Increasing the productivity of rajma through proper sowing date and plant geometry

Rajma (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) cultivation is gaining popularity in Terai to Hills of Nepal. The poor plant establishment and yield due to the results of unsuitable sowing time and row spacing are the main reasons for lower productivity of it. Therefore, the date of sowing and row spacing trials were conducted in two consecutive years, 2017 and 2018 at the Grain Legumes Research Program, Khajura, Banke. A widespread and registered variety of rajma PDR 14 was used in the experiment. The experiment was laid out in a split-plot design with four sowing dates (a) 11th October, (b) 26th October, (c) 10th November and (d) 25th November as the main-factor, and three rows spacing (a) 30 cm, (b) 40 cm and (c) 50 cm as the sub-factor, consisted of three replications. The effect of the date of sowing on all the yield and yield attributing characters was found significant at a one percent significance level. Similarly, row spacing has resulted in a significant difference in grain yield. Rajma sown on 26th October (Kartik 9) produced 12, 38 and 64% higher grain yield than sown on 11th October, 10th November and 25th November, respectively. Moreover, rajma seeds sown on 26th October with 30 cm × 10 cm plant geometry produced the highest grain yield (2185 kg/ha). The narrow row spacing seemed well than the wider row in rajma production. There is a great potential to increase the production and productivity of rajma through an appropriate time of sowing and row spacing

Abnormalities in structural covariance of cortical gyrification in schizophrenia

The highly convoluted shape of the adult human brain results from several well-coordinated maturational events that start from embryonic development and extend through the adult life span. Disturbances in these maturational events can result in various neurological and psychiatric disorders, resulting in abnormal patterns of morphological relationship among cortical structures (structural covariance). Structural covariance can be studied using graph theory-based approaches that evaluate topological properties of brain networks. Covariance-based graph metrics allow cross-sectional study of coordinated maturational relationship among brain regions. Disrupted gyrification of focal brain regions is a consistent feature of schizophrenia. However, it is unclear if these localized disturbances result from a failure of coordinated development of brain regions in schizophrenia. We studied the structural covariance of gyrification in a sample of 41 patients with schizophrenia and 40 healthy controls by constructing gyrification-based networks using a 3-dimensional index. We found that several key regions including anterior insula and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex show increased segregation in schizophrenia, alongside reduced segregation in somato-sensory and occipital regions. Patients also showed a lack of prominence of the distributed covariance (hubness) of cingulate cortex. The abnormal segregated folding pattern in the right peri-sylvian regions (insula and fronto-temporal cortex) was associated with greater severity of illness. The study of structural covariance in cortical folding supports the presence of subtle deviation in the coordinated development of cortical convolutions in schizophrenia. The heterogeneity in the severity of schizophrenia could be explained in part by aberrant trajectories of neurodevelopment

The prevention of‑ and first response to‑ injuries in Nepal: A review of policies and legislation

Background: Injuries, the cause of an estimated 4.5 million deaths annually and many more disabilities worldwide each year, are the predictable outcome of particular circumstances. One of the most effective ways to prevent injuries is through policy and legislation. The aim of this research study was to identify and critically review all policy and legislation in Nepal that had the potential to prevent injuries. Methods: We identified legislation and policy that met inclusion criteria through a stakeholder meeting, networks and contacts, and websites and electronic resources. Each included document was critically reviewed to identify areas of strength and opportunities for improvement. We compared the included documents against WHO’s recommendations of known effective interventions. Results: Sixty-two documents met the inclusion criteria for this review. Of these, 24 (38.7%) were exclusively related to road injuries, 11 (17.7%) to occupational injuries, 6 (9.7%) to injuries in the home and 5 (8.1%) to injuries at school; 30 (48.4%) documents included text related to the first response to injuries. Of 127 strategic recommendations by WHO that provided an area for policy or legislative focus, 21 (16.5%) were considered adequately met by Nepali policy and legislation, 43 (33.9%) were considered partially met and 63 (49.6%) were not met. Conclusion: We drew five conclusions from this critical policy review, which we have related to recommendations as follows: widening the scope of legislation and policy for injury prevention to emphasize injuries occurring at home or school; addressing the causes of injuries and promoting proven preventive measures; greater clarity on both individual and institutional roles and responsibilities; trustworthy data and quality evidence to inform decision-making; and financial investment and capacity-strengthening for injury prevention and first response. The current system of federal governance in Nepal has potential for strengthening injury prevention and first response at the central, provincial and local levels

Sol-gel synthesis, characterization of ZnO thin films on different substrates, and bandgap calculation by the Tauc plot method

The sol-gel spin coating method was used for the preparation of the Zinc Oxide which was coated over polymer, transparent, and glass translucent substrates and characterized with the help of a UV-Vis Spectroscope. The wavelength bandgap of those samples was found to be 296nm, 310.5nm, and 330nm respectively. The actual band gap of ZnO is 388nm. Similarly, their optical bandgap energy calculated by the Tauc Plot method were 3.641eV, 3.385eV, and 3.495 eV respectively. The transparent polymer slide has the lowest wavelength bandgap and the translucent glass slide has the highest. Further, the bandgap’s value differs from its actual value to the difference in the absorption process due to the presence of the substrate. These results suggest that the choice of substrate can significantly impact the optical properties and performance of the zinc oxide thin film. This result can be applied in developing and optimizing zinc oxide thin films for various purposes, such as in solar cells, sensors, and optoelectronics. By carefully selecting the substrate, it may be possible to tailor the bandgap energy and other optical properties of the thin film to better suit the specific application

Phenotypic characterization of wheat landraces from mid and far western districts of Nepal

