Preservation of geochemical characteristics in Permo-Triassic mudstones by metagenesis and low-grade metamorphism in the Tethys Himalaya, Central Nepal

Abstract HKT-ISTP 2013 A

Value chain analysis of non-timber forest products in Baglung district, Nepal

This study was carried out in five Village Development Committees of Baglung district, Nepal. The main objective was to assess the constraints and opportunities to run the non-timber forest products based enterprises, and to design business solutions to make their value chains more efficient and competitive with the best utilization of the available resources. Primary data were collected through group discussions, key informants interview, informal meetings and direct observations, using open-ended questionnaires and checklists. Similarly, secondary data were gathered from reports and records of community forest user groups, District Forest Office and other organizations. The data were analyzed using qualitative and quantitative tools. The identified major constraints concerning the selected value chains are: absence of detailed resource inventory; inadequate knowledge and skills with local people about modern technology and product quality parameters, local resource management policy and sustainable resource harvesting; insufficient finance with local processors; lack of sufficient information about market; and poor infrastructure development. In addition, the study also identified a number of opportunities such as the resource potential and monetary benefits to the local people; financial access through community forest user groups' fund and financial institutions; growing market demand for quality products; involvement of service providers in forest resource management; and supportive policy for employment generation from locally available natural resources. This paper has suggested some business solutions for the effective value chain of selected products

Analysis of Yield Attributing Characters of Different Genotypes of Wheat in Rupandehi, Nepal

Field experiment was conducted at National Wheat Research Program, Bhairahawa, Rupandehi with the objective to identify high yielding superior wheat genotypes for Rupandehi district of Nepalduring 2014. Experiment was laid out in one factorial Randomized completely block design with ten wheat genotypes including both released and promising; Annapurna 1, Annapurna 3, Pasang Lahmu, Bijaya, BL 3623, Bhirkuti, NL 297, BL 4316, BL 3978 and BL 4347with three replications. The results showed that the grain yield of BL 3978 was found higher (4.03 t ha-1) than other genotypes followed by BL 4347 (3.93t ha-1). BL 3978 have also higher number of effective tillers m-2 and test weight. Among release varieties, NL 297 show higher yield (4 t ha-1) followed by Bhirkuti (3.43 t ha-1)and Bijaya (3.37 t ha-1). From this experiment it can be concluded that BL 3978 was found promising among all genotypes however should be tested at on-farms before promoted for general cultivation in Rupandehi district of Nepal

Large igneous province activity drives oceanic anoxic event 2 environmental change across eastern Asia

During mid-Cretaceous Oceanic Anoxic Event 2, significant increase of atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations from the eruption of the large igneous provinces is hypothesized to have induced a humid climate and an elevation in nutrient runoff from continents to the oceans, resulting in oxygen depletion in the ocean. However, hitherto there is limited insight into the driving factors of Oceanic Anoxic Event 2 from the Pacific and Asian continental margins, even though the former and the latter were the largest ocean and landmass at that time. Here, a multiproxy analysis for the Oceanic Anoxic Event 2 interval of the Yezo Group –deposited on northwestern Pacific along the active Asian continental margin– is interpretated to identify seven volcanic pulses, five of which may have elevated humidity, weathering intensity, and vegetational change in the eastern margin of Asia. Moreover, oxygen depletion occurred simultaneously in the northwest Pacific. Given that these environmental changes in the eastern margin of Asia were penecontemporaneous with the global carbon burial intervals during Oceanic Anoxic Event 2, the elevated nutrient supply from the Asian continental margin to the Pacific Ocean may have, in part, contributed to the worldwide depletion of oxygen of the ocean during Oceanic Anoxic Event 2

Earth Observation to Address Inequities in Post-Flood Recovery

Floods impact communities worldwide, resulting in loss of life, damaged infrastructure and natural assets, and threatened livelihoods. Climate change and urban development in flood-prone areas will continue to worsen flood-related losses, increasing the urgency for effective tools to monitor recovery. Many Earth Observation (EO) applications exist for flood-hazard monitoring and provide insights on location, timing, and extent in near real-time and historically to estimate flood risk. Less attention has been paid to flood recovery, even though differing recovery rates and outcomes can have immediate and enduring distributional effects within communities. EO data are uniquely positioned to monitor post-flood recovery and inform policy on hazard mitigation and adaptation but remain underutilized. We encourage the EO and flood research community to refocus on developing flood recovery applications to address growing risk. Translation of EO insights on flood recovery among flood-affected communities and decision-makers is necessary to address underlying social vulnerabilities that exacerbate inequitable recovery outcomes and advocate for redressing injustices where disparate recovery is observed. We identify an unequivocal need for EO to move beyond mapping flood hazard and exposure toward post-flood recovery monitoring to inform recovery across geographic contexts. This commentary proposes a framework for remote sensing scientists to engage community-based partners to integrate EO with non-EO data to advance flood recovery monitoring, characterize inequitable recovery, redistribute resources to mitigate inequities, and support risk reduction of future floods

