromosomes, 19 of 21 possible wheat cultivar Chinese Spring 9 Lophopyrum elongatum disomic substitution lines were tested for resistance to barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV), cereal yellow dwarf virus (CYDV), the Hessian fly Mayetiola destructor, and the fungal pathogens Blumeria graminis and Mycosphaerella graminicola (asexual stage: Septoria tritici). Low resistance to BYDV occurred in some of the disomic substitution lines, but viral titers were significantly higher than those of two Lophopyrum species tested. This suggested that genes on more than one Lophopyrum chromosome are required for complete resistance to this virus. A potentially new gene for resistance to CYDV was detected on wheatgrass chromosome 3E. All of the substitution lines were susceptible to Mayetiola destructor and one strain of B. graminis. Disomic substitution lines containing wheatgrass chromosomes 1E and 6E were significantly more resistant to M. graminicola compared to Chinese Spring. Although neither chromosome by itself conferred resistance as high as that in the wheatgrass parent, they do appear to contain potentially new genes for resistance against this pathogen that could be useful for future plant-improvement programs