Trade liberalization and food security in Nepal

"Among South Asian countries, Nepal has liberalized most extensively during the 1980s and 1990s on both fronts, domestic and external. Nepal is a least developed country with a gross national product of US $235 per capita in 2001 and second lowest per capita wealth in the world. In South Asia, Nepal has the lowest per capita income, highest dependence of population on agriculture and second highest poverty rate. At the same time, on an average, Nepal has the lowest tariffs in South Asia and has taken several steps to downsize its public distribution system and remove a host of agricultural subsidies. This twin scenario where the lowest per capita income country is perhaps also the most liberalized makes for an interesting case for policy analysis. This paper reviews the outcomes from the liberalization policies followed by Nepal relating to food security." from Authors' Abstract

Evaluation of the Early Childhood Music Education project’s influence on the development of 3- to 5-year-old children

In 2005, the Barenboim-Said Foundation launched the Early Childhood Music Education project in Andalusia (Spain) to promote music education for young children. Ten years later, an initial study was performed to evaluate the influence of the project on the development of the participating children. The results of this study form part of a broader ongoing research project, in collaboration with the University of Seville, aimed at investigating the influence of the Early Childhood Music Education project on general aspects of child development. This study has a quasi-experimental design, framed in Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences, consisting of an experimental and a control group (n = 1101) and the administration of a questionnaire, adapted to measure and compare means between the two groups, as the sole measurement tool. The results, analysed using an independent samples t-test for the comparison of means and Cohen’s d effect size, reveal statistically significant differences in the means of the dimensions of the experimental and control groups. This confirms the hypothesis that the Early Childhood Music Education project has a positive impact on the different dimensions, in accordance with Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences

Initial Experience of Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy at Lumbini Medical College

  Introduction: Renal stone disease is a challenging problem in urologic practice especially in our locality because of large stone burden and recurrence. Since ,the early 1980s when percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) was established for management of renal stones, open surgical procedures have virtually been replaced. PCNL is a safe, effective and minimally invasive approach compared to open surgery for patients with large single, multiple or staghorn stones. The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate and to review our experience with PCNL in management of renal and upper ureteric stones.   Methods: Prospective study carried out at Lumbini Medical College and Teaching Hospital during 1stJanuary 2011 to 31st October 2011. Sixty patients were evaluated and subjected to PCNL. After clinical investigations like ultrasonography (USG) and intravenous urography (IVU), once patients were found to have renal or upper ureteric stones they were informed and explained about PCNL, its likely complications, probable hospital stay, the cost of treatment and data were recorded along with the operative time, estimated blood loss, stone burden, stone-free rate, length of hospitalization and complications .Patients were followed up after three months to rule out recurrence of stones by plain abdominal x-ray of kidney, ureter and bladder and USG.   Results: Out of 60 patients 35 were male and 25 were female (M: F=1.4:1) with mean age of 37 years and were subjected to PCNL monotherapy. With the average stone size of 3.26cm, the mean operative time was 78 minutes. Complete stone removal achieved by PCNL alone in 60 cases, with insignificant residual small stones we achieved 97% stone clearance rate. The mean hospital stay was 3.7 days. No Serious complications were encountered, 9 (15%) patients required blood transfusion and 3 (5%) patients developed transient post-operative pyrexia.   Conclusion: PCNL is the first line treatment option for management of large renal stones which as monotherapy has advantages in removal of renal and upper ureteric stones and achieving excellent results with minimal morbidity

Evaluation of French bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) genotypes for seed production

An experimental study was conducted during 2011/2012 and 2012/2013 at Horticulture Research Station, Mondouri, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Monhanpur, Nadia, West Bengal, India, to evaluate the performance of fourteen different bush type French bean genotypes for seed yield and to study varietal characterization based on plant morphology. The genotypes, studied under this experiment were namely, Abhay, Shillong Local-3, Arjun, Selection-9, Arka Anoop, Arka Komal, Badshah, Anupam, Arka Suvidha, Falguni, Sonali, Local, Victoria and Vaishnavi-264. From overall point of view of the outcome of the experiment, it has been revealed that genotype with relatively bolder seeds with more number of seeds per pod, and higher bearing capacity per plant generally gives higher seed yield. Among the genotypes under study, Arka Suvidha was the best one as it produced the highest seed yield (2180.92 kg/ha) and relatively good plant vigour and fairly high seed vigour index (2944.38). Falguni and Mohanpur Local also can be considered promising once for seed production point of view

Coffee Production in Kavre and Lalitpur Districts, Nepal

Coffee (Coffea spp) is an important and emerging cash crop having potential to provide farmers employment and income generation opportunities. This crop is well adapted to the climatic conditions of mid-hills of Nepal. Thus, majority of the farmers are attracted towards cultivation of coffee because of demands in national and International market. Coffee is now becoming integral part of farming system in rural areas. However, information on performance of coffee and farmers response has not been well documented. Therefore, we undertook the present work to analyze demography, ethnicity, household occupation, literacy status, average land holding, coffee cultivation area, livelihood and sources of income of coffee growers, production and productivity, pricing, cropping pattern of the coffee and problesm faced by them in mid hill district of Kavrepalanchowk (hereafter ‘Kavre') and Lalitpur Districts. All the samples were taken randomly and selected from coffee producing cooperative of Kavre and Lalitpur. Our analysis showed that the male farmer dominant over female on adopting coffee cultivation in both districts with higher value in Kavre. Brahmin and Chetri ethnic communities were in majority over others in adopting the coffee cultivation. Literate farmers were more dominant over illiterates on adopting the coffee cultivation, The mean land holding was less, ranging from 0.15 to 2.30 ha for coffee cultivation, the history of coffee cultivation in Kavre showed that highest number of farmers were engaged in coffee farming from last 16 years. The mean yield of fresh cherry was 1027.20 kg/ha in Kavre, while it was 1849.36 kg/ha in Lalitpur. The study revealed that majority of the coffee plantations were between 6-10 years old. The major problems facing by coffee farmers were diseases spread, lack of irrigation facility and drying of plants. Despite of that the coffee farming was one of the rapidly emerging occupations among the farmers in both district of Nepal