Knowledge, Practice, and Attitudes of Physicians in Low- and Middle-Income Countries on Fertility and Pregnancy-Related Issues in Young Women With Breast Cancer

PURPOSE: Fertility and pregnancy-related issues are highly relevant for young ( 64 40 years) patients with breast cancer. Limited evidence exists on knowledge, practice, and attitudes of physicians from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) regarding these issues. METHODS: A 19-item questionnaire adapted from an international survey exploring issues about fertility preservation and pregnancy after breast cancer was sent by e-mail between November 2019 and January 2020 to physicians from LMICs involved in breast cancer care. Descriptive analyses were performed. RESULTS: A total of 288 physicians from Asia, Africa, America, and Europe completed the survey. Median age was 38 years. Responders were mainly medical oncologists (44.4%) working in an academic setting (46.9%). Among responders, 40.2% and 53.8% reported having never consulted the available international guidelines on fertility preservation and pregnancy after breast cancer, respectively. 25.0%, 19.1%, and 24.3% of responders answered to be not at all knowledgeable about embryo, oocyte, or ovarian tissue cryopreservation, respectively; 29.2%, 23.6%, and 31.3% declared that embryo, oocyte, and ovarian tissue cryopreservation were not available in their countries, respectively. 57.6% of responders disagreed or were neutral on the statement that controlled ovarian stimulation can be considered safe in patients with breast cancer. 49.7% and 58.6% of responders agreed or were neutral on the statement that pregnancy in breast cancer survivors may increase the risk of recurrence overall or only in those with hormone receptor-positive disease, respectively. CONCLUSION: This survey showed suboptimal knowledge, practice, and attitudes of physicians from LMICs on fertility preservation and pregnancy after treatment completion in young women with breast cancer. Increasing awareness and education on these aspects are needed to improve adherence to available guidelines and to promote patients' oncofertility counseling

Pulmonary metastasectomy versus continued active monitoring in colorectal cancer (PulMiCC): a multicentre randomised clinical trial

BACKGROUND: Lung metastasectomy in the treatment of advanced colorectal cancer has been widely adopted without good evidence of survival or palliative benefit. We aimed to test its effectiveness in a randomised controlled trial (RCT). METHODS: Multidisciplinary teams in 13 hospitals recruited participants with potentially resectable lung metastases to a multicentre, two-arm RCT comparing active monitoring with or without metastasectomy. Other local or systemic treatments were decided by the local team. Randomisation was remote and stratified by site with minimisation for age, sex, primary cancer stage, interval since primary resection, prior liver involvement, the number of metastases, and carcinoembryonic antigen level. The central Trial Management Group were blind to patient allocation until completion of the analysis. Analysis was on intention to treat with a margin for non-inferiority of 10%. RESULTS: Between December 2010 and December 2016, 65 participants were randomised. Characteristics were well-matched in the two arms and similar to those in reported studies: age 35 to 86 years (interquartile range (IQR) 60 to 74); primary resection IQR 16 to 35 months previously; stage at resection T1, 2 or 3 in 3, 8 and 46; N1 or N2 in 31 and 26; unknown in 8. Lung metastases 1 to 5 (median 2); 16/65 had previous liver metastases; carcinoembryonic antigen normal in 55/65. There were no other interventions in the first 6 months, no crossovers from control to treatment, and no treatment-related deaths or major adverse events. The Hazard ratio for death within 5 years, comparing metastasectomy with control, was 0.82 (95%CI 0.43, 1.56). CONCLUSIONS: Because of poor and worsening recruitment, the study was stopped. The small number of participants in the trial (N = 65) precludes a conclusive answer to the research question given the large overlap in the confidence intervals in the proportions still alive at all time points. A widely held belief is that the 5-year absolute survival benefit with metastasectomy is about 35%: 40% after metastasectomy compared to < 5% in controls. The estimated survival in this study was 38% (23-62%) for metastasectomy patients and 29% (16-52%) in the well-matched controls. That is the new and important finding of this RCT. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, ID: NCT01106261. Registered on 19 April 2010

