Efficacy of chemical fungicides against the fusarium rhizome rot of Ginger (Zingiber officinale)

The present investigation was conducted to analyze efficacy of different commercially available fungicides against the Fusarium spp. causing rhizome rot of ginger adopting poison food technique. The experiment was carried out in a completely randomized design (CRD) with 8 treatment and 3 replications. The fungicides SAAF (Carbendazim 12% WP + Mancozeb WP 63%), Nativo (Tebuconazole 50% WP + Trifloxystrobin 25% WP), Caviet (Tebuconazole 25% WP), Kingsin M (Thiophanate –methyl 70%WP), Moximate (Cymoxil 8% WP + Mancozeb 64% WP), Custodia (Azoxystrobin 11% SC + Tebuconazole 18.3% SC), Melody duo (Iprovalicarp 5.5% WP + Probineb 61.5% WP) were used as a treatment for poison food technique. The results of this study indicated that there was a highly significant difference (p≤0.001) among the treatments in mycelial growth of the pathogen and inhibition of pathogen by different fungicides. The maximum mycelial growth of pathogen was observed on control plate (79.67mm) which was followed by melody duo and Moximate with the radial mycelial growth of 57.33mm and 55.83mm, respectively. Whereas the least mycelial growth of pathogen was recorded in SAAF (0.00mm) which was followed by Nativo, Custodia, Caviet and Kingsin M with the radial mycelial growth of 10.33mm, 14.83mm, 15.50, 21.83mm, respectively. Therefore, SAAF fully inhibited the growth of pathogen and found most effective which was followed by Nativo, Custodia, and Caviet with 87.04%, 81.40%, 80.55%, respectively

Serum nitrite level and adenosine deaminase activity is altered in visceral leishmaniasis

ABSTRACT In this study we sought to determine if there is alteration in nitric oxide (NO) production and adenosine deaminase (ADA) activity among patients with visceral leishmaniasis (VL) and the effect of four weeks of chemotherapy on these levels. Fifty-three VL patients diagnosed clinically and by direct demonstration of the LD bodies in the bone marrow smear were studied. They were treated with Sodium Stibogluconate and sampled at the baseline and four weeks. Forty-three healthy individuals coming from the same endemic area were taken as control. Total nitrite Keywords: NO, ADA, Visceral leishmaniasis INTRODUCTION Intramacrophage infection by Leishmania donovani (LD), an obligate intracellular protozoan, results the potentially fatal visceral leishmaniasis (VL) or kalaazar. The elimination of leishmania parasite by macrophage depends upon the mounting of effective cell-mediated immune response. During leishmaniasis infection, the microbicidal interaction between the parasite and host cells involves the presentation of leishmania antigen by macrophage to T-helper (Th) cell through MHC II molecule along with the co-stimulatory molecules (B7-1/B7-2 and CD40). 1, 2 Activation of Th cell causes proliferation of IFN-γ producing CD4+ Th subset. 3 IFN-γ and TNF-α, the defining cytokines of the Th1 subset in turn activates the macrophage to generate NO which is the most relevant anti-leishmanial oxidant. Contrary results have been found in the NO level during L. donovani infection both in vitro and in vivo experiments. 4, 5 Also studies reported hitherto have generally originated from in vitro culture and animal experiments. However no study has so far been conducted to investigate NO production in patients with visceral leishmaniasis. Therefore we aimed to determine serum nitrite level in VL patients as surrogate marker of NO production and compare it with the healthy subjects. Assessments of NO metabolites may be useful tool in the evaluation of the effector mechanism of macrophage and clinical manifestation of patients. Adenosine deaminase (ADA) is an essential for the proliferation, maturation and function of T lymphocytes. Its activity increases during antigenic and mitogenic responses of lymphocytes and is considered as an important immunoenzyme marker for assessing cell-mediated immunity in diseases characterized by T lymphocytes proliferation and maturation

Excess urinary iodine concentration and thyroid dysfunction among school age children of eastern Nepal: a matter of concern.

