Factors determining English test score of high school students in rural Nepal

Due to globalization and internationalization of education, the importance of English language has been growing consistently. Like many other countries around the globe, English is taught as a compulsory subject from the primary level in Nepal. Despite continuous public and private efforts, achievement in English education is not satisfactory, especially in rural areas, due to numerous socio-cultural and other factors. Thus, this article explores some important determinants of English achievement of high school students in Rural Nepal. Through the questionnaire responses of 407 students from the four villages of Sindhupalchok district, which is explored using Cremer’s V analysis, a strong association between students English test score and their socio-cultural, family, school and personal factors was found

Assessment of above ground biomass and soil organic carbon in the forests of Nepal under climate change scenario

IntroductionMany factors, such as climate, topography, forest management, or tree/forest attributes, influence soil organic carbon (SOC) and above-ground tree biomass (AGTB). This study focuses on assessing relationship between various predictor variables and response variables (SOC and AGTB) in the perspective of climate change scenario. The study was conducted throughout in Nepal using forest resource assessment data (2010–2014).MethodsOur study applied a random forest model to assess the status of SOC and AGTB under future climate change scenarios using 19 bioclimatic variables accompanied by other variables such as altitude, aspect, basal area, crown cover development status, distance to settlement forest types, number of trees, macro-topography, management regime, physiographic zones, slope, and soil depth. The study used 737 (70%) samples as a training data for model development while 312 (30%) samples as a testing data for model validation.Results and discussionThe respective RMSE, RMSE% and adjusted R2 of the Random Forest Model for SOC estimation were found to be 9.53 ton/ha, 15% and 0.746 while same for the AGTB were 37.55 ton/ha, 21.74% and 0.743. Particularly, changes in temperature and precipitation showed an effect on the amount of SOC and AGTB in the projected scenario i.e., CMIP6, SSP2 4.5 for 2040–2060. The study found the amount of SOC decreased by 3.85%, while AGTB increased by 2.96% in the projected scenario. The proposed approach which incorporates the effect of bioclimatic variables can be a better option for understanding the dynamics of SOC and AGTB in the future using climatic variables

No Go Theorem for Self Tuning Solutions With Gauss-Bonnet Terms

We consider self tuning solutions for a brane embedded in an anti de Sitter spacetime. We include the higher derivative Gauss-Bonnet terms in the action and study singularity free solutions with finite effective Newton's constant. Using the methods of Csaki et al, we prove that such solutions, when exist, always require a fine tuning among the brane parameters. We then present a new method of analysis in which the qualitative features of the solutions can be seen easily without obtaining the solutions explicitly. Also, the origin of the fine tuning is transparent in this method.Comment: 17 pages, 3 figure

Safety and efficacy of microscope-assisted thyroidectomy

Introduction: Due to closely related structures like recurrent laryngeal nerve and parathyroid gland, thyroid surgery becomes challenging. Microscope assisted surgery has better visualization for dissection, and decreases the risk of injury to the nerve, parathyroid gland, and its vascular pedicle. Hence it decreases the operative complications. Method: This is a retrospective study of microscope-assisted thyroidectomy at Gandaki Medical College Teaching Hospital, Nepal from January 2017 to December 2019. Ethical approval was obtained from Institutional review committee. Types of surgery, postoperative hypocalcemia and recurrent laryngeal nerve function were analyzed descriptively. Result:  Out of total 48 microscope assisted thyroidectomy, 41 were female, 42(87.5%) benign pathology, 6(12.5.%) malignant. Hemithyroidectomy was done in 40(83.4%), total thyroidectomy 4 (8.2%), total thyroidectomy with neck dissection  3(6.3%), and completion thyroidectomy with neck dissection in 1(2.1%). Among total thyroidectomies, transient hypocalcemia occurred in 2(4.2%) and temporary recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy in 1(2.1%). No complication occurred in hemithyroidectomies. Conclusion: Microscope-assisted thyroidectomy is a safe procedure which leads to reduced complication of hypocalcemia and recurrent never palsy

Effect of Different Doses of Sulfur on Growth and Yield of Rapeseed (Brassica campestris var. Lumle Tori)

Sulfur plays an important role in the growth and yield of rapeseed plants. A field experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design with seven levels of sulfur (60 kg/ha, 50 kg/ha, 40 kg/ha, 30 kg/ha, 20 kg/ha, 10 kg/ha, and 0 kg/ha in three replicates) to evaluate the effect of different doses of sulfur on the growth and yield of rapeseed (Brassica campestris var. Lumle Tori) in Khairahani, Chitwan. Plant height, number of branches per plant, number of pods per plant, pod length, grain per pod, pod weight, fresh weight, dry weight, stover weight, harvest index, and grain yield were recorded.  Significant differences were observed in plant height, yield-related traits, and grain yield. The results showed significant differences between the growth and yield-related traits of the different treatments. Plant height and number of branches increased with increasing sulfur dose, reaching a maximum of 60 kg/ha. The maximum number of pods per plant was observed at 20 kg/ha, and the maximum pod length and grain per pod were observed at 60 kg/ha. Grain yield and harvest index were maximum at 20 kg/ha. The results showed that the maximum grain yield could be obtained by applying 20 kg/ha of sulfur. These findings provide valuable guidance for optimizing agricultural practices to meet the increasing global demand for oilseeds

