A Comparative Analysis of Micro Finances: An Economic Impact of Micro Finance upon Income Level of People in Kavrepalanchok District, Nepal

Master thesis Business Administration - University of Agder 2016Micro Finance, one of the essential banking services providing institution has a major contribution upon the economic development of people and nation. It targets mostly to low income generating people and assist them to enhance their life style in a better way. It provides financial services to such people and tries to eradicate the poverty from the nation. Kavrepalanchok district in Nepal, with an area of 1,396 square kilometer with the population of more than 450,000 is a gateway to capital city Kathmandu. The people in this district rely upon business and agricultural income. Micro Finance has significant effect upon the level of income in this district. The distance from the main city Kathmandu has also adverse effect upon the level of income and economic development of the people in Kavrepalanchok district. It assists to uplift the level of income of the people here by providing small loan with lower interest rate. It provides loan in a group of people. Micro Finance in this region generally provides its financial services only to women from a single family. Further, Micro Finances with different established dates and locations have their individual economic impact upon their clients. This comparative economic impacts result to their level of financial performance. Keywords: Agriculture, Business, Economic Development, Income Level, Micro Financ

Three rare presentations of high‐altitude pulmonary edema at a high‐altitude clinic in the Everest region (4371 m): A case series

Key Clinical Message Diagnosis of HAPE can be challenging when the presentation deviates from usual natural history. Point of care ultrasonography serves as a great diagnostic tool in such settings. An umbrella treatment could be beneficial during such scenarios

Biomass and Carbon Stock Variation along slopes in Tropical Forest of Nepal: A case of Depard Community Forest, Makwanpur, Nepal

This study was conducted to assess biomass and carbon stock along slopes in Depard community forest, Manahari-6, Makwanpur district of Nepal. In Nepal, carbon stock estimation has been less practiced in community forest. A random sampling method was applied in this study to collect biophysical data i.e. DBH and height by non-destructive method to estimate the quantity of tree biomass and carbon stock. 21 sample plots with 1% sampling intensity were established within the study area. The circular area of 250 m2 was predetermined with the radius of 8.92 m for this study. Secondary data were collected through published and unpublished literature. Data were pooled and analyzed with SPSS software. The total biomass and carbon stock were calculated to be 1381.30 t/ha and 649.21 t/ha, respectively. The biomass and carbon stock were highest (563.12 t/ha and 242.42 t/ha) in 0-5% slope, and lowest in >20% of slope (334.75 t/ha and 143.60 t/ha). The difference of biomass and carbon in slopes may be due to the accumulation of more organic matter and other minerals in the less sloped areas through rainfall, landslide

Biomass and Carbon Stock Variation Along Slopes in Tropical Forest of Nepal: a Case of Depard Community Forest, Makwanpur, Nepal

This study was conducted to assess biomass and carbon stock along slopes in Depard community forest, Manahari-6, Makwanpur district of Nepal. In Nepal, carbon stock estimation has been less practiced in community forest. A random sampling method was applied in this study to collect biophysical data i.e. DBH and height by non-destructive method to estimate the quantity of tree biomass and carbon stock. 21 sample plots with 1% sampling intensity were established within the study area. The circular area of 250 m2 was predetermined with the radius of 8.92 m for this study. Secondary data were collected through published and unpublished literature. Data were pooled and analyzed with SPSS software. The total biomass and carbon stock were calculated to be 1381.30 t/ha and 649.21 t/ha, respectively. The biomass and carbon stock were highest (563.12 t/ha and 242.42 t/ha) in 0-5% slope, and lowest in >20% of slope (334.75 t/ha and 143.60 t/ha). The difference of biomass and carbon in slopes may be due to the accumulation of more organic matter and other minerals in the less sloped areas through rainfall, landslide

Effects of Perching on Poultry Welfare and Production: A Review

Perching is one of the essential natural behaviors for avian species. Providing an optimal perching design (e.g., shape, dimension, and materials) for commercial poultry production is critical for maintaining bird health, welfare, and production efficiency. This review paper summarized poultry perching studies and discussed the relationship between perch design, bird welfare, and production efficiency. Providing perches at an early stage may ensure optimum use during adulthood, reduce perching accidents, and lower the risk of floor eggs in cage-free (CF) hen houses. Therefore, a perch space of 15 cm per bird is recommended for the CF hen house. Similarly, rectangular perches are preferred to circular perches as the rectangular perch provides hens with an excellent tendon-locking mechanism to prevent slipping. In addition, perches with softer materials such as polyurethane and rubber coverings are recommended to increase the contact surface on the chicken’s toes. Perching behavior (PB) promotes a musculocutaneous system and reduces the incidences of footpad dermatitis and lesions. Generally, providing perching may reduce aggression and stress in birds and improve welfare and production efficiency. In the case of broilers, it is found that the broiler perches less during the latter stage of their lives because they are comparatively heavier and exhibit a more inactive lifestyle. Studies have investigated the effect of the surface temperature of the perch on broilers’ welfare. Perches with lower temperatures help improve performance and welfare by relieving heat stress and leg issues. Overall, PB is required to improve bird health and welfare

Screening for <i>Escherichia coli</i> in Chopping Board Meat Samples and Survey for Sanitary and Hygienic Practices in Retail Meat Shops of Bharatpur Metropolitan City, Nepal

In this study, chopping board meat samples collected from meat shops of Bharatpur Metropolitan City, Nepal, were screened for the presence of Escherichia coli (E. coli), with a special emphasis on the identification of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing strains. Representatives from the meat shops were also interviewed to understand the sanitary status and hygienic practices. E. coli bacteria were detected in one third (33/99) of the meat samples, while none of the samples had ESBL-producing strains. While 60.6% (60/99) of the meat shop personnel wore protective clothing, 15.15% (15/99) used gloves, and only 5.05% (5/99) had separate equipment for cleaning the viscera of animals. This study highlights the need for the regular screening of meat samples to identify pathogenic bacteria such as E. coli and for improvements in the sanitary status and hygienic practices of retail meat shops in Bharatpur Metropolitan City, Nepal

Assessment of land use land cover dynamics and its impact on springs water in Ritung Khola Sub-Watershed, Myagdi district, Nepal

Land Use Land Cover (LULC) Change has emerged as a significant environmental issue and a worry for the sustainable use of natural resources. This study was performed to determine the rate in change of land cover and its significant impact on springs water in the Ritung Khola sub-watershed of Myagdi district, Nepal, between 2010 and 2020. This study analyzes LULC dynamics and it’s impact on springs water using satellite imageries (Landsat 5 TM and Landsat 8 OLI/TIRS) and focus group discussions with the inhabitants. We used Supervised Maximum Likelihood Classification algorithm to classify attributes of the LULC changes. The results demonstrated a significant change in LULC during those ten years (2010-2020). The area covered by agricultural land and human settlements significantly increased by 313.54% and 367.14%, respectively. On the contrary, barren land, water bodies and forest cover have been reduced by 37.52%, 13.16% and 5.26%, respectively. The number of active springs followed decreasing trend as many of them were completely displaced or dried due to erosions and frequent landslides. The findings from this study are expected to facilitate the planning process adopted to prevent springs under the threat of extension and mitigate the water scarcity problem