The study was conducted to evaluate phenotypic variation in one hundred and sixty six wheat landraces from mid and far western districts of Nepal. They were sown in randomized complete block design with two replications at National Wheat Research Program in 2014/15. The observed traits were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multivariate analysis using MINITAB v. 14. The results showed a wide range of phenotypic variability in observed parameters. The results also showed that the highest value of the standard deviation from mean (Sd) was for grain yield (±290.10) followed by plant height (±7.21). Among the traits the lowest deviation from mean (Sd) was for thousand grain weight TGW (±2.68). Wheat landraces grouped in four clusters depending on similarity of the studied traits. The results in this cluster, showed that days to maturity ranged from 97 to111 days, TGW ranged from 16 to17 gm, plant height ranged from 76 to 85 cm, and grain yield ranged from 2800 to 3000 Kg ha-1. Wheat landraces under study are grouped depending on specific traits useful for wheat improvement program. Results of this study can be supportive to detect wheat landraces within species with similar traits. In addition it can be useful for sampling in successive studies and parental selection in wheat breeding program.International Journal of Environment Vol.4(4) 2015: 32-44</p

Self-Reported Antidepressant Drug Side Effects, Medication Adherence, and Its Associated Factors among Patients Diagnosed with Depression at the Psychiatric Hospital of Nepal

Objective. The present study is aimed at evaluating the side effects of antidepressant drugs, medication adherence (MA), and associated factors among patients diagnosed with depression at a psychiatric hospital in western Nepal. Methods. A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted among 174 patients visiting the outpatient clinic of a psychiatric hospital. The antidepressant side effect checklist (ASEC) was used to classify the reported antidepressant drug side effects into mild, moderate, and severe types. The Naranjo adverse drug reaction (ADR) probability scale was employed to assess the ADRs, and the Morisky Green Levine Adherence (MGLA) score was employed to determine the rate of medication adherence. Descriptive statistics and bivariate analysis were used, and a P value < 0.05 was taken as statistically significant in the multivariate analysis. Results. The patients were mostly female (55.74%), with a median (IQR) age of 32 (20) years. Approximately 74.13% of the patients experienced antidepressant side effects, where insomnia (17.05%) and anxiety (17.05%) were the most common. More than half of the patients (52.29%) had a low level of adherence. Females were 1.01 times more likely to be nonadherent to their antidepressant medications compared to males, adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 1.001 (0.31-1.63). Similarly, illiterate patients tended to be more nonadherent compared to literates, AOR: 1.342 (0. 93-2.82), and unemployed individuals were 1.5 times more likely to be nonadherent to their medications compared to employed individuals, AOR: 1.46 (1.16-4.13). Likewise, patients with severe side effects were more prone to develop nonadherence than those with moderate side effects, AOR: 1.173 (0.42-3.25). A significant association was found between the Naranjo score and medication adherence. Conclusions. This study suggests that antidepressant drug side effects were more prevalent and medication adherence was extremely poor among depressive patients in psychiatric hospitals. Factors such as gender, occupation, education, side effects, and ADRs attributed to poor medication adherence in patients

Use of Antidepressants among Patients Diagnosed with Depression: A Scoping Review

Introduction. Depression is a major global health problem with a relatively high lifetime prevalence and significant disability. Antidepressants are the most effective medications used for the treatment of depression. Hence, this study is aimed at summarizing the studies on antidepressant use among patients diagnosed with depression. Method. PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar were searched for literature (2000-2019) using keywords such as depression, drug utilization, antidepressants, prescription, serotonin reuptake inhibitor, serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, tricyclic antidepressants, and atypical antidepressants. Results. Antidepressant users were mostly females, married people, housewives, lower-income people, employees, and highly educated people, as they were found to be more prone to develop depression than their counterparts. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), such as sertraline, were most commonly prescribed among depressive patients. Conclusion. Our study suggested that out of five major antidepressant drugs available for the treatment of depression, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are preferred over others because of their better side effects and tolerability profile

Anticoagulant Utilization and Cost Analysis among Cardiology Inpatients in a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital of Western Nepal

Introduction. Anticoagulants have a wide spectrum of use and risks associated with their therapy due to their narrow therapeutic range. This study aimed to evaluate the anticoagulant utilization and cost analysis in patients admitted to the cardiology ward of a tertiary care hospital in western Nepal. Methods. A prospective cohort study was conducted in patients admitted to the cardiology ward of Manipal Teaching Hospital (MTH), Pokhara, Kaski, Nepal, from August to November 2019. All patients (n = 132) aged ≥18 years of either gender receiving anticoagulants for any indication in the cardiology ward were included in the study. Anticoagulant utilization, the average prescribed daily dose (PDD/DDD) and the cost of anticoagulant per patient were calculated. Descriptive statistics were performed using IBM-SPSS 20.0. Results. Acute coronary syndrome (66.67%) was a common indication, unfractionated heparin + enoxaparin (45.45%) and enoxaparin (27.3%) were the most frequently prescribed anticoagulants. The performance of monitoring parameters such as international normalized ratio (INR), prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), and renal function test were consistent with the American College of Chest Physician (ACCP) guidelines. The average prescribed daily dose of anticoagulants was 1.3 (unfractionated heparin), 2.25 (enoxaparin), 0.5 (warfarin), and 1.0 (dabigatran). Heparin was associated with the majority of cases of drug interactions (52 cases). Enoxaparin was the most expensive of all the anticoagulant drug classes. The median (IQR) cost of anticoagulants used per patient was US$79.92 ($46.32). Conclusion. Our study suggests that the utilization of unfractionated heparin and enoxaparin and the cost of anticoagulants per patient were higher in the patients admitted to the cardiology ward of the hospital