ASSESSMENT OF CREDIT RISK IN NEPALI COMMERCIAL BANKS

The main objective of the study is to identify the major indicators of credit risk among the Nepali commercial banks. The study is conducted using the sample of 15 commercial banks operated in Nepali economy. One way Fixed Effect Model (FEM) of panel data analysis is used as a major tool of analysis. All the data for the study were obtained from the database of Nepal Rastra Bank for bank specific variables and database of World Bank for macroeconomic variables for the year 2002/03 to 2014/15. The credit risk among the commercial banks in Nepal was regressed on bank specific variables such as liquidity, capital adequacy ratio, bank size, and interest spread. Similarly, the effects of macro-economic variables such as GDP growth, rate of inflation and interbank interest rate were also examined along with bank specific variables in identifying credit risk in Nepali commercial banks. The study reveals that liquidity has the significant positive impact on credit risk in Nepali commercial banks. In contrast, capital adequacy ratio and interest spread have the significant negative impact on credit risk. The analysis further confirmed that bank size and interest spread both have no any clear direction of impact on credit risk. Moving towards the GDP growth, credit risk in Nepali commercial banks is negatively fluctuates with GDP growth, however, the statistics show the coefficients are insignificant at 5% level. Contrarily, Inter-bank interest rate has insignificant negative impact on credit risk in Nepali commercial banks

Impact of credit risk on profitability of commercial banks in Nepal

The main purpose of the study was to examine the impact of credit risk on profitability of the commercial banks in Nepal. Data were collected from the sample of 15 commercial banks operated in Nepali economy for the period of 2002/03 to 2014/15. One way Fixed Effect Model (FEM) of panel data analysis is used as a major tool of analysis. The profitability of the commercial banks is measured in terms of return on equity and is regressed on bank specific variables and macro-economic variables. The results confirmed that credit risk has the significant negative impact on profitability of commercial banks in Nepal. In addition, solvency ratio, interest spread rate, and inflation have the insignificant negative impact on profitability. In contrast, capital adequacy ratio, total assets, and GDP growth have the significant positive impact on profitability of commercial banks in Nepal. Finally, inter-bank interest rate has insignificant positive impact on profitability

Understand-Before-Talk (UBT): A Semantic Communication Approach to 6G Networks

In Shannon theory, semantic aspects of communication were identified but considered irrelevant to the technical communication problems. Semantic communication (SC) techniques have recently attracted renewed research interests in (6G) wireless because they have the capability to support an efficient interpretation of the significance and meaning intended by a sender (or accomplishment of the goal) when dealing with multi-modal data such as videos, images, audio, text messages, and so on, which would be the case for various applications such as intelligent transportation systems where each autonomous vehicle needs to deal with real-time videos and data from a number of sensors including radars. A notable difficulty of existing SC frameworks lies in handling the discrete constraints imposed on the pursued semantic coding and its interaction with the independent knowledge base, which makes reliable semantic extraction extremely challenging. Therefore, we develop a new lightweight hashing-based semantic extraction approach to the SC framework, where our learning objective is to generate one-time signatures (hash codes) using supervised learning for low latency, secure and efficient management of the SC dynamics. We first evaluate the proposed semantic extraction framework over large image data sets, extend it with domain adaptive hashing and then demonstrate the effectiveness of "semantics signature" in bulk transmission and multi-modal data

Characterization of Farming System and Determinants of Adoption of Horticultural Enterprises in Achham, Nepal

Nepal's rural agriculture is characterized by its diverse and interconnected system of farming. The Ghaghara/Karnali river system in the northwest of Nepal represents the typical rural farming system. A study was conducted in 2019 in the Mid-hill district of Achham, Nepal in the same river system with the aim of studying the farming system, its features, and different factors that influence the horticultural enterprise adoption by the farmers. A total of 130 respondents were selected from the Panchadewal Binayak Municipality of Achham district of Nepal using the multi-stage purposive random sampling approach. Beside the characteristics of Farming system; various factors that determine the horticultural enterprise adoption were examined using the binary logit regression model. The integrated or multi-enterprise farming system was found to be dominated by three primary enterprises: horticulture, livestock, and agronomy. The pattern of household participation in each enterprise under study was substantially the same, with almost three fourth of the household choosing main grain crops, and horticultural crops especially vegetables; around 85% adopting livestock in an integration system, and only about 13% fruit trees. The study demonstrated that among the many factors under inquiry, the gender of household head, size of the family and visit by the extension workers influences the farmer’s decision on adoption of horticultural enterprise significantly. Though non-significant, age, level of education, farming experience, agriculture as primary occupation and credit facilities also positively plays the role in decision of horticultural enterprise adoption. Ethnicity, years of residence in same location, dependency ratio, total land size, training and visit to extension worker were negatively associated with farmers' decisions regarding horticulture enterprises. Thus, for the development of agriculture in rural areas with a higher adoption of horticultural enterprise which as higher potentialities in the rural agricultural system in Nepal, it is necessary to consider the role of various socioeconomic and personality variables in farmers decision to adopt the type of farm enterprise