Formation of amorphous carbon multi-walled nanotubes from random initial configurations

Amorphous carbon nanotubes (a-CNT) with up to four walls and sizes ranging from 200 to 3200 atoms have been simulated, starting from initial random configurations and using the Gaussian Approximation Potential [Phys. Rev. B 95, 094203 (2017)]. The important variables (like density, height, and diameter) required to successfully simulate a-CNTs, were predicted with a machine learning random forest technique. The models were validated $\textit{ex post facto}$ using density functional codes. The a-CNT models ranged from 0.55 nm - 2 nm wide with an average inter-wall spacing of 0.31 nm. The topological defects in a-CNTs were discussed and new defect configurations were observed. The electronic density of states and localization in these phases were discussed and delocalized electrons in the $\pi$ subspace were identified as an important factor for inter-layer cohesion. Spatial projection of the electronic conductivity favors axial transport along connecting hexagons, while non-hexagonal parts of the network either hinder or bifurcate the electronic transport. A vibrational density of states was calculated and is potentially an experimentally testable fingerprint of the material and the appearance of a low-frequency radial breathing mode was discussed. The thermal conductivity at 300 K was calculated using the Green-Kubo formula

A Pathogen Secreted Protein as a Detection Marker for Citrus Huanglongbing.

The citrus industry is facing an unprecedented crisis due to Huanglongbing (HLB, aka citrus greening disease), a bacterial disease associated with the pathogen Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas) that affects all commercial varieties. Transmitted by the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP), CLas colonizes citrus phloem, leading to reduced yield and fruit quality, and eventually tree decline and death. Since adequate curative measures are not available, a key step in HLB management is to restrict the spread of the disease by identifying infected trees and removing them in a timely manner. However, uneven distribution of CLas cells in infected trees and the long latency for disease symptom development makes sampling of trees for CLas detection challenging. Here, we report that a CLas secreted protein can be used as a biomarker for detecting HLB infected citrus. Proteins secreted from CLas cells can presumably move along the phloem, beyond the site of ACP inoculation and CLas colonized plant cells, thereby increasing the chance of detecting infected trees. We generated a polyclonal antibody that effectively binds to the secreted protein and developed serological assays that can successfully detect CLas infection. This work demonstrates that antibody-based diagnosis using a CLas secreted protein as the detection marker for infected trees offers a high-throughput and economic approach that complements the approved quantitative polymerase chain reaction-based methods to enhance HLB management programs

Dysfunctional TRPM8 signalling in the vascular response to environmental cold in ageing.

Ageing is associated with increased vulnerability to environmental cold exposure. Previously, we identified the role of the cold-sensitive transient receptor potential (TRP) A1, M8 receptors as vascular cold sensors in mouse skin. We hypothesised that this dynamic cold-sensor system may become dysfunctional in ageing. We show that behavioural and vascular responses to skin local environmental cooling are impaired with even moderate ageing, with reduced TRPM8 gene/protein expression especially. Pharmacological blockade of the residual TRPA1/TRPM8 component substantially diminished the response in aged, compared with young mice. This implies the reliance of the already reduced cold-induced vascular response in ageing mice on remaining TRP receptor activity. Moreover, sympathetic-induced vasoconstriction was reduced with downregulation of the α2c adrenoceptor expression in ageing. The cold-induced vascular response is important for sensing cold and retaining body heat and health. These findings reveal that cold sensors, essential for this neurovascular pathway, decline as ageing onsets

Intrathecal morphine does not prevent chronic postsurgical pain after elective Caesarean delivery: a randomised controlled trial

Background: Morphine is frequently added to spinal anaesthesia for Caesarean delivery. We aimed to determine whetherintrathecal morphine for spinal anaesthesia decreases the risk of chronic postsurgical pain (CPSP).Methods: In this randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 290 healthy parturients undergoing electiveCaesarean delivery were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive either intrathecal morphine 100 mg (n 145) or normalsaline (control; n 145) as a part of spinal anaesthesia. Anaesthetic care and postoperative pain management werestandardised in all patients. The primary outcome was the incidence of CPSP at 3 months. Secondary outcomes includedCPSP at 6 months, pain severity, and pain interference, measured by the Brief Pain Inventory questionnaire using an 11-point numeric rating scale, at 3 and 6 months after the surgery.Results: Two hundred and seventy-six patients completed the 3-month follow-up, 139 in the morphine group and 137 inthe placebo group. The incidences of CPSP at 3 months were 19% (27 of 139) in the morphine group and 18% (25 of 137) inthe placebo group (odds ratio, 1.08; 95% confidence interval, 0.59e1.97; P 0.803). At 6 months, CPSP was present in 23 of139 (16%) morphine group patients compared with 19 of 137 (14%) in the placebo group (odds ratio, 1.23; 95% confidenceinterval, 0.63e2.38; P 0.536). Brief Pain Inventory questionnaire scores for pain severity and pain interference at 3 and 6months were similar between groups.Conclusions: Administration of morphine 100 mg as a component of spinal anaesthesia for elective Caesarean deliveryfailed to reduce the incidence of chronic pain at 3 and 6 months after surgery.Perioperative Medicine: Efficacy, Safety and Outcome (Anesthesiology/Intensive Care