OBJECTIVES:Deficiency as well as excess dietary iodine is associated with several thyroid disorders including Grave's disease and goitre. Previously, cross sectional studies conducted among school children in Nepal showed high prevalence of iodine deficiency. In contrast, recently, few studies have revealed emerging trends of excess urinary iodine concentration in children. This paper, reports excess urinary iodine excretion and thyroid dysfunction among school age children from eastern Nepal. RESULTS:It was a community based cross sectional study in which we measured urinary iodine excretion levels among school age children at baseline and after educational program. The educational program consisted of audio-visual and pamphlets on thyroid health. We also screened them for thyroid function status by physical examination and measuring serum thyroid hormones. Our results show that 34.4% of the children had excess urinary iodine concentration above the WHO recommended levels. Overall, 3.2% of the children were identified to have thyroid dysfunction. Urinary iodine concentration was significantly different between types of salt used and between salt iodine content categories

Comprehensive review of LCA studies in Civil Engineering

This review paper explores the application of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) within the domain of civil engineering, aiming to provide a comprehensive overview of current research, methodologies, challenges, and future trends. LCA serves as a pivotal tool for assessing the environmental impact of infrastructure projects, yet gaps persist in its integration with socioeconomic dimensions, regional considerations, and dynamic modeling. By analyzing existing literature and scholarly discussions, this review identifies research gaps and proposes directions for enhancing the applicability and effectiveness of LCA in civil engineering. Moreover, it examines future trends such as the integration of advanced technologies, stakeholder engagement, and policy implementation, poised to shape the landscape of LCA practices in the civil engineering sector. Ultimately, this review paper contributes to the understanding of LCA's potential to drive sustainable decision-making in infrastructure development, paving the way for more informed and environmentally conscious practices

Thyroid Function and Thyroglobulin Level in Iodine-Deficient Children of Eastern Nepal

Iodine deficiency during childhood affects physical and mental development. Iodine deficiency or excess both can negatively impact thyroid function. We conducted this study to assess iodine nutrition and thyroid function in children with insufficient urinary iodine concentration. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among the selected schools of Udayapur district. Urinary iodine concentration (UIC) was measured in 1012 school children (6-14 years). Based on UIC data, 83 blood samples were collected to measure serum thyroglobulin (Tg), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free triiodothyronine (fT3), and free thyroxine (fT4). UIC was measured by ammonium persulfate digestion method, and Tg, TSH, fT4, and fT3 were measured using ELISA kits. The median UIE was 236 µg/L, and 11.1% of the children had insufficient UIC. The mean fT3, fT4, and TSH in children with insufficient UIC were 2.55±0.43 pg/mL, 0.96±0.28 ng/dL, and 3.60±1.44 mIU/L respectively. Among children with low UIC levels, the median Tg was 17.5 ng/mL. Overt hypothyroidism was seen in 6%, and subclinical hypothyroidism in 3.6%. The children had sufficient iodine nutrition, and the frequency of thyroid dysfunction was low among the children with insufficient UIC

Thyroid function & urinary iodine status in primary school age children of the hills & plains of Eastern Nepal

The aim of this study is to find out the iodine nutrition and thyroid function status of the school age children of Sunsari and Dhankuta districts. A total of 386 urine and 142 blood samples were randomly collected from four schools of above districts to estimate urinary iodine and thyroid hormones, respectively. Median UIE of Dhankuta and Sunsari were 238.00 μg/L and 294.96 μg/L respectively. Relatively higher percentage (31.8%) of subclinical hypothyroid cases was found in Sunsari than Dhankuta (29.59%)

Thyroid Dysfunction and Associated Risk Factors among Nepalese Diabetes Mellitus Patients