Secure Communication Model For Quantum Federated Learning: A Post Quantum Cryptography (PQC) Framework

We design a model of Post Quantum Cryptography (PQC) Quantum Federated Learning (QFL). We develop a framework with a dynamic server selection and study convergence and security conditions. The implementation and results are publicly available1

Transforming Nepal’s primary health care delivery system in global health era: addressing historical and current implementation challenges

Nepal’s Primary Health Care (PHC) is aligned vertically with disease control programs at the core and a vast network of community health workers at the periphery. Aligning with the globalization of health and the factors affecting global burden of diseases, Nepal echoes the progressive increase in life expectancy, changes in diseases patterns, including the current impact of COVID-19. Nepal’s health system is also accommodating recent federalization, and thus it is critical to explore how the primary health care system is grappling the challenges amidst these changes. In this review, we conducted a narrative synthesis of literature to explore the challenges related to transformation of Nepal’s primary health care delivery system to meet the demands incurred by impact of globalization and recent federalization, covering following database: PubMED, Embase and Google Scholar. Of the 49 articles abstracted for full text review, 37 were included in the analyses. Existing theories were used for constructing the conceptual framework to explain the study findings. The results are divided into four themes. Additional searches were conducted to further support the narrative synthesis: a total of 46 articles were further included in the articulation of main findings. Transforming Nepal’s primary health care system requires a clear focus on following priority areas that include i) Revised efforts towards strengthening of community based primary health care units; ii) Adapting vertical programs to federal governance; iii) Reinforcing the health insurance scheme; and iv) Strengthening an existing network of community health workers and health human resources. This review discusses how these broad goals bear challenges and opportunities

Economic Costs Associated with Motorbike Accidents in Kathmandu, Nepal

Background: Road traffic accidents, considered as global tragedies, are in increasing trend however, the safety situation is very severe in developing countries incurring substantial amount of human, economic and social costs. Motorcycle crashes, the commonest form, occur mostly on economically active population. However, there is limited coverage of studies on economic burden of motorcycle crashes. This study aims to estimate the total cost and DALYs lost due to motorbike accidents among victims of Kathmandu Valley.Materials and Methods: Retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted among the patients having history of motorbike accidents within past twelve months and at least 3 months from the date of data collection. Interview was conducted using proforma among 100 victims of accidents and their care giver in case of death from November 15, 2014 to May 15, 2015. Cost estimation of motorbike accident was done based on human capital approach. Data collection tool was pretested and collected data were analyzed by SPSS and Microsoft excel. Results: Males (79%) belonging to the economically productive age group shared the highest proportion among total accidents victims. Most common reason for accidents was reported to be poor road condition (41%). Indirect cost was found to be significantly higher than direct costs highlighting its negative impact on economy of family and nation due to productivity loss. Total Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) lost per person was found to be 490 years and national estimation showed large burden of motorbike accidents due to huge DALY loss.Conclusions: For low resource countries like Nepal, high economic costs of motorbike accidents can pose additional burden to the fragile health system. These accidents can be prevented, and their consequences can be alleviated. There is an urgent need for reinforcement of appropriate interventions and legislation to decrease the magnitude of it and its associated grave economic consequences so as to nib this emerging epidemic in the bud

Quantum Federated Learning: Analysis, Design and Implementation Challenges

Quantum Federated Learning (QFL) has gained significant attention due to quantum computing and machine learning advancements. As the demand for QFL continues to surge, there is a pressing need to comprehend its intricacies in distributed environments. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of QFL, addressing a crucial knowledge gap in the existing literature. We develop ideas for new QFL frameworks, explore diverse use cases of applications, and consider the critical factors influencing their design. The technical contributions and limitations of various QFL research projects are examined while presenting future research directions and open questions for further exploration