Gastrointestinal parasitism in goats and role of seasonal changes on their prevalence: A study of Nepal

Goat farming is the good source of income for people living in countryside, Nepal. This occupation supports socioeconomic living of many people in developing countries. Gastro-parasitic infections in goats can decrease the meat supply in a country where demand of goat meat is ever increasing. The objective of this study was to identify the gastrointestinal parasites in feces of goats and impact of seasonal changes on their prevalence. This is a cross-sectional study done on 212 goats from Kapilbastu, Nepal. For this study, feces of goats were collected during summer and winter and observed microscopically to find the causative organisms. The result showed the helminths from trematode (22.22%), cestode (12.5%) and nematode (65.27%) caused heavy gastrointestinal infection in 144 microscopically positive samples taken from Kapilbastu, Nepal. The major helminths were Toxocara (16.66%), Oesophagnum (8.32%), Strongyloides (6.25%) and Trichuris (4.86%) among nematodes, Fasciola  (15.97%) caused highest infection among trematode and Taenia (9.72%) among cestode. The prevalence of these infections was significantly higher during summer than winter. The higher prevalence of these helminths is the indication of supply contaminated food and water. Moreover, unawareness and ignorance about such diseases can increase the infection rate. Proper management of goat farm together with good cattle rearing training can increase the productivity

Intramuscular Hemangioma of the sternocleidomastoid muscle: A Rare Unusual Neck Mass

Hemangiomas of the head and neck region comprise about 60 to 70% of all benign tumors. Intramuscular hemangioma is a rare, slow-growing, angiomatous tumor. We report a rare case of an Intramuscular Hemangioma of Right sternocleidomastoid muscle in a six years old girl presenting for four years and with extensive involvement necessitating excision. Microscopic excision reduces the risk of recurrence

Preference for Sex of Children Among Women in Nepal

The preference for a son at birth is one of the key issues of demographic studies conducted in less developed countries; however, there is a rare exploration of child’s sex preference among women in Nepal. This paper estimates the likelihood of a preference for son or daughter using the 2011 Nepal Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) data, which contains a nationally representative sample of Nepalese women. A multinomial logistic regression analysis shows that son and daughter preferences widely vary across ethnicities, educational and economic status, and geographical region. Regarding ethnic origin, women from the Janajati (the largest ethnic minority group that consists of many sub-ethnic groups) prefer daughter more than the top two caste groups, the Brahman and Chhetri, whereas the Madhesi, Muslim, and other ethnic minority women prefer son more than the top two caste groups. Similarly, less educated, poorer, and rural women prefer son more than more educated, richer, urban women in general. Women who desire more of either sex end up with more children in their household

A Global Collaboration to Develop and Pilot Test a Mobile Application to Improve Cancer Pain Management in Nepal

INTRODUCTION: Quality palliative care, which prioritizes comfort and symptom control, can reduce global suffering from non-communicable diseases, such as cancer. To address this need, the Nepalese Association of Palliative Care (NAPCare) created pain management guidelines (PMG) to support healthcare providers in assessing and treating serious pain. The NAPCare PMG are grounded in World Health Organization best practices but adapted for the cultural and resource context of Nepal. Wider adoption of the NAPCare PMG has been limited due to distribution of the guidelines as paper booklets. METHODS: Building on a long-standing partnership between clinicians and researchers in the US and Nepal, the NAPCare PMG mobile application (“app”) was collaboratively designed. Healthcare providers in Nepal were recruited to pilot test the app using patient case studies. Then, participants completed a Qualtrics survey to evaluate the app which included the System Usability Scale (SUS) and selected items from the Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS). Descriptive and summary statistics were calculated and compared across institutions and roles. Regression analyses to explore relationships (α = 0.05) between selected demographic variables and SUS and MARS scores were also conducted. RESULTS: Ninety eight healthcare providers (n = 98) pilot tested the NAPCare PMG app. Overall, across institutions and roles, the app received an SUS score of 76.0 (a score > 68 is considered above average) and a MARS score of 4.10 (on a scale of 1 = poor, 5 = excellent). 89.8% (n = 88) “agreed” or “strongly agreed” that the app will help them better manage cancer pain. Age, years of experience, and training in palliative care were significant in predicting SUS scores (p-values, 0.0124, 0.0371, and 0.0189, respectively); institution was significant in predicting MARS scores (p = 0.0030). CONCLUSION: The NAPCare PMG mobile app was well-received, and participants rated it highly on both the SUS and MARS. Regression analyses suggest end-user variables important to consider in designing and evaluating mobile apps in lower resourced settings. Our app design and pilot testing process illustrate the benefits of cross global collaborations to build research capacity and generate knowledge within the local context