Neonatal mortality predictors in Nepal: Nepal demographic health survey 2011

Background: The neonatal period (0-28 days after delivery) in human life is critical and carries a high risk of mortality. According to the Nepal Demographic Health Survey (NDHS) 2011, Nepal has a Neonatal Mortality Rate (NMR) of 33/1000 live births which is one of the highest in the world. The neonatal mortality accounts for 61% of the under-five mortality. There has been very limited progress in reducing neonatal mortality in Nepal during the last decade. Purpose of the study: The purpose of the current study is to determine factors associated with neonatal mortality in Nepal. Methodology: Data from NDHS 2011 was used and the study included 4033 women who gave birth from 2006 to 2010. A study was performed to find associations between neonatal mortality and certain predictor variables. Associations were assessed by multivariate analysis, univariate and multivariate (backward LR) logistic regression. Results: The neonatal mortality in the study population was determined to be 33.4 per 1000 live births. Neonatal mortality was found higher among the neonates from younger women [age at delivery less than 20 years (OR: 1.94, CI: 1.18-3.20) compared to 20 or more years], high parity mothers [5 or more (OR: 3.50, CI: 1.82-6.74) compared to 1], mothers without health care decision autonomy [no (OR: 1.43, CI: 1.04-1.97) compared to yes] and mothers who deliver at health care center [healthcare center (OR: 0.65, CI: 0.46-0.92) compared to home]. Mothers’ low education and poverty were found to be significantly associated with higher neonatal mortality after adjusting for age. Conclusion: High neonatal mortality was observed among mothers with younger age, high parity and mothers without healthcare decision autonomy

Nexo TIC-finanzas-crecimiento: hallazgos empíricos de los países de los Próximos 11

This study assesses the causal relationship between information and communication technology (ICT) penetration, financial development, and economic growth in Next-11 countries between 1961 and 2012. A panel vector auto-regressive (VAR) model is used to detect the direction of causality between ICT, financial sector development and economic growth for these countries. The results reveal that there is Granger-causality among the variables both in the short run and in the long run, although the exact nature of the results varies by the ICT penetration indicators for the sample countries. Empirical results from this study provide valuable insights on policies pertaining to ICT penetration, financial sector development and economic growthEl presente estudio evalúa la relación causal entre la penetración de las tecnologías de la información y comunicación (TIC), el desarrollo financiero y el crecimiento económico en los Próximos 11 entre 1961 y 2012. Se utilizó un modelo de panel de vectores autorregresivos países para detectar la dirección de causalidad entre las TIC, el desarrollo del sector financiero y el crecimiento económico para estos países. Los resultados revelan que existe una causalidad de Granger entre las variables tanto a corto como a medio plazo, si bien la naturaleza exacta de los hallazgos varía conforme a los indicadores de penetración de las TIC para los países dela muestra. Los resultados empíricos de este estudio suponen una valiosa perspectiva a cerca de las políticas de penetración de las TIC, el desarrollo del sector financiero y el crecimiento económic

Binary Wavelet Transform Based Histogram Feature for Content Based Image Retrieval

In this paper a new visual feature, binary wavelet transform based histogram (BWTH) is proposed for content based image retrieval. BWTH is facilitated with the color as well as texture properties. BWTH exhibits the advantages of binary wavelet transform and histogram. The performance of CBIR system with proposed feature is observed on Corel 1000 (DB1) and Corel 2450 (DB2) natural image database in color as well as gray space. The results analysis of DB1 database illustrates the better average precision and average recall of proposed method in RGB space (73.82%, 44.29%) compared to color histogram (70.85%, 42.16%), auto correlogram (66.15%, 39.52%) and discrete wavelet transform (60.83%, 38.25%). In case of gray space also performance of proposed method (66.69%, 40.77%) is better compared to auto correlogram (57.20%, 35.31%), discrete wavelet transform (52.70%, 32.98%) and wavelet correlogram (64.3%, 38.0%). It is verified that in case of DB2 database also average precision, average recall and average retrieval rate of proposed method are significantly better

Perception of caregivers regarding danger signs of childhood diarrhea and attitude towards its management in rural Lucknow, UP, India

Background: Diarrhoea is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in children. Most deaths are caused by dehydration and are easily preventable by using oral rehydration therapy. Early management and recognition of danger signs are key strategies in treating diarrhoeal diseases at home. Aims & Objectives: 1. To assess the knowledge of caregivers regarding childhood diarrhoea and signs of dehydration and danger signs, 2. To assesses the mothers’ approach towards its home based management and health seeking behaviour. Material & Methods: A community based cross sectional study was conducted in different rural blocks of Lucknow selected by multistage sampling. Total of 240 households were interviewed to achieve targeted sample size of 410 children of less than five years age group. Perception of diarrhoea, signs of dehydration and danger signs were asked to caregivers and associations were established maternal knowledge and presence or absence of diarrhoea in children of less than five age group. Results: The study showed that 74.2 per cent of caregivers recognized diarrhoea correctly i.e. increased frequency of watery stool or blood and mucus in stool or both. Decreased urination or dis-coloured urine (89.6%), thirsty or eagerly drinking (55.7%), dry mouth and tongue (37.7%) etc. were recognized by caregivers as major signs of dehydration*. Caregivers recognized child getting seeker/ unconscious (94.9%), not able to drink or breast feed (66.7%), blood in stool (59%) etc. as danger signs* developing during diarrhoea episodes of child.  Conclusions: Caregiver’s knowledge regarding recognition of childhood diarrhoea in proper and early detection of signs of dehydration and development of danger signs at community level are keys to prevention of diarrhoea related death in less than five years age group