3D 프린터를 이용한 미소수력 프로펠러 터빈 설계 및 생산

학위논문 (석사)-- 서울대학교 대학원 : 기계항공공학부, 2015. 8. Sung-Hoon Ahn.제3세계 발전도상 나라에는 빈곤한 고립지역이 많이 있는데 이런 지역에는 기초시설도 많이 낙후하고 인구도 아주 희박하다. 후진 기초시설로 인한 국가 송전선망의 증축이 어렵지만 낮은 수원이 많기에 피코/마이크로 수력발전이 에너지 생산의 메인 옵션으로 활용될 수 있다. 그렇지만 피코/마이크로 수력발전 시스템을 구현하는데 있어서 터빈기술의 생산비용은 개발도상 나라들한테 아주 큰 병목중의 하나로 되고 있다. 터빈 제작에 필요한 비용을 줄이고자 본 연구에서는 3차원 프린터 기술을 응용하여 터빈을 제작하려고 한다. 3차원 프린터는 적절한 형상의 소형 터빈을 제작할 수 있으며 이는 이론적 효율과 매칭할 수 있게 된다. 때문에 3차원 프린터를 이용하여 발전소자를 제작하고 발전도상국가에서 조립하여 사용하게 되면 엄청난 비용을 절감시킬 수 있다. 본 연구의 목적은 2.5m높이와 30lps 유량으로 300W의 전력을 제공할 수 있는 저비용 프로펠러 터빈을 설계하고 제작하는 것이며 300W의 전력은 제3세계 발전도상 국가에서 한 가족의 전력 소비를 충분히 만족시킬 수 있다Abstract i List of Tables v List of Figures vi CHAPTER -1 1 INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 Background and motivation 1 1.2 Objective 2 CHAPTER- 2 3 HYDRO TURBINES FOR PICO HYDRO APPLICATIONS 3 2.1 Hydro turbine classification 4 2.1.1 Impulse turbine 4 2.1.2 Reaction turbine 5 2.2 Turbine selection criteria 7 CHAPTER -3 9 DESIGN OF PICO PROPELLER TURBINE 9 3.1 Design parameters 9 3.2 Turbine selection 10 3.3 Runner design 11 3.4 Design velocity diagrams 12 3.4.1 Forces acting on blade 18 3.5 Stator design 19 3.6 Casing/ housing design 19 3.7 Draft tube design 20 CHAPTER - 4 21 EXPERIMENT, RESULTS AND MANUFACTURING STRATEGIES 21 4.1 Simulation 21 4.2 Efficiency 21 4.3 Static Analysis of 3D printed turbine 23 4.4 Manufacturing strategies for 3D printed turbine 24 4.5 Installation 27 4.6 Advantages of 3D Printed turbines 28 4.7 Limitations of the 3D printed design 28 4.8Economics of 3D printed pico hydro turbine 29 CHAPTER 5 31 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION 31 5.1 Conclusion 31 5.2 Recommendation 31 Bibliography 32 초록 36Maste

Exploring the Relationship between CT Determined Skeletal Muscle Mass and Physical Functional Limitation in Lung Cancer Patients: A Gender-Based Analysis

Master of Science (Health Sciences and Clinical Research), 2023Background: Low skeletal muscle mass is a prevalent issue in lung cancer patients, with potential implications linked to poor prognosis, treatment toxicity, impaired physical functions and reduced survival. Despite previous reports on the associations between low skeletal muscle mass and physical functions, conflicting results have been reported in the literature. The relationship between skeletal muscle mass and physical function in cancer patients is complex depending on various factors such as age, gender, co morbidities and treatment received. The influence of gender differences on muscle mass and its impact on physical function is not clearly understood. Objective: To explore gender differences in skeletal muscle mass measured using CT-defined 3rd lumbar vertebra skeletal muscle index(L3SMI) and its association to physical functional limitation measured using short physical performance battery test (SPPB) in lung cancer patients. Material and methods: A cross-sectional study of 172 lung cancer patients. 59.9 % of patients were enrolled before treatment, 27.9 % during treatment and 12.2 % during surveillance after treatment. Skeletal muscle index (SMI) was assessed utilizing CT determined skeletal muscle area (SMA) at the 3rd lumbar vertebra. The SPPB score was used to assess physical functions and physical functional limitation was defined as a score less than or equal to 9. SMI, age and gender impact on physical limitation was assessed using logistic regression. Results: The study included 95 females and 77 males with a mean(SD) age of 66 (9.7) years. Females had a lower mean(SD) weight of 53 (10.4) kg and a slightly higher mean(SD) BMI of 23 (4.1) as compared to males. The logistic regression analysis revealed that SMI was significantly associated with the outcome of PFL in lung cancer patients (OR = 0.96, 95% CI: 0.91-1.00, p = 0.034). However, the inclusion of gender as a predictor did not show a significant impact on the outcome (OR = 0.50, 95% CI: 0.21-1.15, p = 0.11). Age, on the other hand, emerged as a significant predictor of the outcome (OR = 1.14, 95% CI: 1.09-1.21, p < 0.001), with each year increase in age associated with 14% higher odds of experiencing physical functional limitation. The best-fitting model, based on AIC and BIC values, included SMI, gender, and age as predictors. The AIC and BIC values for this model were 165.43 and 178.02, respectively. In comparison when SMI was included as the only predictor, it showed higher AIC (199.21) and BIC (205.50) values. Conclusion: Increasing age and decreasing skeletal muscle mass were associated with a higher likelihood of experiencing physical functional limitations. Gender, however, did not significantly affect the relationship between skeletal muscle mass and functional limitations. Instead, the combined effect of sex, age, and skeletal muscle mass was found to be important in determining the likelihood of individuals facing physical functional limitations