Power Management in Heterogeneous MapReduce Cluster

The growing expenses of power in data centers as compared to the operation costs has been a concern for the past several decades. It has been predicted that without an intervention, the energy cost will soon outgrow the infrastructure and operation cost. Therefore, it is of great importance to make data center clusters more energy efficient which is critical for avoiding system overheating and failures. In addition, energy inefficiency causes not only the loss of capital but also environmental pollution. Various Power Management(PM) strategies have been developed over the years to make system more energy efficient and to counteract the sharply rising cost of electricity. However, it is still a challenge to make the system both power efficient and computation efficient due to many underlying system constraints. In this thesis, we investigate the Power Management technique in heterogeneous MapReduce clusters while also maintaining the required system QoS (Quality of Service). For a cluster that supports MapReduce jobs, it is necessary to develop a PM technique that also considers the data availability. We develop our PM strategy by exploiting the fact that the servers in the system are underutilized most of the time. Hence, we first develop a model of our testbed and study how the server utilization levels affect the power consumption and the system throughput. With the established models, we form and solve the power optimization problem for heterogeneous MadReduce clusters where we control the server utilization levels intelligently to minimize the total power consumption. We have conducted simulations and shown the power savings achieved using our PM technique. Then we validate some of our simulation results by running experiments in a real testbed. Our simulation and experimental data have shown that our PM strategy works well for heterogeneous MapReduce clusters which consists of different power efficient and inefficient servers. Adviser: Ying L

Eradication of Chhaupadi Pratha in mid-and far-western region of Nepal – analysis of a tradition of being untouchable during menstruation

Chhaupadi is the tradition of being untouchable during menstruation in mid-and-far western region of Nepal. The menstruation is considered as sin, impure, unclean and untouchable according to Hindu religious belief. Therefore, menstruating women and girls isolate themselves from family and society during their period in chhau goth (menstruation hut) which is far from home for not to touch anyone and anything at home. This research has discussed and analyzed how those rural ladies are suffering from menstruation stigma and how they even accept death due to cold, suffocation, snakebite, animal attack and rape staying in hut because the hut is poorly constructed. This practice has banned them from eating healthy and hygienic food, not given proper access for cleaning like public tap, toilet and sanitation as well. Due to these poor menstrual sanitation and cleanliness results in reproductive health problems like urinary tract infection, vaginal scabies and abnormal discharge. This tradition violates human rights of women and girls, in the name of tradition, and it is at against of international treaties like CEDAW, Human Rights, and others. It is also banned and criminalized according to national law though it is still in practice despite these factors but good news is that slowly and gradually it is losing its strictness so decreasing in numbers of chhaupadi followers

The association of sleep problem, dietary habits and physical activity with weight status of adolescents in Nepal.

Overweight/obesity among adolescents is an emerging public health issue worldwide. However, the evidence on the determinants of body weight status and lifestyle behaviors among Nepalese adolescents is limited. This study aims to explore the sleep characteristics, dietary habits, and physical activity and its association with body mass index (BMI) among Nepalese adolescents. A cross-sectional study was conducted between July and November 2019 among 627 randomly selected adolescents from eight schools located in Kathmandu Metropolitan City, Nepal. A self-administrated structure questionnaire was used to collect the data. Anthropometric measurements (adolescent's BMI), sleep characteristics, dietary habits, and physical activity were assessed using validated tools. Multinomial logistic regression analyses assessed the association between covariates and BMI categories. The statistical significance was considered at p-value < 0.05 and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The overall prevalence of underweight and overweight/obesity among adolescents was 9.1% (95% CI: 7.1-11.6) and 23.7% (95% CI: 20.6-27.7) respectively. In multinomial logistic regression, adolescents who reported sleep problem compared to those with no such problem (Relative risk ratio (RRR) = 13.37, 95% CI: 7.14-25.05), adolescents who had obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) symptoms (RRR = 3.21, 95% CI:1.31-7.86), who consumed soft drink ≥1 time/day in past 1 months (RRR = 5.44, 95% CI: 2.93-10.10), consumed high-fat dietary ≥2 times/day (RRR = 2.17, 95% CI: 1.18-3.99), and had a habit of junk food consumptions (RRR = 5.71, 95% CI:2.55-12.82), adolescents who had 5-6 h/day sedentary behavior (RRR = 3.21, 95% CI: 1.14-9.09), adolescents from Terai/Madhesi castes (RRR = 2.81, 95% CI: 1.19-6.64) and adolescents whose father was employed (RRR = 2.04, 95% CI: 1.04-3.98) were at increased risk of being overweight/obesity. In contrast, adolescents aged 14-16 years had 71% lower (RRR = 0.29, 95% CI: 0.16-0.52), and adolescents who consumed less than five food groups had 45% lower (RRR = 0.55, 95% CI: 0.31-0.97) risk of being overweight/obesity compared to 12-14 years age groups and consumed more than five food groups respectively. The findings of this study warrant immediate interventions to improve the lifestyle to reduce overweight/obesity among Nepalese adolescents. Creating a conducive environment, both at school and home is essential to encourage adolescents for the adoption of healthy lifestyle behaviors