Factors Associated with High Prevalence of Intestinal Protozoan Infections among Patients in Sana'a City, Yemen

Intestinal protozoan diseases in Yemen are a significant health problem with prevalence ranging from 18% to 27%. The present study is a cross-sectional study aimed at determining the factors associated with the high prevalence of intestinal protozoan infections among patients seeking health care in Sana'a City, the capital of Yemen. (0.4%). Multivariate analysis using forward stepwise logistic regression based on intestinal protozoan infections showed that contact with animals (OR = 1.748, 95% CI = 1.168–2.617) and taking bath less than twice a week (OR = 1.820, 95% CI = 1.192–2.779) were significant risk factors of protozoan infections. infections being most common. Statistical analysis indicated that low personal hygiene and contact with animals were important predictors for intestinal protozoan infections. As highlighted in this study, in order to effectively reduce these infections, a multi-sectoral effort is needed. Preventive measures should include good hygienic practices, good animal husbandry practices, heightened provision of educational health programs, health services in all governorates including rural areas. Furthermore, it is also essential to find radical solutions to the recent water crises in Yemen

Overview of the 2010 Carbonaceous Aerosols and Radiative Effects Study (CARES)

Substantial uncertainties still exist in the scientific understanding of the possible interactions between urban and natural (biogenic) emissions in the production and transformation of atmospheric aerosol and the resulting impact on climate change. The US Department of Energy (DOE) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) program's Carbonaceous Aerosol and Radiative Effects Study (CARES) carried out in June 2010 in Central Valley, California, was a comprehensive effort designed to improve this understanding. The primary objective of the field study was to investigate the evolution of secondary organic and black carbon aerosols and their climate-related properties in the Sacramento urban plume as it was routinely transported into the forested Sierra Nevada foothills area. Urban aerosols and trace gases experienced significant physical and chemical transformations as they mixed with the reactive biogenic hydrocarbons emitted from the forest. Two heavily-instrumented ground sites – one within the Sacramento urban area and another about 40 km to the northeast in the foothills area – were set up to characterize the evolution of meteorological variables, trace gases, aerosol precursors, aerosol size, composition, and climate-related properties in freshly polluted and "aged" urban air. On selected days, the DOE G-1 aircraft was deployed to make similar measurements upwind and across the evolving Sacramento plume in the morning and again in the afternoon. The NASA B-200 aircraft, carrying remote sensing instruments, was also deployed to characterize the vertical and horizontal distribution of aerosols and aerosol optical properties within and around the plume. This overview provides: (a) the scientific background and motivation for the study, (b) the operational and logistical information pertinent to the execution of the study, (c) an overview of key observations and initial findings from the aircraft and ground-based sampling platforms, and (d) a roadmap of planned data analyses and focused modeling efforts that will facilitate the integration of new knowledge into improved representations of key aerosol processes and properties in climate models.United States. Dept. of Energy. Atmospheric System Research Program (Contract DE-AC06-76RLO 1830)United States. National Oceanic and Atmospheric AdministrationUnited States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. HQ Science Mission Directorate Radiation Sciences ProgramUnited States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. CALIPSO ProgramUnited States. Dept. of Energy. Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program (Interagency Agreement No. DE-AI02-05ER63985

The perceptions of social responsibility for community resilience to flooding: the impact of past experience, age, gender and ethnicity

Community resilience to flooding depends, to a large extent, on the participation of community members to take more responsibility for enhancing their own resilience. The perception of social responsibility (SR) which is argued to be one of the antecedents influencing individual’s willingness to undertake resilient behaviours can significantly contribute to community resilience through individual and collective actions. Understanding of factors influencing the perceptions of SR of individuals within community might help with developing strategies to increase the perceptions of SR. This research explores perceptions of SR in relation to flooding for householders and local businesses and establishes their relationships with experience of flooding and demographic factors of age, gender and ethnicity. The data were obtained via a questionnaire survey of three communities in Birmingham and one community in South East London, UK, three with experience of flooding and one without. A total of 414 responses were received and used in the multiple regression analysis. The analysis identified ‘experience of flooding’, ‘age’ and ‘South Asian’ ethnic group as significant variables, suggesting that older individuals from South Asian ethnic groups with previous experience of flooding are likely to be more socially responsible than others without these attributes