Environmental determinants of multinational companies in Nepal: a case of KFC and Pizza Hut

Masteroppgave i bedriftsøkonomi – Universitetet i Nordland, 201

Experimental and analytical study on dynamic performance of timber floor modules (timber beams)

Timber floors are more susceptible to vibrations and have low impact insulation due to low stiffness and poor damping properties. Recent trends towards long-span and light-weight construction make floor vibration even more critical in satisfying serviceability requirements of floor constructions. This paper presents the results of dynamic tests conducted on timber floor modules (beams) with 6 and 8 m clear spans using an instrumented hammer for floor excitation. Dynamic parameters such as natural frequencies, damping ratios and mode shapes from the tests were evaluated to assess dynamic performance of the beams. The fundamental frequency of the beams was predicted using simple analytical models and good correlation between the test results and predicted values could be obtained. © 2016 Elsevier Lt

Experimental and analytical study on dynamic performance of timber-concrete composite beams

Timber-concrete composite (TCC) construction provides an effective and efficient solution for long-span floors in multi-storey buildings. Because of the light-weight and long-span of the floors, the design of these floors are normally governed by serviceability criteria such as deflection, vibration, acoustic, etc and design for strength limits are generally not an issue. Floor vibration caused by dynamic actions such as people walking on the floor, machinery or any similar repetitive actions may not only cause discomfort to occupants but may also result in structural failure as a result of resonance. However, limited design guidance is available in the design codes to address the vibration behaviour of TCC floors owing to a lack of reliable performance data and as such, there is a need to undertake further research into the behaviour of TCC floors. This paper reports on the tests performed on four identical TCC beams, which represent part of a floor system, with different shear connector arrangements, to assess their dynamic performance under the application of impact action using modal parameters (natural frequencies, damping ratios and mode shapes). Five analytical models are used to predict natural frequency of the beams and their reliability is checked

Bronchiectasis in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is most common disease entity and third leading cause of mortality worldwide. The presence of bronchiectasis in severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients had led to frequent exacerbation requiring hospitalizations. The purpose of this study was to identify the factors associated with bronchiectasis, using routine data collected during medical visits from patients diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.Materials and Methods: This is hospital based cross sectional study conducted on 120 chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients. All patients were subjected through history, examination, pulmonary function test, sputum samples and imaging of chest.Results: Out of 120 patients among them 67 patients (55.8%) were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease without bronchiectasis while 53 patients (44.1%) had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with bronchiectasis. Thirty patients (56.6%) having chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with bronchiectasis and 18 patient (26.8%) having chronic obstructive pulmonary disease without bronchiectasis had exacerbation in one year requiring hospitalisation. Most common organisms isolated were Pseudomonas Aeruginosa in 20 patients (55.5%), Klebsillae Pneumoniae in 6 patients (16.6%) among chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with bronchiectasis group.Conclusion: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patient with severe airflow limitation, with frequent exacerbation and colonisation with isolation of organisms resulting in bronchiectasis requiring frequent hospitalisation.</p

Farmers’ Knowledge on Pesticide Safety and Pest Management Practices: A Case Study of Vegetable Growers in Chitwan, Nepal

Farmers’ knowledge on pesticides and their safe use are critical for implementing effective pest management program. A household survey was conducted using the semi-structured questionnaire to evaluate vegetable growers’ knowledge on pesticide safety and pest management practices in Nepal. Results indicated that chemical pesticides were the primary choice of over 80% growers for pest management. Notably, 90% growers were aware of adverse effects of pesticides on human health and to the environment. Over 84% growers used at least one form of personal protection equipment (PPE) during pesticide spray or handling, although the quality and appropriateness of the PPE warrants further investigation. Nearly 17% growers received at least one short-term training on integrated pest management (IPM); however, all of them neither knew the harmful effects of pesticide residues nor practiced proper pesticide disposal methods. Over 90% of growers rely on local pesticide retailers (i.e., Agro-vets) for technical know-how about pesticide selection, handling, and use. This study highlighted a need for immediate implementation of strict pesticide use regulations and recommended educational programs for pest control professionals, growers, and pesticide retailers

Pattern of otological diseases in school going children of Kathmandu valley

Introduction: Ear disease in children is a major public health concern in developing countries. In spite of availability of potent antibiotics, severe life threatening complications of ear diseases can occur. Objective: This study was done to find out the prevalence of different types of otological disease in school going children of Kathmandu valley. Method: This is prospective study among 1245 school children aged between 5-12 years in the time period of June 2007 - May 2008. Students were randomly selected from 4 different schools of Kathmandu valley. All these children were interviewed, examined otoscopically and findings were noted in the performa. Informed consent was taken from guardians to participate in this study. Statistical analysis was done using frequency and percentage. Results: Out of 1245 children, 64.0% were male and 36.0% female children. The most common otological diseases were wax (60.6%), followed by chronic suppurative otitis media (5.7%) and otitis media with effusion (3.7%). In CSOM, there was 85.9% tubotympanic type. Overall otological diseases were present in 75.7% children. Conclusion: There is a high prevalence of otological diseases in school going children of Kathmandu valley. Health education, improvement of socioeconomic status and health facilities will be helpful in reducing the prevalence of otological diseases

Diagnostic Accuracy of GeneXpert MTB/RIF Assay in Comparison to Conventional Drug Susceptibility Testing Method for the Diagnosis of Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis.

Xpert MTB/RIF assay is regarded as a great achievement of modern medicine for the rapid diagnosis of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB). The main purpose of this study was to determine the performance of Xpert MTB/RIF assay compared to conventional drug susceptibility testing (DST) method for the diagnosis of MDR-TB. A comparative cross sectional study was carried out at German-Nepal Tuberculosis Project, Kathmandu, Nepal, from April 2014 to September 2014. A total of 88 culture positive clinical samples (83 pulmonary and 5 extra-pulmonary) received during the study period were analyzed for detection of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis by both GeneXpert MTB/RIF assay and conventional DST method. McNemar chi square test was used to compare the performance of Xpert with that of DST method. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Of total 88 culture positive samples, one was reported as invalid while 2 were found to contain nontuberculous Mycobacteria (NTM). Among remaining 85 Mycobacterium tuberculosis culture positive samples, 69 were found to be MDR-TB positive by both methods. The overall sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of GeneXpert MTB/RIF assay were found to be 98.6%, 100%, 100% and 93.8% respectively. Statistically, there was no significant difference between the diagnostic performance of Xpert and conventional DST method for detection of MDR-TB. GeneXpert MTB/RIF assay was found to be highly sensitive, specific and comparable to gold standard conventional DST method for the diagnosis of MDR-TB