Objectives. To assess thyroid function and associated risk factors in Nepalese diabetes mellitus patients. Methods. A cross-sectional study was carried out among 419 diabetes mellitus patients at B. P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, Nepal. Information on demographic and anthropometric variables and risk factors for thyroid dysfunction was collected. Blood samples were analysed to measure thyroid hormones, blood sugar, and lipid profile. Results. Prevalence rate of thyroid dysfunction was 36.03%, with subclinical hypothyroidism (26.5%) as the most common thyroid dysfunction. Thyroid dysfunction was much common in females (42.85%) compared to males (30.04%) p=0.008 and in type 1 diabetes (50%) compared to type 2 diabetes mellitus (35.41%) p=0.218. Diabetic patients with thyroid dysfunction had higher total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol in comparison to patients without thyroid dysfunction. Significant risk factors for thyroid dysfunction, specifically hypothyroidism (overt and subclinical), were smoking (relative risk of 2.56 with 95% CI (1.99–3.29, p<0.001)), family history of thyroid disease (relative risk of 2.57 with 95% CI (2.0–3.31, p<0.001)), and female gender (relative risk of 1.44 with 95% CI (1.09–1.91, p=0.01)). Conclusions. Thyroid dysfunction is common among Nepalese diabetic patients. Smoking, family history of thyroid disease, and female gender are significantly associated with thyroid dysfunction

Do cortisol affects the brain electrical activity (EEG powers)?

Background: Glucocorticoids at very low/high levels are detrimental for memory performance. But how electroencephalogram (EEG) activity correlates with the cortisol in high and low efficient brains are still controversial. Objective: To find the association of cortisol with EEG powers in high and low cognitive brains at the time of examination preparation. Method: The EEG was recorded in an eye-closed state for 5-minutes in high (n-59) and low (n-24) cognitive individuals. Their salivary cortisol was estimated and correlated with the EEG activity by Spearman correlation test (p<0.05). The cortisol level between two groups was compared by Mann-Whitney U test. Result: Cortisol (ng/ml) was high in low cognitive group (1.36) than to the other group (1.32).There was a negative association of cortisol with EEG powers (r= -0.41 to -0.5) in central (beta, alpha2), frontal (alpha2) and left-temporal (alpha2) regions of the low cognitive brains. In high cognitive brains, cortisol was negatively associated with beta activity in right-temporal (r=-0.27) but positively associated with theta activity in mid-frontal (r=0.33) brain area. Conclusion: The less efficient brain has high cortisol level during preparation for their examination. This might have decreased the alpha2 activity in them that will impair the processing of long term memory. However, these individuals seem to manage the examination stress by decreasing the firing of the beta activity. Conversely, in the high cognitive brain, the rise in cortisol level seemed to increase the mid-frontal theta activity that might improve the attention and encoding of the information in these individuals

Prevalence of Hypertension, Obesity, Diabetes, and Metabolic Syndrome in Nepal

Background. This study was carried out to establish the prevalence of cardiovascular risks such as hypertension, obesity, and diabetes in Eastern Nepal. This study also establishes the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MS) and its relationships to these cardiovascular risk factors and lifestyle. Methods. 14,425 subjects aged 20–100 (mean 41.4 ± 15.1) were screened with a physical examination and blood tests. Both the International Diabetic Federation (IDF) and National Cholesterol Education Programme's (NCEP) definitions for MS were used and compared. Results. 34% of the participants had hypertension, and 6.3% were diabetic. 28% were overweight, and 32% were obese. 22.5% of the participants had metabolic syndrome based on IDF criteria and 20.7% according to the NCEP definition. Prevalence was higher in the less educated, people working at home, and females. There was no significant correlation between the participants' lifestyle factors and the prevalence of MS. Conclusion. The high incidence of dyslipidemia and abdominal obesity could be the major contributors to MS in Nepal. Education also appears to be related to the prevalence of MS. This study confirms the need to initiate appropriate treatment options for a condition which is highly prevalent in Eastern Nepal