A Comparative Study between ORIF and ORIF with Mandibulomaxillary Fixation in Unfavourable Mandible Fractures

Introduction  This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of open reduction and the combination of open reduction with mandibulomaxillary fixation (MMF) in cases of unfavourable mandible fractures.   Materials and Methods   This is a prospective study carried out from 2010 to 2015 on 60 patients with mandible fracture attending the Dept. of ENT.  The diagnosis and classification of mandible fracture into favourable and unfavourable types were done on the basis of clinical and CT faciomaxillary findings. The outcomes were assessed by comparing the preoperative and postoperative occlusion, mouth opening and symmetry of mandibular ramus. Patients with favourable mandible fractures were excluded from the study.   Results   We found that out of 60 patients, 40 cases were of the unfavourable type. ORIF with MMF gave better outcome compared to ORIF alone. The data were statistically analysed using Z score and P value.   Conclusion  Initial assessment of mandible fractures into favourable and unfavourable category plays a significant role in planning the management.  Management of unfavourable mandible fractures with ORIF and MMF gives functionally and aesthetically better results as compared to ORIF alone

A Study on Traumatic Faciomaxillary Fractures Encountered at a Tertiary Care Centre of North-Eastern India

Introduction Faciomaxillary fractures can present either as an isolated injury or as a part of polytrauma. The incidence of faciomaxillary injuries is on the incline with changing lifestyles in developing countries like India; thus posing as a major health burden. We conducted this study to aid in defining strategies to prevent and tackle the same. Materials and Methods A Prospective Observational study was conducted on all the patients admitted for traumatic faciomaxillary fractures in the Department of ENT for a period of three years. Aim of the study was to study the incidence, demography, pattern, management and postoperative complications in traumatic faciomaxillary fractures. Result Out of 499 cases who comprised our study group, the most common fracture encountered was of nasal bone(26.25%) with male predominance (86.37%), mostly scattered in the age group of 18-40 yrs (67.13%). RTA was found to be the most common cause (52.1%). Fractures of lateral third of face and mandible almost always needed an open reduction. Discussion The age and gender distribution pattern as well as the cause of faciomaxillary fractures and complications have been compared with the published reports. The central third of the facial skeleton has been found to be affected most in traumatic fractures, whereas some other studies found fracture of the mandible to be the most common. Open reduction was needed in 44.9% of patients.   Conclusion With increasing incidence of RTAs, there is a need to understand the pattern, review our management techniques and hence be able to provide appropriate and individualized management to those in need of it

The day-of-the-week effect : South African stock market indices

PURPOSE : The presence of a day-of-the-week effect has been investigated by many researchers over many years, using a variety of financial data and methods. However, differences in methodology between studies could have led to conflicting results. The purpose of this paper is to expand on an existing study to observe whether an analysis of the same data set with some added years and using a different statistical technique provide the same results. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH : The study examines the presence of a day-of-the-week effect on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) indices for the period March 1995-2016, using a GARCH model. FINDINGS : The findings show that, contrary to the original study, the day-of-the week effect is present in both volatility and return equations. The highest and lowest returns are observed on Monday and Friday, respectively, while volatility is observed on all five days from Monday to Friday. ORIGINALITY/VALUE : This study adds to the existing literature on day-of-the-week effect of JSE indices, where different patterns or, in some cases, no pattern have been noted. Few previous studies on the day-of-the-week effect observed the effect at micro-level for separate industries or made use of a GARCH model. The present study thus expands on the study of Mbululu and Chipeta (2012), by adding four additional observation years and using a different statistical technique, to observe differences that arise from a different time period and statistical technique. The results indicate that a day-of-the-week effect is mostly a function of the statistical technique applied.http://www.emeraldinsight.com/loi/ajemshj2018Financial Managemen

Effect of Processing on Antinutritional factors in food : A Review

63-69Foods in general are abundant in metabolizable nutrients however some minor amounts of secondary metabolites exert effects contrary to optimum nutrition, Processing by means of dehulling, cooking, autoclaving, roasting or extrusion is meant to decrease the anti-nutritional activity. However certain anti-nutritional factors are generated in-situ on processing or in some cases, their contents might increase on primary processing like milling, de-fatting. The effect of processing on decreasing the levels of specific anti-nutrients like trypsin inhibitors, tannins, phytic acid, uricogenic nucleobases, anti-vitamin factors has been elaborated. Besides the anti-nutrients generated during processing of certain food matrices are also highlighted. These include maillard reaction products, acrylamide,protein-bound D-amino acids and lysine-alanine (LAL), trans-fatty acids etc. Since processing is inevitable to modify food to metabolizable forms, know how on mitigation or generation of these anti-nutrients is important to design food processes to provide optimum nutrition