Food insecurity during COVID-19 pandemic: A genuine concern for people from disadvantaged community and low-income families in Province 2 of Nepal.

Background: Food insecurity is a serious social and public health problem which is exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic especially in resource-poor countries such as Nepal. However, there is a paucity of evidence at local levels. This study aims to explore food insecurity among people from the disadvantaged community and low-income families during the COVID-19 pandemic in Province-2 of Nepal. Methods: The semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted virtually among purposively selected participants (n = 41) from both urban and rural areas in eight districts of Province 2 in Nepal. All the interviews were conducted in the local language between July and August 2020. The data analysis was performed using thematic network analysis in Nvivo 12 Pro software.ResultsThe results of this study are grouped into four global themes: i) Impact of COVID-19 on food security; ii) Food insecurity and coping strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic, iii) Food relief and emergency support during the COVID-19 pandemic, and iv) Impact of COVID-19 and food insecurity on health and wellbeing. Most participants in the study expressed that families from low socioeconomic backgrounds and disadvantaged communities such as those working on daily wages and who rely on remittance had experienced increased food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants used different forms of coping strategies to meet their food requirements during the pandemic. Community members experienced favouritism, nepotism, and partiality from local politicians and authorities during the distribution of food relief. The food insecurity among low-income and disadvantaged families has affected their health and wellbeing making them increasingly vulnerable to the COVID-19 infection.ConclusionFood insecurity among low-income and disadvantaged families was found to be a serious problem during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study suggests that the relief support plan and policies should be focused on the implementation of immediate sustainable food security strategies to prevent hunger, malnutrition, and mental health problems among the most vulnerable groups in the community

Impact of COVID-19 on health services utilization in Province-2 of Nepal: A qualitative study among community members and stakeholders

Background The COVID-19 pandemic has posed unprecedented challenges and threats to the health care system, particularly affecting the effective delivery of essential health services in resource-poor countries such as Nepal. This study aimed to explore community perceptions of COVID-19 and their experiences towards health services utilization during the pandemic in Province-2 of Nepal. Methods The semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted among purposively selected participants (n=41) from a mix of rural and urban settings in all districts (n =8) of the Province 2 of Nepal. Virtual interviews were conducted between July and August 2020 in local languages. The data were analyzed using thematic network analysis in NVivo 12 Pro. Results The findings of this research are categorized into four global themes: i) Community and stakeholders’ perceptions towards COVID-19; ii) Impact of COVID-19 and lockdown on health services delivery; iii) Community perceptions and experiences of health services during COVID-19; and iv) COVID-19: testing, isolation, and quarantine services. Most participants shared their experience of being worried and anxious about COVID-19 and reported a lack of awareness, misinformation, and stigma as major factors contributing to the spread of COVID-19. Maternity services, immunization, and supply of essential medicine were found to be the most affected areas of health care delivery during the lockdown. Participants reported that the interruptions in health services were mostly due to the closure of health services at local health care facilities, limited affordability, and involvement of private health sectors during the pandemic, fears of COVID-19 transmission among health care workers and within health centers, and disruption of transportation services. In addition, the participants expressed frustrations on poor testing, isolation, and quarantine services related to COVID-19, and poor accountability from the government at all levels towards health services continuation/management during the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusions This study found that essential health services were severely affected during the COVID-19 pandemic in all districts of Province-2. It is critical to expand and continue the service coverage, and its quality (even more during pandemics), as well as increase public-private sector engagement to ensure the essential health services are available for the population

Phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE5) restricts intracellular cGMP accumulation during enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli infection

Diarrhea caused by enterotoxigeni

‘The broker also told me that I will not have problems after selling because we have two and we can survive on one kidney’: findings from an ethnographic study of a village with one kidney in Central Nepal

Kidney selling is a global phenomenon engraved by poverty and governance in low-income countries with the higher-income countries functioning as recipients and the lower-income countries as donors. Over the years, an increasing number of residents in a village near the capital city of Nepal have sold their kidneys. This study aims to explore the drivers of kidney selling and its consequences using ethnographic methods and multi-stakeholder consultations. An ethnographic approach was used in which the researcher lived and observed the residents’ life and carried out formal and informal interactions including in-depth interviews with key informants, community members and kidney sellers in Hokse village, Kavrepalanchok district. Participants in the village were interacted by researchers who resided in the village. In addition, remote interviews were conducted with multiple relevant stakeholders at various levels that included legal workers, government officers, non-government organization (NGO) workers, medical professionals, and policymaker. All formal interviews were audio-recorded for transcription in addition to field notes and underwent thematic analysis. The study identified processes, mechanisms, and drivers of kidney selling. Historically, diversion of a major highway from the village to another village was found to impact the livelihood, economy and access to the urban centres, ultimately increasing poverty and vulnerability for kidney selling. Existing and augmented deprivation of employment opportunities were shown to foster emigration of villagers to India, where they ultimately succumbed to brokers associated with kidney selling. Population in the village also maintained social cohesion through commune living, social conformity (that had a high impact on decision making), including behaviours that deepened their poverty. Behaviours such as alcoholism, trusting and following brokers based on the persuasion and decision of their peers, relatives, and neighbours who became the new member of the kidney brokerage also contributed to kidney selling. The other reasons that may have influenced high kidney selling were perceived to be a poor level of education, high demands of kidneys in the market and an easy source of cash through selling. In Hokse village, kidney selling stemmed from the interaction between the brokers and community members’ vulnerability (poverty and ignorance), mainly as the brokers raised false hopes of palliating the vulnerability. The decision-making of the villagers was influenced heavily by fellow kidney sellers, some of whom later joined the network of kidney brokers. Although sustained support in livelihood, development, and education are essential, an expanding network and influence of kidney brokers require urgent restrictive actions by the legal authority

Impact of COVID-19 on health services utilization in Province-2 of Nepal: a qualitative study among community members and stakeholders

Background The COVID-19 pandemic has posed unprecedented challenges and threats to the health care system, particularly affecting the effective delivery of essential health services in resource-poor countries such as Nepal. This study aimed to explore community perceptions of COVID-19 and their experiences towards health services utilization during the pandemic in Province-2 of Nepal. Methods The semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted among purposively selected participants (n = 41) from a mix of rural and urban settings in all districts (n = 8) of the Province 2 of Nepal. Virtual interviews were conducted between July and August 2020 in local languages. The data were analyzed using thematic network analysis in NVivo 12 Pro. Results The findings of this research are categorized into four global themes: i) Community and stakeholders’ perceptions towards COVID-19; ii) Impact of COVID-19 and lockdown on health services delivery; iii) Community perceptions and experiences of health services during COVID-19; and iv) COVID-19: testing, isolation, and quarantine services. Most participants shared their experience of being worried and anxious about COVID-19 and reported a lack of awareness, misinformation, and stigma as major factors contributing to the spread of COVID-19. Maternity services, immunization, and supply of essential medicine were found to be the most affected areas of health care delivery during the lockdown. Participants reported that the interruptions in health services were mostly due to the closure of health services at local health care facilities, limited affordability, and involvement of private health sectors during the pandemic, fears of COVID-19 transmission among health care workers and within health centers, and disruption of transportation services. In addition, the participants expressed frustrations on poor testing, isolation, and quarantine services related to COVID-19, and poor accountability from the government at all levels towards health services continuation/management during the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusions This study found that essential health services were severely affected during the COVID-19 pandemic in all districts of Province-2. It is critical to expand and continue the service coverage, and its quality (even more during pandemics), as well as increase public-private sector engagement to ensure the essential health services are available for the population